Hillarysworld

Democratic leaders are nearing agreement on a final health care bill that at least one California member thinks will pass. There will be significant changes to the Senate bill, which this member said could not pass the House, "not even close."

"This is probably the hardest needle that's ever been threaded," the member said.

Having come this far, Democrats will not give up despite ugly polling, calculating, "It's better to get a bill done and start working on the rough edges than to fail."

Abortion issued may be worked out; Rep. Bart Stupak has threatened to kill the bill if it lacks his restrictive language, but leaders seem to have peeled off enough of his supporters to eliminate that threat.

Look for more help to California on Medicaid. There are serious worries about the burden on states for a Medicaid expansion that accounts for about half the new coverage of the uninsured. The California Medical Association is lobbying hard for higher provider reimbursements, which are much lower than even Medicare's. (Emphasis added)

A final bill could be sent to CBO as early as next week, after which leaders will make a huge push for final passage in about two weeks. (Emphasis added)