Pelosi Drops House Version Of The Health Care Bill

Jillian Bandes | October 29, 2009 11:44 AM

It will cost $894 billion over 10 years, and to nobody's surprise, includes a public option that states can opt-out of (they still have to pay if they opt-out, thought).

It's 1,990 pages, almost a quarter longer than the Senate bill.

It requires pretty much everyone to sign up for health care insurance by 2012, and by doing the funky-Washington math, decreases the national deficit by $30 billion. Riiight.

This new bill:

taxes medical devices 2.5 percent
adds marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors as Medicare providers.
requires restaurants to put calorie information on the front of menus
provides for a Tribal Health Programs, which gives extra taxpayer money to doctors who decide to work on Indian reservations. It also sets aside special benefits for Indian women.
expands Medicaid to 150% of the federal poverty level
makes vending machine operators post nutrition facts of products on the side of their vending machines.
draws its definition of "toxicity" from five different sections in the Federal Code
defines "small employer" as a company that has a payroll of less than $750,000.