Senate Firms Up Final Healthcare Bill

RedTracker| The Wall Street Journal signals that the Senate votes for a health-care package are taking shape, as Senators drop their embrace of last week’s proposed idea of letting people 55 to 64 buy into Medicare at their own expense. According to the journal, two items remain open on the Senate debate docket.

ND Senator Byron Dorgan wants to allow the reimportation of prescription from Canada and some other countries.

Opponents say such a rider will undue to deal struck last week between the White House and big pharma on escalating prescription drug costs. Secondly, Senator Ben Nelson (D., Neb) wants new restrictions on abortion funding. Read Democrats Drop Plan to Expand Medicare via Wall Street Journal