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If you thought the major battle over healthcare was finished at the end of 2009, think again. In many ways, the real battle has just begun, with the House and the Senate both passing versions of the bill that have some significant differences. While the House bill includes a version of a publicly funded health insurance option, the Senate version excludes it as a price for the support of some conservative Democrats. The two versions also differ in how they are paid for through various taxes and surcharges. But the Democrats are coming under serious scrutiny for President Obama’s request to forego the usual convening of a formal conference committee and reconcile the two bills in a closed door session. The goal is to deliver a bill that both Houses of Congress vote on to the President’s desk before next month’s State of the Union address. Meanwhile, the grassroots pressure for real health care reform continues with hundreds of medical students from all over California mobilizing on Monday to Sacramento to demand universal healthcare.

GUESTS: John Nichols, political writer for the Nation, co-founder of Free Press, Adam Saby, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine

For more information, visit www.cahpsa.org/lobbyday10.html, and www.pnhp.org.