Hillary to Work on Healthcare Legislation

Nov. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Senator Edward Kennedy named fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton to lead a working group on insurance coverage in the effort to write health-care legislation.

Kennedy, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, said in an e-mailed statement today that Clinton will head one of three groups developing ideas for health system changes. Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa will lead a group on prevention and public health, and Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland will work on improvements in medical quality.

President-elect Barack Obama has proposed expanding government health programs, giving subsidies to low-income families and requiring insurers to cover everyone, regardless of medical condition. Kennedy, who is being treated for brain cancer, has been overseeing meetings among his staff and interest groups to develop legislation that Congress could act on next year.