Moderates Seek Health Reform "First Steps"

US Congress moderates are now trying to overcome opposition from either end of the political spectrum for a more modest "first step" health care reform bill. And the staffs of Senate Majority leader George Mitchell and moderate Senator John Chafee will spend the next few weeks trying to find some common ground in both new insurance rules to make it harder to deny coverage based on medical histories or other factors, and subsidies for needy families.

Some Democrats feel incremental legislation could kill the momentum for broader change and leave the system worse off, while Republicans are moving back, noting that incremental change could lead to a new entitlement, which some Democrats also fear without any benefits for the poor. Conservatives want some of the money liberals would use for subsidies to be used for deficit reduction.

Representative Newt Gingrich says he could accept the original version of a bipartisan insurance reform bill, but wants guarantees that any legislation would not be expanded significantly in a House/ Senate conference. The American Association of Retired Persons and other groups still hope that a moderate bill can be expanded and are asking people to pressure their Representatives for pro-reform, pro-universal coverage, while yet other groups are opposed to anything other than universal coverage along with systemic reform.