What is the current state of health reform legislation in Congress?
PM: Coming up with a working reform plan is very tough, demanding work. In the House, three reform bills were approved by the Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor committees. The Democratic leadership in the House has been melding these three bills into one bill. This measure, called the tri-committee bill, is already being circulated in draft form. In the Senate, the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee has approved a bill, but the Senate Finance Committee has postponed its decisions until September, at the earliest. The Senate bills would eventually be merged into one bill and then both houses of Congress would vote on their respective bills sometime in the fall. Q: What are some big issues in the health reform debate and what does the AAOS say about them? PM: One big issue is the possible creation of a single-payor system, in which one entity, the federal government, would pay all healthcare expenses. None of the bills are proposing this, but that
