Pennsylvania's Geisinger Ends Merger Talks With Scranton Hospital
December 24, 2009
The United States Senate has voted 60-39 to approve a healthcare bill that would extend health coverage to more than 30 million uninsured, according to a report by the Washington Post.
The bill would require all Americans to obtain health insurance and would set up insurance exchanges for individuals whose employers do not offer coverage. Individuals who cannot afford insurance would either be covered with newly expanded Medicaid programs or would receive federal subsidies to purchase their own coverage, according to the report.
The Senate and the House are now expected to merge their bills — a process that could take until February.
Although a large part of the battle for healthcare reform seems to be over for Democrats, Republicans have vowed to not give up the fight against such sweeping reform. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) vowed that his party would work to stop the bill from becoming law, according to the report.
Read the Washington Post's report on the Senate's approval of its healthcare reform bill.
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