Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) released the details of his health care reform bill Wednesday amid complaints from a senior Democrat that it will be a "big, big tax" on the middle class, as well as a refusal by Republicans to endorse the proposal even though several had negotiated with Baucus on the legislation for months.

The Baucus bill, which will be debated and voted on by the Senate Finance Committee next week, is the second and final portion of health care reform to be taken up by the Senate. The Senate Health Committee approved its portion of reforms in July, when all three House committees involved also passed their portions of reform.

Get the new
PD toolbar!The delay on the Baucus legislation came after concerns from moderate Democrats and Republicans on the Finance Committee about the possible cost and scope of reform. The bill released Wednesday significantly cuts the cost of the original proposal and addresses senators' concerns over the public option, medical malpractice and benefits to illegal immigrants.

In the end, however, no Republican on the committee, not even the three who had long negotiated with Baucus behind closed doors, endorsed the proposal. Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine told the Hill newspaper Tuesday night she still has reservations about how the bill will be paid for. "I do have concerns and I'm not sure they can be addressed before he issues [legislation] tomorrow," she said.

On the other side of the aisle, Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) blasted the bill's missing public option and its provision to tax high-end "Cadillac" health care plans. Rockefeller said Baucus' plan would tax middle-class workers, including coal miners in his state. "Virtually every single coal miner is going to have a big, big tax put on them because the tax will be put on the company and the company will immediately pass it down," he said. Rockefeller sits on the Finance Committee but was not a part of the so-called Gang of Six negotiators of the bill. He said there is "no way" he'll vote for the measure in its current form.

Here are the highlights of the Baucus plan as currently written:

The Structure:

* The bill costs about $856 billion over 10 years, approximately $500 billion less than the House legislation. Baucus says it will be deficit-neutral and will be paid for, in part, by fees on health care providers and a 35 percent tax on insurance companies for high-end plans (starting at $8,000 for individuals and $21,000 for families).

* The bill has no public option for health insurance. Instead, states would set up nonprofit co-ops, owned and run by consumers, that will offer an alternative to private insurance.

* To make insurance affordable, tax credits would be available for low- and middle-income individuals and small businesses beginning in 2013. Individuals could qualify if their income is at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty level.

* It says states should move forward with medical malpractice reform.

* It requires verification of immigration status and citizenship to get benefits or access exchanges.

Highlights for individuals:

* Like all other versions of health care reform, the bill includes a mandate requiring every American to purchase health insurance. Individuals who skip insurance would pay fines of $750 to $950 per year, while families would pay $1,500 to $3,800.

* It eliminates yearly and lifetime caps on benefits for individuals.

* A high-risk pool would be created for people with pre-existing conditions, but it would include only those who have already been uninsured for at least six months.

Highlights for businesses:

* Businesses with fewer than 50 employees would not be required to provide insurance. Those with more than 50 would still not be required to provide it, but they would have to reimburse the government for subsidies -- issued on a sliding scale -- that go to their employees.

* It would create state-level exchanges for small businesses to buy insurance coverage for their employees at group rates.

On Medicare:

* It calls for a 50 percent discount for prescription drugs in the "donut-hole" (coverage gap) for low-income Medicare patients;

* It would prevent a scheduled 22 percent cut in payments to doctors who take Medicare patients;

* It would cover out-of-pocket costs for screenings and preventive care for Medicare patients;

If this isn't nearly enough information for you, you can read the 233-page, plain-English version of the bill on the Finance Committee's Web site HERE.

The Finance Committee will debate the bill next week, with Senate debate and a possible vote in October. After the House votes on its version, the two bills will have to be married in a conference committee, where huge differences in cost and structure, including the question of a public option, will have to be negotiated.

Despite the bill's heated reception today, Baucus called this "an early" stage in the process and predicted the bill will ultimately pass with Republican support. "The time has come to act," he said. "We have a moral obligation to pass health care reform this year."

Follow PoliticsDaily On Facebook and Twitter,
and download the new Politics Daily toolbar!