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The Democratic majority easily fended off an attempt led by Senator Vince Illuzzi (R-Essex-Orleans) to substitute Republican Governor Jim Douglas’ alternative reform plan and a subsequent proposal by Senator Mark Shepard (R-Bennington) to amend the bill to ensure the state’s health care system remains a competitive market-based system. The final and most difficult reform step has yet to be taken, however. A conference committee of House and Senate members must agree on a compromise between the differing House and Senate plans. Governor Douglas has stated he also will take an active role to influence the conference discussions. Douglas has been adamant in his opposition to a payroll tax and administration officials spent much of last week in the State House pressing for their preferred premium tax. The House version of health care reform restructured state government and laid out an ambitious timeline for a comprehensive, government run health care system. However, the House did not include a funding source or any benefit descriptions, instead deferring those decisions to a process that would explore those factors and return to the legislature with a recommendation. The House Ways and Means Committee spent Thursday hearing about the Governor’s premium tax proposal and the Senate payroll tax proposal in advance of the conference committee process. Senate Democrats are eager to forge an agreement and late last week were talking about a combination of payroll and premium taxes as a possible compromise. House members have been skeptical of a premium tax that places a greater burden on those who are already paying to support the health care system, but it is unclear if their desire to pass a reform bill this year is more important to them than adhering to principles they adopted early in the session. Both the House and Senate have named their conferees. Serving as Senate conferees are Senator Ann Cummings (D-Washington District), Senator Jim Leddy (D-Chittenden District), and Senator Peter Welch (D-Windsor District). Representing the House are Representative John Tracy (D-Burlington), Representative Malcolm Severance (R-Colchester) and Representative Harry Chen (D-Mendon). Both the House and Senate passed versions of H.524 can be accessed for viewing or downloading at the legislative website http://www.leg.state.vt.us/ In other activity, the Senate Appropriations Committee completed its work on the FY06 general fund appropriations bill and the full Senate will debate the proposal this week. The Appropriations Committee late last week removed key health care cost containment appropriations from H.524 and placed them in the budget bill, ensuring those popular provisions will be adopted this year regardless of the outcome of H.524. The legislative session usually concludes two weeks after Senate passage of the budget bill. For more information on legislative proposals, visit the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont website at www.bcbsvt.com or call Leigh Tofferi at (802) 223-6131 or Kathy Parry at (802) 371-3205. If you would prefer to receive these updates by FAX or e-mail, wish to discontinue receiving these updates or know of anyone else who would like to receive it, please call Kathy Parry at the above number or send an e-mail to parryk@bcbsvt.com |
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