A few drops from the fire hose of health care reform stories: The Senate Finance Committee may propose new fees on health insurers that could total $100 billion over 10 years, the WSJ reports . The proposed fees are the latest reminder of just how hard it’s been for Congress to figure out where to come up with the $1 trillion over 10 years that’s needed to significantly reduce the number of Americans living without health insurance. Who should decide how much Medicare pays doctors and hospitals? Congress has that power now. But the Obama administration, as well as some in Congress, want to shift the authority, perhaps giving more power to an independent advisory group , this morning’s Washington Post reminds us. The idea is that an independent authority might be better able to make difficult decisions to slow the growth of Medicare spending. Even though everybody’s talking these days about extending

insurance coverage, it’s worth noting that cost growth in the existing Medicare program is a key issue. Target may back a mandate requiring businesses to offer insurance to employees or pay a fee. The company supports the idea, but is waiting to see final legislative language before taking a position, Dow Jones Newswires reports . Wal-Mart recently backed such a mandate, to the chagrin of a big retail trade group . Keep an eye on the details for creating health insurance “exchanges,” markets where individuals and employers can comparison shop for insurance, writes the WSJ’s David Wessel . If health reform isn’t structured correctly, the exchanges may wind up drawing mostly people with poor health who cannot find insurance elsewhere. And an insurance pool filled only with the sick is a recipe for failure.

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Health Reform: Target May Join Wal-Mart; New Fees for Insurers