House Democrats unveil healthcare reform plan

People making between 133% and 400% of the federal poverty line -- roughly $29,300 to $88,200 for a family of four -- would be eligible for credits to help them buy insurance.

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Will everyone be covered?

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, which is analyzing the bill, estimates that 97% of Americans and legal immigrants would have health coverage by 2019.

The CBO also estimates that approximately 162 million would continue to get their insurance from their employers (up from 150 million in 2010). The office projects that 30 million people would get coverage through the new exchange, of which 9 million would choose the new government program.

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How will the bill lower costs and improve quality for those who have coverage?

The government would set up pilot programs to reward doctors and hospitals that do more to coordinate care, a step many experts say is crucial to reducing unnecessary treatment.

The government would also begin paying more to primary care physicians, expanding funding for prevention programs and rewarding private insurers contracting with Medicare that can demonstrate their patients receive better care.

Critics contend that these steps do not guarantee that Americans will see their medical bills go down any time soon.

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How will it all be paid for?

House Democrats envision raising about $544 billion over the next decade with a graduated surtax on high-income families and individuals.

Joint filers with adjusted annual gross incomes between $350,000 and $500,000, and individual taxpayers with adjusted gross incomes between $280,000 and $400,000, would pay an additional 1% income tax.

Joint filers making between $500,000 and $1 million and individual filers making between $400,000 and $800,000 would pay an additional 1.5% income tax.

And joint filers making more than $1 million and individuals making more than $800,000 would pay an additional 5.4% income tax.

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What happens now?

This week, the bill will be debated by three House committees, where lawmakers will try to amend it. House leaders hope to bring the legislation to the floor for a vote before the August recess.

It would then have to be reconciled with whatever emerges from the Senate, where lawmakers are at work on two different healthcare bills.

The Senate may not finish work on its legislation before August, making reconciliation with the House unlikely before September, at the earliest.

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noam.levey@latimes.com