Should negotiations among the senators be successful, Senator Reid is expected to move for another cloture motion to close off debate on the bill, which would probably bring the bill for a final vote next week.

Over 400 amendments have been proposed for the bill, but only a few have been submitted for vote. Most recently, two amendments on prescription drugs were defeated. One by Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) would have allowed individuals, pharmacies and wholesalers to import drugs from other countries. A milder version of that amendment from Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) would have allowed the import of drugs only as FDA certified to be safe. The pharmaceutical industry has continued to oppose such measures, and the FDA has opposed the measures out of concern over the risk of counterfeit drugs being imported.


This week Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Bill Nelson (D-FL) have offered an amendment to create a permanent fix for the 'doughnut hole' out-of-pocket costs in Medicare. In the doughnut hole gap, eligible seniors pay 25 percent of their initial prescription costs up to $2,700, after a deductible. When the costs hit the $2,700 level seniors become responsible for all of the cost until they reach $6,153. "It's time to close the 'doughnut hole' once and for all to make sure our seniors can afford the out-of-pocket costs for their prescription drugs," Senator Rockefeller wrote on his website. Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA) has also introduced an amendment to delay implementation of any final rule that discontinues payment for consultation codes until 2011 and requires establishing new consultation service codes to reduce coding errors.

Read all the details:

Senator Burris' remarks: http://burris.senate.gov/press.cfm?method=releases.view&id=ec081c9a-e783-46f7-adef-ee3e6b083fb3

Congressional Budget Office report: https://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/107xx/doc10731/MLR_and_budgetary_treatment.pdf

The President's remarks: http://democrats.senate.gov/

The Council of Economic Advisors' Report: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/091213-economic-case-health-care-reform.pdf

Senator Rockefeller's remarks: http://rockefeller.senate.gov/press/record.cfm?id=320806&

Want to compare the House and Senate bills? Get a cup of coffee and curl up with this comparison chart from the AMA's legislative counsel's office:
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/399/hsr-hr3962-hr3590-comparison-chart.pdf

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