Here are some of the key provisions of the new legislation, called the America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009.
* Costs $856 billion over 10 years, down from earlier versions of reform legislation that cost $1 trillion or more.
* Replaces the public option with access to new nonprofit, member-owned cooperatives.
* Requires all individuals to purchase healthcare or pay a fine of as much as $3,800 per family or $950 for an individual.
* Prohibits some unpopular insurance company practices, such as higher premiums for people with serious health conditions.
* Creates a new purchasing exchange that allows consumers to compare insurance plans.
* Expands Medicaid and places caps on an individual’s healthcare costs.
* Enacts $507 billion in cuts to government health programs.
* Levies $349 billion in new taxes and fees, including a tax on high-end insurance plans and fees on insurance companies and medical device manufacturers.
* Bars illegal immigrants from obtaining health coverage through the new insurance exchanges.
* Prevents federal funds from being used to pay for abortions except in cases of rape, incest or if the life of the mother would be endangered.
View the America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009 (pdf).
