Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Mid-week update

The Senate today rejected a Republican proposal to repeal the Affordable Care Act on a straight 47-51 party line vote. Sixty votes were required for approval of this amendment to the FAA Reauthorization Act (S. 223) because the CBO has opined that repeal would increase the federal budget deficit. However, the Senate did approve by a 81-17 bipartisan vote an amendment to S. 223 that would repeal the Affordable Care Act's vastly expanded IRS Form 1099 reporting requirements.

Business Insurance reports that HHS has officially moved its Affordable Care Act implementation office from the Secretary's office to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.  The name of the office has been changed from the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (an acronym I liked) to Center for Consumer and Insurance Oversight. (Rhetorical question -- Why do consumers require oversight?)  The office has a new director, Steve Larsen, who formerly was Maryland's insurance commissioner. Jay Angstrom who lead OCIIO will remain in the Secretary's office. The new Center's website is up. CMS's new organization chart is here.

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