The Nation : Key Vote on Catastrophic Illness Bill Due

The House faces a showdown vote today on the 1988 catastrophic illness insurance law. The law’s author, Rep. Pete Stark (D-Oakland), predicted that lawmakers would vote to abolish the controversial income-based supplemental premium that was to have funded many additional benefits in the biggest expansion of Medicare since its inception in 1966. Stark, who drew up the Catastrophic Health Insurance Act, plans to push an amendment to maintain some of the law’s benefits. Some senior citizen groups, some House Democrats and most House Republicans support repeal of the law. “It’s going to be a very close vote” between repeal or scaling back the program, Stark said. House Speaker Thomas S. Foley (D-Wash.) accused President Bush of not doing enough to persuade House Republicans to back the Administration position against repeal.