(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Montana’s senior U.S. Senator Max Baucus today began to mark up his landmark health care reform legislation to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, which he chairs.

Baucus’ bill will lower costs and provide quality, affordable health care coverage to all Montanans. 

Senator Baucus’ bill will help Montanans:

Ends Insurance Company Discrimination – The Baucus bill will stop insurance companies from denying coverage to Montanans with pre-existing conditions such as heart disease, cancer or diabetes and from hiking up rates or dropping coverage for those who get sick.

Lowers Costs – The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the Baucus bill will reduce the rate at which premiums in the individual and small group market are growing.  And CBO says the bill effectively slows the growth of federal health care spending over the long term. 

Ensures Quality Health Care Coverage for Millions of Americans – The Baucus bill will provide access to quality health care coverage for 36 million Americans – significantly reducing the cost of uncompensated care and resulting in lower costs for everyone and savings to the economy.

Improves Quality – The Baucus bill includes numerous provisions to improve the way we deliver care. The bill creates quality and efficiency incentives that will improve care and cut down on waste such as unnecessary hospital readmissions.   

Strengthens and Improves Medicare – The Baucus bill will not cut benefits in the Medicare program. In fact, the bill will increase benefits, with key provisions that provide seniors with free preventive care and wellness check-ups with their doctor.  The bill will improve care for seniors with chronic conditions and it will provide a 50 percent discount on brand-name prescription drugs for seniors in the “doughnut hole,” a gap in coverage in the Medicare prescription drug program.  The bill strengthens Medicare to ensure the program’s sustainability.

Cuts Down on Fraud, Waste and Abuse - The Baucus bill will strengthen oversight and enforcement measures to cut down on fraud, waste and abuse in the health care system, which is estimated to cost more than $60 billion every year.

Improves Choice and Competition - In most states today, one insurance company controls nearly half the market, putting insurance companies in control and leaving Americans with little choice and few consumer protections. The Baucus bill will create a competitive and transparent market with meaningful benefit packages for consumers to choose from. 

Modernizes the Health Care System - The Baucus bill increases efficiency in the health system by standardizing electronic transactions among insurers and health care providers, lowering premiums and allowing doctors to spend less time filling out paperwork and more time treating patients. 

The full text and summary of the original Baucus bill is available on the Finance Committee website at www.finance.senate.gov.

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