Democrats Turn Up the Heat on Insurance Industry

By LAURA MECKLER

WSJ

WASHINGTON -- Democrats ratcheted up an offensive against health insurers Wednesday, proposing $100 billion in new fees on the industry, as health-care legislation took another step forward in the Senate.

Completing weeks of work, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee passed its version of a health bill on a party-line vote. The bill will need to be merged with whatever the Finance Committee passes before it can move to the full Senate.

Finance Committee lawmakers are struggling to figure out how to cover the $1 trillion cost of expanding coverage. After one plan fell apart, Chairman Max Baucus began shopping a new package of taxes and fees, including the new proposal to impose a fee on insurers.

(Continued here.)