Cover the Uninsured Weekly News Digest - Week of September 28, 2009

Senate Republicans Criticize Taxes in Health-Care Bill
As it drew close Thursday to finishing work on a health-care overhaul, a key Senate panel engaged in a spirited debate about whether the measure is "riddled" with tax increases that would violate President Obama's campaign pledge not to raise taxes on middle-class Americans.
(Source: Washington Post, Lori Montgomery and Shailagh Murray, 10/2/2009)

Panel Easing Penalties for Those Without Insurance
The Senate Finance Committee voted Thursday to soften the impact of financial penalties that would be imposed on people who did not obtain insurance under sweeping health care legislation.
(Source: New York Times, Robert Pear and Jackie Calmes, 10/2/2009)

Doctors Fight Penalty for Heavy Test Use
Doctors are trying to remove a provision in the Senate's latest health bill that would cut Medicare payments to those who administer the most tests and treatments.
(Source: Wall Street Journal, Greg Hitt and Janet Adamy, 10/2/2009)

Senate Finance Panel Has Votes To Pass Health Bill, Baucus Says
Democrats on a key Senate panel backed off a plan to impose billions of dollars in new taxes on senior citizens with catastrophic medical expenses Wednesday and defeated Republican amendments on abortion, immigration and other divisive issues, aiming to bring a comprehensive health-care overhaul before the full Senate within two weeks.
(Source: Washington Post, Lori Montgomery and Ceci Connolly, 10/1/2009)

Abortion Language Heats Up Healthcare Battle
Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee are at odds over how far to go in preventing insurance companies from covering the procedure for woman who would get subsidies.
(Source: Los Angeles Times, Noam N. Levey, 10/1/2009)

Without US healthcare plan, states could pay more
If the U.S. Congress fails to reform health care, states will spend more on their programs for the poor than they currently pay out, according to a new report on Wednesday.
(Source: Reuters, Lisa Lambert, 9/3/2009)

Americans willing to fund healthcare reform-poll
Most Americans would pay higher taxes to fund healthcare reforms that provide the best quality of care, but only a minority expects Washington to deliver it, according to a survey released on Wednesday.
(Source: Reuters, David Morgan, 9/30/2009)

Key Senate Panel Votes Down 'Public Option' For Healthcare
Centrists side with Republicans in a blow to advocates of a government program to compete with private plans. The issue will likely be revisited on the Senate floor and in committee with the House.
(Source: Los Angeles Times, Janet Hook, 9/30/2009)

In Delivering Care, More Isn't Always Better, Experts Say
A dirty word in health-care reform is "rationing," a term that conjures up the image of faceless government bureaucrats denying lifesaving therapies in the name of cutting costs.
(Source: Washington Post, Ceci Connolly, 9/29/2009)