BioCentury
ARTICLE | Politics, Policy & Law

Few health cards on table

August 1, 1994 7:00 AM UTC

WASHINGTON - The House Democratic leadership on Friday released a summary of its health reform bill, which bears a strong resemblance to legislation crafted by California Rep. Pete Stark, but lacks details in areas of critical importance to the biotechnology industry such as price controls on prescription drugs. It sets the stage for political maneuvering in the House and Senate that will determine the outcome of the health care reform effort.

House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt of Missouri left "plenty of wiggle room" in the summary, according to BIO President Carl Feldbaum. The sketchy proposal "is really a political document" that does not fully reveal the House leadership's intentions, he said. "It is ironic that a year ago President Clinton delivered an entire bill and now we are down to a summary after a year of working on it," Feldbaum said. ...