The U.S. House of Representatives has scheduled a Nov. 7 vote on the Democratic plan for health care reform, two days after the American Medical Association and AARP announced their support.

The bill, which spends $894 billion over 10 years, would cover 96% of non-elderly Americans, according to an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office. Of the 36 million expected to acquire health care under this plan, "roughly 15 million" would join the Medicaid rolls, said the CBO, the nonpartisan fiscal auditing office on Capitol Hill. An estimated 12 million citizens would remain uninsured. Overall, according to the CBO, the budget deficit would decrease by $104 billion in the first decade of this plan (BestWire, Oct. 29, 2009).

Republican House leaders announced a new plan of their own which would encourage state-based solutions and multistate pools, allow the purchase of health insurance across state lines, offer incentives for health savings accounts and adopt medical liability reforms modeled after tort reforms in California and Texas. It would create "universal-access programs," high-risk pools to provide insurance for those with pre-existing conditions.

A CBO analysis determined the GOP plan would help 3 million people obtain coverage. It would reduce the budget deficit by $68 billion over 10 years, according to the CBO.

While saying the Democratic plan -- HR 3962, The Affordable Health Care for America Act -- is imperfect legislation, AMA President J. James Rohack issued a statement saying the bill "will significantly expand health insurance coverage to Americans to empower patient and physician decision making; institute meaningful insurance market reforms; make substantial investments in quality; institute prevention and wellness initiatives; provide incentives to states that adopt certificate of merit and/or early offer liability reforms, and reduce administrative burdens."

The compromise House bill includes a government-operated public-option insurer, but its reimbursement rates would be negotiated with providers, not tied to Medicare levels. It's similar to an option favored by the fiscally conservative Democrats that forced an earlier compromise in the House Energy and Commerce Committee's bill.

Several insurance groups have criticized the bill's repeal of health and medical liability insurers' antitrust exemption (BestWire, Oct. 26, 2009). The legislation withdraws an exemption from antitrust law provided more than 60 years ago in the McCarran-Ferguson Act. The National Association of Professional Insurance Agents has concerns about a provision that could put the Small Business Administration in the role of insurance broker or agency for small groups seeking insurance in the bill's public exchanges.

(By Sean P. Carr, Washington Correspondent: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )