So, what exactly will the pending legislation do?

Take a look at a side-by-side chart comparing some of the provisions in the House-passed, Senate-passed, and pending House reconciliation bills that C3 thinks are important for people living with colorectal cancer.  The chart also includes links to the full text of each of the bills, so that you can read the complete legislation.

The reconciliation bill will contain changes to the Senate bill needed to get the support of House Democrats.  Passing an amended bill under reconciliation rules will allow the Senate to consider and pass the changes under special rules requiring a simple majority to pass rather than a 60-vote majority.  Congressional leaders hope to send a final bill to President Obama no later than the Easter Congressional recess.

The two key differences between the House and Senate bills are the public option and pay-fors.  The House bill would create a government-sponsored insurance plan (i.e., a public option), but the Senate bill is silent on this point.  How to finance the health care expansion is also a contentious issue.  House members refused to consider the so-called Cadillac tax (i.e., a tax on expensive insurance plans) but the Senate has taken the opposite approach to financing and included a wealth surtax (the so-called millionaires’ tax) rather than including a Cadillac tax.  The House bill also has stricter language against funding for abortion.

The Senate passed their bill on Christmas Eve by a vote of 69-39.  And the House passed their bill on Nov. 7, 2009 by a vote of 220-215.

C3 has been closely following the various health reform proposals introduced in Congress because access to care is critical to preventing, treating and beating colorectal cancer.  Read more about the provisions in the House-passed and Senate-passed bills that will affect colorectal cancer patients.

“The President completed all age-appropriate screening tests, to include colorectal cancer screening.  A CT-colonography was performed with normal results.  Follow-up colorectal cancer screening is recommended in 5 years for routine colon cancer screening.”

Screening is just one important way to prevent colorectal cancer.  Take a few minutes to read more about preventing colorectal cancer.

View a side-by-side comparison of the House-passed and Senate-passed bills here.  View the President’s health reform proposal here.

The President will offer brief opening comments, followed by Republican and Democratic Members of Congress chosen by their colleagues.  They will then begin discussions around following four themes:

1. Controlling costs;
2. Insurance reforms;
3. Reducing the deficit; and
4. Expanding coverage.

The President will be seated in the middle of one side of the hollow square, with the Vice President, Secretary Sebelius, and congressional Leadership seated alongside him at the table.  Members of Congress will be seated by caucus around the square.

Members of Congress expected to attend the meeting include:

• Senator Harry Reid, D-NV, Majority Leader
• Senator Mitch McConnell, R-KY, Republican Leader
• Senator Dick Durbin, D-IL, Majority Whip
• Senator Jon Kyl, R-AZ, Republican Whip
• Senator Max Baucus, D-MT, Chairman of the Finance Committee
• Senator Chuck Grassley, R-IA, Ranking Member of the Finance Committee
• Senator Tom Harkin, D-IA, Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
• Senator Mike Enzi, R-WY, Ranking Member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
• Senator Chris Dodd, D-CT, Member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
• Senator Chuck Schumer, D-NY
• Senator Patty Murray, D-WA
• Senator Kent Conrad, D-ND
• Senator Jay Rockefeller, D-WV
• Senator Ron Wyden, D-OR
• Senator Lamar Alexander, R-TN
• Senator John Barrasso, R-WY
• Senator Tom Coburn, R-OK
• Senator John McCain, R-AZ
• Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-CA
• Representative Steny Hoyer, D-MD, Majority Leader
• Representative John Boehner, R-OH, Republican Leader
• Representative James Clyburn, D-SC, Majority Whip
• Representative Eric Cantor, R-VA, Republican Whip
• Representative Charles Rangel, D-NY, Chairman of the Ways and Committee
• Representative Dave Camp, R-MI, Ranking Member of the Ways and Means Committee
• Representative Henry Waxman, D-CA, Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee
• Representative Joe Barton, R-TX, Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee
• Representative George Miller, D-CA, Chairman of the Education and Labor Committee
• Representative John Kline, R-MN, Ranking Member of the Education and Labor Committee
• Representative John Dingell, D-MI, Chair Emeritus of the Energy and Commerce Committee
• Representative Xavier Becerra, D-CA
• Representative Louise Slaughter, D-NY
• Representative Robert Andrews, D-NJ
• Representative Jim Cooper, D-TN
• Representative Paul Ryan, R-WI
• Representative Marsha Blackburn, R-TN
• Representative Charles Boustany, R-LA
• Representative Peter Roskam, R-IL

** Note: Senator McConnell and Leader Boehner will designate one additional Republican member to attend.**

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius issued the following statement of support,

“[u]nder this budget, we will provide the health and human services that Americans depend on more effectively, slashing waste and focusing programs on results.  And we’ll make many of the necessary investments our country has been putting off for years, including investments in fighting health care fraud, strengthening our public health infrastructure, and getting serious about health and wellness,” said Sebelius. “This budget is a big step toward a healthier, stronger America.”

The President’s budget includes $32.09 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  The proposed funding level for NIH would be an increase of $1 billion (3.2 percent) over last year to support innovative projects from basic to clinical research.  The increase in funding for the NIH will allow the agency to initiate 30 new drug trials in 2011, and double the number of novel compounds in Phase 1 – 3 clinical trials by 2016.  In addition, FY 2011 funding will support the completion of a comprehensive catalog of cancer mutations for the 20 most common malignancies, setting the stage for complete genomic characterization of every cancer as part of medical care within 10 years.

The NIH budget includes:

• $5.26 billion for the National Cancer Institute – an increase of $161 million (3.16 percent); and
• $219 million for the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities – a $7 million increase (3.5 percent).

The President’s FY 2011 budget proposal also provides $2.5 billion for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – an increase of $148 million (6.26 percent) over last year.  The funding increases for the FDA include increases to bring more lower cost generic drugs and generic biologics to market as well as funding to expand post-market safety surveillance of medical products, and to support FDA’s efforts to make safety data more comprehensive and accessible to patients, providers, and scientists.

That is the good news.

The bad news is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) budget.  The President’s FY 2011 budget proposal reduces funding for CDC cancer prevention and control programs, including the Office of Smoking and Health, by $19 million (3.9 percent) below last year’s funded level.  Specifically, the National Breast and Cervical Early Detection Program is cut by $4 million (2 percent) and the Office of Smoking and Health is cut by more than $3 million (3.2 percent).

The CDC’s Colorectal Cancer Screening, Education & Outreach program is funded at $45 million.  This is the same level the program was funded at for fiscal year 2010.

Two CDC cancer control programs are eliminated under the President’s budget.  The Geraldine Ferraro Blood Cancer Program, which received $4.7 million in FY 2010, and the Gynecologic Cancer and Education and Awareness (Johanna’s Law) Program, which received $6.8 million in FY 2010, are zeroed out under the President’s FY 2011 budget proposal.

This month both the House and Senate took historic votes and moved a couple of steps closer to getting the President a final health care reform bill to sign, but there is a long road ahead before Congress has a final bill that will be ready for the President.  On November 7, the House passed the Affordable Health Care for America Act by a vote of 220-215.  And, on November 21, by a party-line vote of 60-39 the Senate voted to move forward with debate on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

The Senate is expected to begin floor debate and consideration of amendments the week of November 30 and continue debate until right before Christmas.  A vote on final passage of the health reform bill is expected in the Senate sometime between December 18-23.

If the Senate passes a health reform bill, that bill will have to be combined with the House bill into a “conference report.”  Both the House and Senate will then have to vote again on the conference report.  House and Senate leadership has indicated that they would like to consider a final health care reform conference report the second or third week of January in order to send a bill to the President before the State of the Union address.

C3 will continue to work with legislators to advocate for improvements to the pending bills that will provide all Americans with the access to care that is critical to preventing, treating and beating colorectal cancer.  See the document below for a summary and comparison of some of the provisions in the House and Senate bills that C3 thinks are important for people living with colorectal cancer.

Please feel free to share your thoughts with us by leaving comments below.

Comparison of House and Senate Health Reform Bills 11 24 09 – FINAL