Senate Passes Health Care Reform Bill

(RESTON) -- On Dec. 24, 2009 at 7am Eastern Time, the Senate voted 60-39 in favor of their version of H.R. 3590, health care reform bill, which includes an equipment utilization rate assumption of 65 percent (up from the current 50 percent assumption).

The ACR educated Senators and staff that both the 90-95 percent rate suggested by the Administration and the 75 percent assumption in the House version of the bill were unrealistically high and secured a 30 percent reduction of the rate in the Senate bill. During the upcoming House/Senate conference to reconcile the vast differences between the two versions of the health care reform bill, ACR will continue to advocate for the Senate utilization assumption rate language.

The Senate bill also included ACR-advocated language that nullifies the recent U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations regarding breast cancer screening. ACR worked closely with Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) to insert this provision into the senate-passed bill.


When the House and Senate complete their conference, both houses will then vote on the unified version of the bill. The final vote may take place in late January or early February, 2010.