On October 13, the Senate Finance Committee passed, 14-9, the America’s Healthy Future Act (as-yet-unnumbered), following a multi-week mark-up. The committee began its work on the bill during the week of September 21 (see The Source, 9/25/09) and continued its consideration of the measure the following week (see The Source, 10/2/09). The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the measure will cost $829 billion over 10 years.
The committee’s version of the legislation next must be combined with the bill passed earlier this summer by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, the Affordable Health Choices Act (S. 1679) (see The Source, 7/17/09). The House Education and Labor, Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce Committees approved their respective portions of the House version of the Affordable Health Choices Act (H.R. 3200) before the congressional recess in August (see The Source, 7/17/09 and 7/31/09, respectively).
The Senate Finance Committee bill would continue existing restrictions on federal funding of abortion services, prohibit tax credits or cost-sharing credits from being used to pay for abortions, and clarify that the bill would not preempt state or federal laws regarding the prohibition or requirement of coverage or funding of abortions or abortion-related services.
The legislation also would require all health insurance plans to provide preventive and primary care, including maternity, newborn, and pediatric services; authorize $1.5 billion between FY2010 and 2014 for a home visitation grant program that promotes maternal and child health; and provide services to women suffering from postpartum depression and psychosis.
