Released: February 23, 2010

Obama offers new health-care reform proposal

Source: Alec MacGillis & Amy Goldstein, Washington Post (Free Registration)

President Obama signaled his determination to forge ahead with a Democratic vision of comprehensive health-care reform as he unveiled on Monday an ambitious proposal that would extend coverage to 31 million people, raise taxes on the wealthy and ratchet up regulations on insurers.

The proposal is a carefully calibrated attempt to relaunch a nearly year-long effort that has stalled: It tries to combine the separate bills that narrowly passed the House and Senate into a final version that could pass muster in both chambers.

Like the Senate and House bills, the proposal would require almost everyone to obtain insurance or pay a fine and provide income-based subsidies to those who cannot afford it. It would expand Medicaid for the working poor and impose new requirements on insurers that sell policies in a new “exchange,” or marketplace, where those without employer-based benefits could buy coverage.

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