Hospital lobbyists say Baucus has not yet lived up to their deal

Hospital lobbyists said that the Congressional Budget Office's analysis of the Senate Finance Committee's health legislation indicated that the committee had not yet delivered on a deal they made with the panel's chairman and the White House for their support. Chip Kahn, president of the Federation of American Hospitals, said that as a condition of the industry's political support the White House and Max Baucus had promised earlier this year to extend health coverage to at least 94% of the country's residents, or at least 97% of American citizens. But according to the budget office, the finance committee's proposal would mandate coverage of only 91% of residents and 94% of citizens. Hospitals are counting on the extension of insurance to reduce their current costs for emergency treatment of the uninsured, the New York Times reports.