Home Find a Health Insurance Plan Find a Health Care Provider For Members For Employers For Health Care Providers
Start Your Search. Find a provider from our extensive network of doctors, hospitals, and specialists.
Health Care Reform

Health Care Reform Timeline


In November and December, the Senate and House both passed their own versions of health care reform legislation, and there was much anticipation that a final bill would be reconciled and delivered to the President before his State of the Union address in late January. However, as the new year began, private negotiations between the White House and Congressional leaders took the place of a formal Senate-House Conference Committee. On January 19, the upset election of Republican Scott Brown in Massachusetts eliminated the Democrats filibuster-proof 60 votes, causing many to speculate about the future of any reform legislation.

In his State of the Union address on January 27, the President focused primarily on the economy and creation of new jobs. However, he briefly touched upon health care reform, urging Congress not to “walk away from reform” and to “find a way to come together and finish the job for the American people.” To date, there is much debate about how Congress can accomplish the job, including using a procedural maneuver called budget reconciliation, passing scaled-down parts of reform that both parties agree on, or even starting again from scratch.

Here’s a brief PDF icon timetable of key events since November to pass health care reform.

For more information, visit the Washington Tackles Health Care Reform timeline.

Month-by-month activity: Progress toward reform

February 2010

February 26
February 24
February 22
February 7 President Obama announces he will convene a meeting with congressional leaders of both parties on Feb. 25 in an attempt to rescue health care legislation. Obama plans bipartisan summit on health care.
Top of Page

January 2010

January 20 Scott Brown's Senate victory in Massachusetts may cost Democrats their thin advantage in the health care overhaul.
January 14 White House reaches tentative agreement to tax high-cost health insurance policies.
January 4 House meets to begin discussing plans to combine health bills.
Top of Page

December 2009

December 24 Senate Passes Health Care Overhaul Bill.
December 21 The Senate voted along party lines (60-40) to end debate on its health care reform bill. The vote kept Senate Democrats on track to pass their bill on Christmas Eve.
December 16 President Obama urges Senate Democrats to continue pushing a health care overhaul through before Christmas.
December 9 Senate Democrats consider expanding Medicare and Medicaid in lieu of a public option.
December 01

A new Congressional Budget Office report shows premiums will increase for some Americans with individual coverage. However, most people who get insurance through their employer won’t see a big difference in premiums.
Top of Page

November 2009

November 21 The Senate voted on Saturday to begin full debate on major health care legislation.
November 19 Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid unveils health bill for debate.
November 7 The House passes its health bill late Saturday night, by a 220-215 margin.
November 5 House Democrats hope to cast votes and pass legislation this Saturday.
Top of Page

October 2009

October 30 Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi proposes the inclusion of a public option in the house's health care reform bill, as well as an expansion of Medicaid.
October 26 Harry Reid, Senate Majority Leader, announces a proposal to include a public option in health care legislation.
October 21 The House Judiciary committee approves a bill that would that would limit anti-trust laws for the health insurance industry.
October 21 The Senate votes down a bill to increase Medicare payments to doctors.
October 14

Independent analysis commissioned by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association through Oliver Wyman Inc., an international management consulting firm, also shows that the current health bill in Congress will not reduce costs.  Its research indicates the legislation will actually lead to 50% higher premiums.

PDF icon View the full study.
October 13

The Senate Finance Committee votes along party lines to approve its landmark health care bill. Republican Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine is the sole GOP supporter.
October 12

Americas Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) announces a new study it has commissioned through PriceWaterhouseCoopers that shows how current legislation will actually raise health care costs, not reduce them. 

PDF icon View the full report.
Top of Page

September 2009

September 29:

Two key amendments that proposed the creation of a government-run plan were defeated last night in a key Senate panel vote during the markup of America’s Healthy Future Act.

Senate Finance Committee Debates Public Option
September 22:

The Senate Finance Committee begins its markup of America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009.

PDF icon Modifications to the Chairman's Mark - America's Healthy Future Act of 2009
September 20:

President Obama continues to defend his health-care reform efforts in back-to-back broadcasts of taped interviews on five morning news programs.
September 16:

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) introduces his long-awaited health-care bill (America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009).

Kaiser Health News story

Full text of the PDF icon America’s Healthy Future Act

PDF icon CBO Analysis of the America's Healthy Future Act

PDF icon JCT Analysis of the America's Healthy Future Act

PDF icon Finance Committee Memo on Estimates of the America’s Health Future Act
September 10: In a highly anticipated nationally televised speech to the joint sessions of Congress, President Obama presented a detailed outline of a plan he said will provide more security and stability to those who have health insurance, provide insurance to those without coverage, and slow the growth of health care costs for families, businesses, and the government. Details.

Independence Blue Cross president and CEO Joseph Frick offers his thoughts on the President’s speech in this Philadelphia Inquirer article.

Full text of President Obama’s speech.
Top of Page

August 2009

August 26: Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy dies after a lengthy battle with brain cancer at age 77. Despite his grave illness, Kennedy helped draft a preliminary bill earlier this summer to overhaul the U.S. health care system in what he called “the cause of my life.” More information.
August 18: The White House has indicated that it could accept a nonprofit health care cooperative as an alternative to a new government insurance plan. However, the administration's position is unchanged. According to Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, the President prefers the public option as a way of fostering choice and competition in a private health insurance market. More information.
August 2: Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and PA Senator Arlen Specter speak to a standing-room only crowd of 400 about health care reform at the National Convention Center in Philadelphia. The extremely vocal crowd – which was quick to cheer or boo the speakers – included those who support a single payer system as well as those opposed.
Top of Page

July 2009: Reform bills markup and debate continue

July 31 - September 8: Congress recesses for summer. Interest groups of every kind are hoping to take advantage of the next month to aggressively lobby their positions to representatives now back in district.
July 31: The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted 31-28, largely along party lines, late in the evening to pass health care legislation. The new legislation is intended to cover up to 95 percent of Americans and includes a new government-run plan.
July 29: Reform moves forward as House Democrat leaders agree with fiscally conservative Democrats known as "Blue Dogs,” on negotiations that trim the bill's cost and exempt many small businesses from having to provide health coverage to their employees. The agreement clears the path for possible approval by the Energy and Commerce Committee later this week.
July 23: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announces Senate will be unable to pass reform bill until after August recess, saying “It’s better to get a product that’s based on quality and thoughtfulness than on trying to just get something through”.
July 22: President Obama holds a prime-time press conference to rally support for health care reform.
July 22: President Obama addresses the nation in a nationally televised health care news conference and urges swift action by the Congress but promises not to sign a bill that will increase the nation's deficit or, in his view, will not work.
July 20: President Obama continues an aggressive media campaign to build public support for health care reform legislation underway in Congress, appearing this week on network news programs such as NBC's "Today Show" and PBS's "NewsHour with Jim Lehrer."
July 17:

The House Committee on Education and Labor approves legislation 26 to 22 in the morning after an all-night session. The Energy and Commerce Committee is the remaining House Committee yet to vote on a bill.

The House Ways and Means Committee approves health care reform legislation with a 23-18 vote. PDF icon Bill summary.
July 16:

Director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Douglas Elmendorf tells Congress that none of the bills he has seen contain “the sort of fundamental changes that would be necessary to reduce the trajectory of federal health spending by a significant amount.”
July 15:

The US Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP)  Committee passes the Affordable Health Choices Act, a landmark piece of legislation. The bipartisan bill includes more than 160 Republican amendments accepted during the month-long markup, one of the longest in Congressional history. PDF icon View the bill (A summary begins on page 3.)
July 14: Karen Ignagni, president and CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), and Scott Serota, president and CEO of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) issue a PDF icon joint letter opposing the Community Health Insurance Option or government-run plan proposed in the pending version of the Affordable Health Choices Act.
Top of Page

June 2009: Health care bills, cost take shape

June 26: Three House committees hold separate hearings on the bill released jointly on June 19. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius testifies that reform will be deficit-neutral over ten years.
June 25: The Senate HELP Committee recesses after meeting four days to mark up its proposed reform bill. Approves more than 200 amendments. Will resume work July 7.
June 23: President Obama holds White House press conference, delivers remarks, and fields questions. Obama says: “Like energy, this is legislation that must and will be paid for. It will not add to our deficits over the next decade.”
June 19: Three House committees release bill.
June 17:

Three former Senate majority leaders – Thomas A. Daschle (D), Robert Dole (R), and Howard Baker (R) – release a reform proposal, calling it a blueprint for how to achieve reform without busting the budget.  They advocate a mix of tax increases, spending cuts, and new mandates, including a mandate on businesses to contribute to health insurance costs and a tax on some benefits provided through the workplace.
June 17: Committees begin markups and reform hearings.
June 16: CBO says draft of Senate Finance bill, which would be paid for entirely with tax increases, spending cuts, and other offsets, could cost $1.6 trillion; bill markup delayed.
June 15: Congressional Budget Office says Senate HELP committee proposal could cost $1 trillion, and would cover only 16 million of the 46 million Americans now uninsured.
June 11: President Obama tells American Medical Association (AMA): “I need your help.” AMA opposes government-run plan.
June 8:

Senate HELP Committee releases 615-page bill.
June 5:

Republican Senators and conservative House Democrats express concern about a government-run plan, pointing out that government-run health plans Medicare and Medicaid are becoming fiscally insolvent.
June 3:

President Obama sends Senators Kennedy and Baucus letter asking for progress towards October signing of bill and asserts “strong belief” in giving Americans a choice of a government-run plan to compete with private insurers.
Top of Page

April-May 2009: Health care reform gets rolling

May 13:

BCBSA and the Healthy Economy Now coalition announce awareness campaign linking reform to revitalizing the economy.
May 11: Senators Max Baucus (D-MT) and Charles Grassley (R-IA) outline policies for affordable health coverage.
May 11: Health insurance industry stakeholders meet with President Obama at White House summit on cost containment and pledge to save $2 trillion, a 1.5 percent reduction in expenses, over the next decade.
May 5: AHIP’s Ignagni and BCBSA’s Serota participate in the Senate Finance Committee Roundtable discussion on expanding health care coverage.
April 29:

The Lewin Group, a health care policy research and management consulting firm, testifies before the House Ways and Means Committee hearing on health reform. The Lewin Group's PDF icon study shows that 119 million Americans would leave their employer health plan for a government-run plan, if one were available. That is 2 out of 5 Americans with employer-based coverage.
April 29: Sixteen senators — including Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D- PA) — sign and submit a letter supporting a government-run plan to Senators Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), chair of the HELP Committee, and Max Baucus (D-MT), chair of the Senate Committee on Finance.
April 8:

President Obama establishes the White House Office of Health Reform to coordinate administrative efforts on national health reform

Top of Page

March 2009: Industry stakeholders speak up

March 27:

BCBSA and Health Reform Dialogue, a group of 18 health reform stakeholders, release recommendations on key priorities for reform.
March 27: AHIP issues “Common Ground” paper that outlines shared principles for reform.
March 24: AHIP’s Ignagni testifies on reform before the Senate HELP Committee.
March 24:

Joint letter from Karen Ignagni and Scott Serota to US Senate voices the insurance industry’s support of health care reform.
March 5: President Obama hosts a White House Forum on Health Care Reform attended by more than 100 people, including private citizens, members of Congress, community leaders, and representatives of more than 70 organizations, foundations, universities, and corporations. Obama vows to end a decades-long stalemate on overhauling the health care system.
Top of Page

February 2009: Concrete action within days of inauguration

February 4: In one of the first concrete signs of reform and just two weeks after his inauguration, President Obama signs into law an expansion of S-CHIP, increasing health care coverage from 7 million to 11 million children.
Top of Page