Norwood appears willing to negotiate this and damage amounts. On the Senate side, Republican John Jeffords of Vermont is leading the charge for managed care reform. Expect the Senate to act more quickly than the House, perhaps passing a tepid reform measure. Last year, the Congressional Budget Office put the cost of the Democratic program at five times that of the GOP measure, and new Democratic initiatives could be even more expensive, according to Karpinski. The Democratic legislation includes several mandates, such as a prescribed length of stay in the hospital for mastectomy patients.
Republicans say such decisions are best left to doctors.
Probably the most important issue, from the perspective of insurers and health plans, is liability. Indeed, it's never too early to discuss the effect of presidential politics on any issue. The governor backed a measure to help health plan members in coverage disputes, and supported early initiatives by the Texas Department of Insurance aimed at providing protection for HMO enrollees. Bush also wants to include medical savings accounts as part of any health care reform effort. Vice President Al Gore is homing in, too.