House Democratic Leaders Considering Even Larger Medicaid Expansion in Health Reform Overhaul and Floor Vote in Early November

Although all three of the House Committees working on health care reform adopted legislative language for reform in their areas of jurisdiction, House Democratic leaders are still working on details. This week, Speaker of the House Pelosi (D-CA) said that the House may increase the eligibility for the non-traditional Medicaid population (e.g. childless adults) from the bill’s original 133% of the federal poverty level to 150% of FPL in order to expand health care coverage to more low-income individuals through the less costly Medicaid program. Speaker Pelosi said Thursday that the House will push for the strongest public option possible to take into negotiations with the Senate on a healthcare overhaul and has asked CBO to score three different proposals to create a public health option. In addition, both the House Ways and Means and House Education and Labor Committees have sent reconciliation instructions to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), laying the groundwork to use the filibuster-proof reconciliation process to pass health care reform this year if necessary. Majority Leader Hoyer (D-MD) said this week that he did not expect a House floor vote until the first week in November.