Such a consensus measure would extend insurance coverage to 12-15 million people, fewer than half of the expansion in the House and Senate reform bills, slow growth in Medicare spending and reward providers with high-quality, lower-cost care.
Passage of health reform legislation was put in doubt by the election of a Republican to Sen. Ted Kennedy’s old seat in Massachusetts. With 59 senators, Democrats now cannot override a Republican filibuster.
Both the White House and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi say they are not in a hurry to find a new solution. A White House spokesman said President Obama wanted to let “the dust settle” before endorsing a new health reform bill.
Read the New York Times’ report on health reform
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