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 Revised Senate Health Bill Includes Employer Mandate, Public Plan Option

Revised draft health care legislation would result in insurance coverage for 97 percent of Americans at a lower cost than expected — about $611 billion over 10 years, leaders of a key Senate committee say.

The Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee could resume work next week on the latest version of an overhaul bill, released Wednesday night.

Chairman Edward M. Kennedy , D-Mass., and Sen. Christopher J. Dodd , D-Conn., outlined the revised measure in a letter to other panel members. The Congressional Budget Office’s estimate of the bill’s cost and coverage puts a far better shine on the legislation than its assessment of an earlier, incomplete version in which CBO said it would cost $1 trillion over 10 years and cover only about 16 million of the 47 million uninsured Americans.

The latest draft bill includes a government-run health insurance plan that would compete with private insurers. It also would mandate employers to provide health insurance to their workers or pay a fee instead — a so-called “pay-or-play” requirement that is opposed by many business lobbying groups but drew important support this week from Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

Businesses with 25 or more employees that don’t offer insurance would have to pay the government $750 per worker per year, or $375 for part-time workers. Those with fewer than 25 employees would be exempt from the requirement.

Together, the two new sections increased the bill’s coverage and reduced its cost, according to CBO.