As key details of the health system overhaul are negotiated in Congress, The Commonwealth Fund is pleased to offer a new report comparing the health insurance provisions of the separate bills passed by the Senate and House of Representatives, as well as new updates of two earlier Fund reports examining the proposals and their potential impact:
The Health Insurance Provisions of the 2009 Congressional Health Reform Bills: Implications for Coverage, Affordability, and Costs. New. Although there are some key differences between the bills’ approaches to expanding and improving health insurance coverage, both would introduce significant reforms, including providing coverage to more than 30 million uninsured Americans and making coverage more affordable for small businesses and people who buy insurance on their own. This report focuses on: the number of people who would likely gain coverage; under which program or plan they would be covered and the consequences for federal financing; the estimated insurance premium and out-of-pocket costs for families; the consequences for employers; and the degree to which the reorganization and regulation of insurance markets has the potential to stimulate price competition and lower costs.
Starting on the Path to a High Performance Health System: Analysis of Health System Reform Provisions of Reform Bills in the House of Representatives and Senate. Updated Jan 7. Achieving a high performance health system means going beyond ensuring affordable insurance coverage. It also requires measures to improve the quality of health care, increase efficiency, and slow the growth in total health system costs. This report analyzes provisions of the Senate and House health reform legislation that would affect health care providers' financial incentives, the organization and delivery of health services, investment in prevention and population health, and the capacity to achieve the best health care and health outcomes for all.
The Comprehensive Congressional Health Reform Bills of 2009: A Look at Health Insurance, Delivery System, and Financing Provisions. Updated Jan. 7. This report provides a complete overview of all the provisions of the House and Senate reform bills, including those related to insurance coverage, improving the quality of health care, controlling costs and revising provider payment, and investing in primary care and prevention.
You can also use an interactive table for a side-by-side comparison of insurance coverage provisions in the two bills and another table comparing system reform provisions.
