Democrats Oppose GOP Health Coverage Bill

Senate Democrats threatened Tuesday to filibuster Republican-backed legislation they said would scale back health insurance for millions. Republicans said the measure would allow small businesses to offer coverage to more
workers. The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., would enable businesses to join across state lines to buy health insurance. The pooling would give them enough clout to negotiate better rates, Enzi said.

``This is something that the small businesses have been asking for for almost 15 years,'' said Enzi, R-Wyo.
Democrats said the resulting plans would not meet people's needs when they get sick because the legislation would pre-empt state requirements for certain coverage, such as mammograms or diabetes supplies. However, Enzi's aides said he would support some mandated coverage if a majority of the states require it. For instance, 49 states require the coverage of mammograms, so they would be allowed to continue that coverage.

Enzi is making the concession in an effort to generate enough support to overcome a filibuster. He needs at least a handful of Democrats to support a motion that would allow for a vote on the bill. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Democrats also want to vote on amendments to expand stem cell research and extend the May 15 Medicare drug benefit enrollment deadline. If they don't get to vote on such amendments, a filibuster is likely.

``If we're not given the opportunity to offer amendments, I don't see how in good faith we could go forward with the legislation,'' Reid said. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., and other critics said it would let small businesses buy insurance that overrode coverage requirements mandated by states. Democrats blocked action on two other GOP-supported bills on Monday. Both sought to limit the amount of money that patients can receive from medical malpractice cases.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5811564,00.html

If any of you listened to Malloy last night, you'd already know that!

Enzi wants to OK ins co's to provide basic coverage WITHOUT the mandatory coverage for MANY things, not just mammograms. As I understant it, they would also be able to segregate insureds into different classes and those with prior medical history would have to pay higher premiums. That's totally against the basic idea of insurance policies!

Enzi's bill needs to die a quiet death in some dark corner.

& cymbals clashing - We & the world need 2 know that the Democrats have finally stood up 2 bad legislation and slapped it down.

if Republicans think mandates are terrible, then why pass a intrusive federal mandate to overturn state laws? Some of these state laws prevent insurance companies from increasing premiums on small companies with employees who have medical problems, when renewing those policies. The Enzi bill removes these kinds of protections for workers and small business, and allows insurance companies to hike those premiums as much as 67%. This legislation would turn existing risk pools, now protected by state laws, into sham nets.

I hope Democrats beat this bill, because it will only hurt those who are least able to fend for themselves..along with the friends and relatives who look after them! Republicans love to talk about family values, but they trash working families every chance they get!

http://www.familiesusa.org/assets/pdfs/enzi-bill/Enzi-Bill-Effect-on-States.pdf

The dems won't fall for this. The bill, if passed, would go straight to the House conf. committee where any compromise would be stripped out. Don't think he has the votes, he is not being good natured or extra considerate here.