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WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic aides say President Barack Obama's plan for a watchdog agency with power to roll back excessive premium hikes by insurance companies has been dropped from the latest version of the health care bill.
Obama had proposed a new federal Health Insurance Rate Authority in response to recent double-digit increases in premiums by health insurance companies around the country.
But Democratic congressional aides, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss details of the legislation, say the idea was dropped because it would have violated Senate rules requiring individual elements of the bill to have an impact on the budget.
Also dropped was a Republican proposal for undercover Medicare fraud investigators.
