Diana Manos

President Obama met with Congressional leaders Wednesday night to get a commitment on health reform legislation. The President says Congress has promised to have comprehensive health reform legislation passed by July 31.

President Barack Obama will have a key role in healthcare reform, according to Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has launched the new HHS Office of Health Reform.

Expanded details of President Barack Obama's fiscal year 2010 budget, released Thursday by the White House, indicates $879 billion will be set aside for the Department of Health and Human Services – an estimated $63 billion increase over fiscal year 2009.

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), a senior member of the two Senate committees responsible for drafting health reform, said he has concerns with Democrats' plans to give the government more power in healthcare.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, testifying at her first Congressional hearing Wednesday, stoutly defended President Barack Obama's reform plans.

Private health insurance plans serving Medicare beneficiaries will be paid $11.4 billion more in 2009 than the traditional Medicare fee-for-service program, a new Commonwealth Fund study finds.

Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and responsible for leading healthcare reform, said comprehensive health reform is "on track," but is more likely to be ready by next fall, rather than the initial goal of this June.