Endocrine Insider
August 19, 2009

(See full Issue)

With Congress out of town for the month of August, proponents and opponents of health care reform are using this month to deconstruct the House and Senate bills.  House legislation was approved by the Energy and Commerce, Education and Labor, and Ways and Means Committees (H.R. 3200), and Senate legislation was passed by the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.  The Congressional Research Service (CRS), which works exclusively for Congress providing non-partisan policy and legal analysis to committees and members of both the House and Senate, released a report in July to brief members of Congress on the basic components and issues involved in the health care debate.  The report discusses the three predominant concerns in the health reform debate—coverage, cost, and quality—as well as some potential legislative issues.  The report does not include recommendations for addressing the concerns.

The report covers some of the issues discussed in the Society’s “Guiding Principles for Health Reform,” including the provision of affordable and adequate health care and the role of preventive care.