Now that the push for health care reform is moving fast and furiously, I thought it’d be helpful to have some quick daily or semi-daily updates on what’s happening on the Hill.

Health on the Hill will feature news links that should help you keep track of the reform debate and get to the meat of the issue. Enjoy!

Today’s Updates – 10/2/09:

The Senate Finance Committee worked into the early morning hours to finally wrap up their debate on health care legislation. They completed voting on all amendments from both parties, but Senator Baucus delayed a final committee vote on the bill to next week. He feels confident that it will pass.  The bill includes provisions to lower costs for Americans (although with stronger components they could be lower), protect low-income Americans from individual mandate requirements (in other words the percentage of the population that cannot afford insurance will not be forced to purchase it), and for those uninsured not receiving coverage from their employers, there will be state-based insurance exchanges where low- and moderate-income people  can purchase private plans and apply for federal subsidies to help with affordability.

These state-based exchanges are not as strong as a national exchange, and they do not include a government-run plan as an option.  Senator Cantwell (WA) proposed an amendment that would give states the option to offer a “quasi public option” to low-income residents but it is only a choice for the states to offer and the plans would still be run by private insurers.  At the end of the day, these state-based solutions to ensuring coverage for the uninsured, especially those that can’t afford to purchase private plans, is lacking the power to lower overall health care spending nationwide and hold insurers accountable.

The next step will be combining this bill with the Senate HELP Committe’s bill (which does include a government-run public option) and holding a floor vote with the entire Senate. This vote is expected after Columbus Day, October 12.

Meanwhile, young activists are revving up to lobby Congress and demand stronger components be included in reform (Save the Date October 13!) because we cannot afford to leave the uninsured at the hands of illness and high medical costs, as the tragic story of an uninsured 22-year old that died from Swine Flu has shown us – we cannot afford to wait.

Senate Committee Completes Health Care Debate

Unlike several health care reform proposals championed by House Democrats, the version that emerged from the Senate Finance Committee does not contain the public option — it would not create a government program to provide health insurance to all Americans.

Panel Finishes Work on Health Bill Amendments

In its grueling final hours, the committee voted Thursday to soften the impact of financial penalties that would be imposed on people who did not obtain insurance under the legislation. It also voted to modify a proposed tax on high-cost health insurance policies, so that fewer people would be affected.

Cantwell’s ‘Basic Health Plan’ Amendment Is A Good Start, But It’s Not A Public Option

Several reports are describing Sen. Maria Cantwell’s (D-WA) ‘Basic Health Plan’ amendment — which would give states the option to provide health care coverage to people with incomes between 133% and 200% of the federal poverty line (about 75% of the uninsured) — as a “quasi public option.”

Uninsured 22-Year-Old..Dies From Swine Flu

A 22-year-old woman from Oxford, Ohio, died from swine flu on Wednesday. Kimberly Young graduated from Miami University in December and continued to live in Oxford, Ohio, within Minority Leader John Boehner’s congressional distrct. Reports now indicate that after initially getting sick, Young put off treatment because she was uninsured..