Speculation abounds on Capitol Hill as House and Senate leadership work within their caucuses to finalize their respective health reform packages.  While lawmakers await final cost estimates on the various proposals, negotiations continue over the politically tenuous "public option" and other provisions.  No specific deadline has been set, but moderate Democrats and Republicans have been pushing to slow the process to as late as December, to allow for sufficient time to review the bills and receive accurate cost estimates.  Reports indicate that the final bill will look most like the bill that was passed by the Senate Finance Committee, which of all the proposals received the most input from Republicans and secured the sole Republican vote from Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine.
 
As negotiations continue, CDHP is weighing in with key lawmakers to ensure that oral health provisions are maintained in the final package.  CDHP has also joined with 10 other children's advocacy organizations in support of protecting children's benefits under the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) (this letter can be found on CDHP's website).  There are serious concerns about whether children will be worse off if a provision in health reform moves them from CHIP to the health insurance exchange without adequate protections.  Further, concerns have been raised about whether CHIP will be allowed to continue at all or if it will expire under health reform.  CDHP has joined the voices in support of maintaining the robust CHIP benefit that is currently working so well in states.