House passes health care reform, restricts support for abortions and undocumented immigrants 11/9/09

The House has passed its version of comprehensive health care legislation (HR 3962), setting the stage for what is expected to be a difficult debate in the Senate. The bill includes a public health insurance option, insurance exchanges, individual and employer mandates, and assistance for both individuals and small businesses – but not nonprofits - to obtain coverage. A last-minute amendment restricts the availability of coverage for abortions, which many insurance plans now offer, limiting abortion coverage even for women paying for it without government subsidies. Both the House and Senate bills deny subsidies to undocumented immigrants, but the Senate version goes further by also barring them from buying coverage on the new marketplace with their own money.Details: http://edlabor.house.gov/newsroom/2009/11/house-makes-history-on-health.shtml.