Here are a few stories on health-care reform that caught our eye this morning: One thread common to all three major bills under consideration in Congress is a mandate that would for the first time require every American carry health insurance, just like the requirement that all drivers have car insurance, notes the Washington Post . Most of those without coverage would be required to purchase it or face financial penalties, with lower-income Americans getting waivers or discounts. In Massachusetts, after an individual mandate was put in place, an additional 148,000 residents enrolled in employer-sponsored plans, according to the Post. President Obama has been on a tear talking about the health overhaul to Congress and stakeholders across the country, and tonight will address the public in a prime-time news conference. Even so, doubts about the effort have been growing, and the WSJ says

that Obama is planning to wade more deeply into the details of the plans in an effort to get Congress to pass legislation by August. The New York Times also has a piece discussing the importance of revamping health care to Obama’s agenda and the effectiveness of his administration. And, another debate that appears to be growing — even though it isn’t clear exactly how valid the concern is — focuses on public funding for abortion in health-reform efforts, writes Politico . (The NY Times also touched on this issue the other day.) Anti-abortion groups want legislation that excludes government coverage of abortion, but abortion-rights proponents think it’s unlikely that abortion will be covered in the end anyway. Currently private insurers decide whether they want to offer coverage.

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Health Reform: Individual Mandates, High Stakes for Obama