What does it take to get senators on board the health reform legislation?
NY Times suggests perks for senator’s home states don’t hurt. The article primarily focuses on Sen. Harry Reid, but there’s also this:
After months of noisy public debates over big policy ideas like universal coverage and a public insurance option, the health care legislation is getting down to the fine print. This is the time when powerful members of Congress customarily tuck in their pet projects, either to please their constituencies or as sweeteners to win the votes of lawmakers who may be sitting on the fence.
Senator Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, a wavering Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, has proposed expanding Medicare coverage of home infusion therapy, a form of treatment for a variety of purposes that is championed by a medical entrepreneur in her state.
Here’s the background on that reference.