Grassley amendment update

Last week, the federal employee news outlets erupted over a proposed amendment by Sen. Charles Grassley (D Iowa) to require all FEHBP participants to join the new health insurance exchanges to be created by Sen. Baucus's reform proposal. Sen. Baucus modified the amendment to permit FEHBP participants to join the exchanges. The Hill reports that Sen. Charles Grassley further modified his amendment to limit the required move to members of Congress and their families.

Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) immediately, even cheerfully, agreed to accept the amendment. "Well, senator, I'm gratified -- very gratified -- that
you have so much confidence in our program that you want to be able to purchase
insurance in this new program, and I'm confident, too, that the system will work
very well, and I therefore accept the amendment," Baucus, the bill's author,
said to Grassley.