Special interest groups are going to great lengths for the chance to participate in health reform. According to the Associated Press, the pharmaceutical industry and hospitals have both agreed to give up billions of dollars now in order to protect their interests in the future. Providers are especially interested in ensuring that if healthcare reform includes a public plan option, payment rates are comparable to those provided by private insurance plans rather than Medicare rates.

However, these special interests cannot come close to footing the bill for health reform, which has been estimated at $1 trillion over the next 10 years. This means that their offer is a calculated risk - they hope that the President remembers their support when it comes time to sign a reform bill into law.

A recent article in the Boston Globe highlights a disturbing but increasingly common trend - Americans who take or stay with a job strictly for the health insurance. In many cases, these individuals have tried to obtain coverage on their own but found it to be more expensive than the group coverage available through some part-time jobs. Even relatively low-wage jobs, such as those available through Starbucks or retail chains, become more attractive to Americans looking for affordable health coverage.

A group of legislators who call themselves Blue Dog Democrats have put the brakes on a comprehensive health reform bill working its way through the House of Representatives. According to the Washington Post, this setback is especially troubling to President Obama, who has deemed health reform to be one of his top two priorities in 2009. However, the Blue Dog Democrats will not approve any legislation that fails to contain costs. They want to be sure that everything possible will be done to reduce costs within the system before resorting to taxation as a funding source. This faction is working on their own draft of legislation that will address their concerns. The President has asked Congress to present him with a reform bill by October, so time is running short - even if the House does reach an agreement, they must then reach an agreement with the Senate before delivering this key legislation.

The White House town hall earlier this week brought new attention to health reform, but did not clarify how President Obama hopes to achieve his goals. Instead, the town hall meeting featured real stories from Americans who have struggled under our current system, and provided an overview of what the President hopes that health reform will look like.

According to the Associated Press, the President would like to eliminate pre-existing condition exclusion periods and redistribute healthcare spending in a more efficient way. He also discussed how important it is for us to change incentives that reward providers for offering a greater number of services, rather than better quality of care. However, he offered few specifics. Congress will be working hard to finalize some legislation in the coming weeks that may address these issues.