April 13th, 2010

· Jobless Benefits Advance In Senate With Republican Votes: “The Senate moved closer Monday to extending jobless benefits that expired a week ago.”

· Caterpillar, AT&T, Verizon: “Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday canceled a hearing called to hear concerns by AT&T and other corporations about new employer costs in the health care overhaul, saying the companies now believe the overhaul could ease their costs if implemented properly.”

· Former New York Gov. George Pataki: Pataki has created Revere America an organization that will launch a nationwide petition drive to "repeal and replace" the health care reform legislation.

· Miscellaneous Health Care News:

o AP-GfK Poll: Jump In Opposition To Health Care Law AP by RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR

o New Long-Term Care Insurance Will Provide Flexible Cash Benefits Kaiser Health News by Howard Gleckman

o Health Law Rolls Back Abortion Rights, Groups Say NPR by Julie Rovner

o New Health Law Expands High-Risk Coverage NPR by Sarah Varney

o Insurer Sets Out Medicaid Coping Strategies For States Wall Street Journal by AVERY JOHNSON

o Obama picking up fundraising steam LA Times

o Top Recruit Gives GOP Hope of Beating Giffords CQ Politics by Daniel Newhauser

-Pete Van Vranken

· Jobless Benefits

o Jobless Benefits Advance In Senate With Republican Votes Washington Post by Ben Pershing - The Senate moved closer Monday to extending jobless benefits that expired a week ago, overcoming a procedural vote over the objections of deficit-conscious Republicans. The chamber voted 60 to 34 to proceed on a measure that would extend unemployment insurance, subsidies for the COBRA health insurance program and federal flood insurance through May 5. Four Republicans -- Sens. Scott Brown (Mass.), Susan Collins (Maine), Olympia J. Snowe (Maine) and George V. Voinovich (Ohio) -- joined every Democrat present in voting to move the bill forward, making it likely that the measure will pass in a final tally this week... "Blocking unemployment insurance isn't just bad policy or bad political strategy; it is unfair and inhumane," said Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.). "Those blocking this extension say they want the spending offset, but that ignores the fact that unemployment extensions have always been considered as emergency spending."

o Unemployment Package Clears Hurdle Politico by Meredith Shiner - Senate Democrats cleared the last major procedural hurdle on a temporary unemployment benefits package Wednesday night, 60-40, after hitting a voting snafu earlier in the day. The GOP's failed point of order would have stripped the bill of its emergency designation and placed it in violation of the Senate's "pay as you go” rule. With the defeat of this Republican procedural motion, Democrats very likely will pass the bill when it comes up for a vote Thursday.

· Caterpillar, AT&T, Verizon

o Dems Cancel Hearing On Business Health Care Gripes AP by MATTHEW PERRONE - Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday canceled a hearing called to hear concerns by AT&T and other corporations about new employer costs in the health care overhaul, saying the companies now believe the overhaul could ease their costs if implemented properly. AT&T, Caterpillar, AK Steel and other companies said last month they would be forced to take billions of dollars in writedowns because of changes in how health care subsidies will be taxed. But Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., issued a statement late Wednesday, saying he canceled a hearing scheduled for next Wednesday at the request of several companies that want more time to see how the law is implemented. "Companies like AT&T, Verizon, and a range of stakeholder associations are hopeful that the benefits of the new law will outweigh the costs," Waxman stated.

o Waxman Backs Away From Challenge To Big Corporations On Health Costs Kaiser Health News staff by Christopher Weaver - A new congressional staff report has defused a standoff between Democrats and large corporations over losses the firms anticipate because of the new health overhaul law. Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, let his fellow committee members know Wednesday in a memo that an April 21 hearing was off, quelling a dispute that began just a day after President Barack Obama signed the sweeping health law on March 23.... The preliminary results of that congressional probe came in Wednesday. The findings in short: The firms followed proper accounting rules. Although the companies reported the charges immediately in order to comply with accounting requirements, the investigators noted, the massive losses they predicted would take place over "decades," not the single year the Wall Street Journal described. The report said, "actual impact on annual company cash flows will be only a fraction of the amount of the noncash charges reported to the SEC."

· Former New York Gov. George Pataki

o National health care repeal drive to launch in Lincoln Lincoln Journal Star by DON WALTON - Former New York Gov. George Pataki will headline an event in Lincoln next Monday mounting a national petition drive to repeal health care reform legislation. Pataki will kick off the effort in Boston on Sunday, the 235th anniversary of the midnight ride of Paul Revere during the American Revolution... (Pataki) created Revere America, the organization that will launch a nationwide petition drive to "repeal and replace" the health care reform legislation recently approved by Congress. Pataki served three terms as governor from 1995 through 2006. His petition drive is seeking 1 million signatures.

Miscellaneous Health Care News:

AP-GfK Poll: Jump In Opposition To Health Care Law AP by RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR

Opposition to President Barack Obama's health care law jumped after he signed it — a clear indication his victory could become a liability for Democrats in this fall's elections. A new Associated Press-GfK poll finds Americans oppose the health care remake 50 percent to 39 percent. .... Nonetheless, the bleak numbers may not represent a final judgment for the president and his Democratic allies in Congress. Only 28 percent of those polled said they understand the overhaul extremely or very well. And a big chunk of those who don't understand it remain neutral. Democrats hope to change public opinion by calling attention to benefits available this year for seniors, families with children transitioning to work and people shut out of coverage because of a medical problem.

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New Long-Term Care Insurance Will Provide Flexible Cash Benefits Kaiser Health News by Howard Gleckman

A provision in the health care overhaul law signed by President Barack Obama last month could bring some help. The law establishes a voluntary, long-term care program that will provide cash to enrollees who suffer at least two limitations in daily activities, such as eating, bathing and dressing. Supporters say the program, known as the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act, will give families greater means to care for disabled relatives. There are about 10 million Americans who need long-term care services, including 4 million under age 65.

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Health Law Rolls Back Abortion Rights, Groups Say NPR by Julie Rovner

Recent fights between anti-abortion groups could leave people with the impression that the new health overhaul law expands women's access to abortion. But abortion-rights groups vehemently disagree. "There are extraordinary things in health care reform for women," says Judy Lichtman, a senior adviser to the National Partnership for Women and Families, which supports abortion rights. "But all, I have to admit, come at the expense of women's abortion rights, and that's very sad." Timothy Jost, a law professor at Washington and Lee University in Virginia, agrees. "I think across the board this is a bill that is a pro-life bill and is going to lead to fewer rather than more abortions. And I think it's very unfortunate that people who oppose this bill for other reasons are attacking it as an abortion-funding bill, which it definitely is not." ________________________

New Health Law Expands High-Risk Coverage NPR by Sarah Varney

The new federal health care law sets aside $5 billion to fund new high-risk programs that are more affordable and open to more people. Deborah Chollet, a health insurance expert at the nonpartisan research firm Mathematica, says people who apply to the new programs will pay a standard rate, or the rate they would pay for a policy if they did not have a pre-existing condition that excluded them from coverage. "That is an enormous benefit," she says. Medical charges for people in a high-risk pool could drop by as much as a third, and they will no longer face annual or lifetime caps, Chollet adds. A family would pay no more than $11,900 a year. Individuals would pay under $6,000 a year.

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Insurer Sets Out Medicaid Coping Strategies For States Wall Street Journal by AVERY JOHNSON

UnitedHealth Group Inc. and its rivals in the managed-care industry are gearing up to go after one of the biggest new markets to be created by the new federal health-care law: the roughly 16 million new people expected to be eligible for insurance coverage under state Medicaid programs.

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Obama picking up fundraising steam LA Times

Now that his healthcare overhaul is complete, President Obama is raising campaign money at a ferocious pace, tapping into an energized corps of Democratic donors in quiet, less publicized forays to dinners and receptions embedded in official presidential trips.... It is too early to tell whether the healthcare success will provide lasting momentum for Democratic fundraising. But party officials were heartened by one early measure. The fundraising totals from March show the DNC outraised its Republican counterpart by about $1.6 million. Given that healthcare passed with 10 days left in the month, Democrats see this as a hopeful sign.

"When donors are engaged and happy and seeing agenda items moving forward, they're more likely to be generous,'' said Mark Gilbert, a deputy national finance chairman for the DNC.

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Top Recruit Gives GOP Hope of Beating Giffords CQ Politics by Daniel Newhauser

A field of four Republicans are hammering sophomore Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords on her “yes” vote, and the national GOP is hoping the issue will be a determining factor when voters decide whether to send her back for a third term in November.

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