How the House and Senate Bills Stack Up on Reform Priorities
Some major provisions of the Senate bill are still being debated, but here’s how the current Senate and House health reform bills compare on some of our highest priorities for health reform.
Affordability:
For a new reform law to succeed in covering most uninsured, decent coverage must be affordable to citizens at every income level; otherwise, those who cannot afford coverage will just stay uninsured.
The best compromise for Texans would take the best from both House and Senate bills, because the House bill provides stronger affordability protections (for both premiums and out-of-pocket costs) for low-income families, while the Senate bill is better for moderate-income households.
- A family of three earning $27,465 could pay up to 7% of their annual income for health costs (premiums plus out-of-pocket) under the House bill, but 19% under the Senate version.
- On the other hand, a family of three earning $73,240 could pay up to 26% of income under the House bill, but a lower 20% under the Senate version.
Strong, consumer-friendly regulation of health insurance:
In general, the House bill establishes tighter oversight the insurance industry and creates one national Exchange that is empowered to negotiate with insurers and deliver better value to individuals and small businesses.
Other important items:
The House bill relies on more progressive financing, requires larger businesses to offer health insurance without creating the disincentives found in the Senate bill to hiring and retaining low-income workers, and unlike the Senate bill, does not allow the back-door reintroduction of charging people more when they are sick through “wellness penalties.”
