Congress Returns to Health Care

That mess Congress left before it went on vacation is still there: House Democrats are "in almost the exact position they were in when they left the Capitol in late July,” according to The Washington Post. Details on a possible compromise in the Senate, meanwhile, emerged: Senator Max Baucus, head of the all-powerful Finance Committee, released his plan on Monday: It would impose new fees on some sectors of the health-care industries, and not on individuals; offer low-cost insurance to those under 25; offer a pared-down version of Medicaid; not require employers to offer coverage; and—notably—not offer a public option.