Senate Finance Committee Rejects Public Option, Approves Sex Education Amendments During Markup

Main Category: Women's Health / Gynecology
Also Included In: Sexual Health / STDs;  Pediatrics / Children's Health;  Health Insurance / Medical Insurance
Article Date: 01 Oct 2009 - 2:00 PST

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Continuing its markup of a draft health care reform bill, the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday rejected two Democratic amendments that would have created a public health insurance option to compete with private insurers, the New York Times reports.

The first proposal, offered by Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), was rejected by an 8-15 vote, with five Democrats joining all 10 Republicans on the committee. The second proposal was offered by Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and defeated by a 10-13 vote. Three Democrats joined all Republicans in opposing the measure (Pear/Calmes, New York Times, 9/30). The Democrats who opposed Rockefeller's amendment included Sens. Kent Conrad (N.D.), Blanche Lincoln (Ark.), Bill Nelson (Fla.), Tom Carper (Del.), and Committee Chair Max Baucus (Mont.). Nelson and Carper were the two senators who voted for Schumer's amendment (Hook, Los Angeles Times, 9/30).

Schumer's amendment would have required the public plan to negotiate payment rates with physicians and hospitals instead of basing them on Medicare reimbursements rates, the Times reports. Under Rockefeller's plan, payment of physicians and hospitals would have been based on Medicare rates for the first two years (New York Times, 9/30).

Committee Approves Sex Education Funding

Later in the day, the committee approved two sex education-related amendments to the health reform bill, including a measure by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) that would restore $50 million per year in federal funding for abstinence-only sex education programs, the AP/Yahoo! News reports. Hatch's amendment was passed in a 12-11 vote over objections from Baucus, who offered an alternative amendment that would make funding available for programs that include information on abstinence, contraception and sexually transmitted infections. During the debate, Baucus challenged Hatch's assertions that abstinence-only programs have been proven effective.

Conrad and Lincoln joined the committee's 10 Republicans in voting for Hatch's amendment. Baucus' amendment passed 14-9 (AP/Yahoo! News, 9/30).

According to the Salt Lake Tribune, Baucus' amendment is in line with President Obama's 2010 budget proposal, which calls for phasing out abstinence-only funding in favor of comprehensive sex education programs to reduce teen pregnancy (Canham, Salt Lake Tribune, 9/29).

Lawmakers will need to reconcile the two amendments as the legislation moves forward (AP/Yahoo! News, 9/30).

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