At this point, I wouldn't bet big money that health care
reform is a sure thing. Congress is in finger pointing mode,
Republicans are being instructed to obstruct and delay, the
conservative Blue Dog Democrats are making noises like they intend to
join the GOP in resisting reform, and Barack Obama seems to think its
the smart thing to allow a floundering Congress to develop the bill
without White House involvement. There's a great deal of heavy lifting
still required, and it looks like Congress is getting winded.
And, if you can believe the polling,
Americans are now beginning to get the heebie jeebies over reforming
health care. Change is always unsettling and it's generally true that
there's a direct relationship between the length of a debate and public
trepidation.
Let's hope Barack Obama, in his
news conference tonight, will reframe the health care reform debate.
His role ought to be to remind Americans about why this is not just
important, but required. U.S. health care, once the best in
the world, now continues to slide down the list of metrics ranking
nations health care. (Are we still a little better than Latvia in
terms of infant mortality, or have they passed us yet?).
It
would be one thing if the U.S. had shitty health metrics and had made a
conscious policy decision not to spend a bunch of money on health
care. But, in fact, more money (as a percent of GDP) is spent in the
U.S. than any other nation and we're battling it out with Albania for the longer life expectancy. That's just crazy.
I hope President Obama read Steven Pearlstein's column in the Washington Post today.
Among
the range of options for health-care reform, there's one that is sure
to raise your taxes, increase your out-of-pocket medical expenses,
swell the federal deficit, leave more Americans without insurance and
guarantee that wages will remain stagnant.
That's
the option of doing nothing, letting things continue to drift as they
have for the past two decades as we continue to search in vain for the
perfect plan that would let everyone have everything they want and
preserve everything they already have while getting someone else to pay
for it.
The current
path is unsustainable. Barack Obama needs to step up tonight and
explain there's really no choice but to reform health care in America.
The current path is unsustainable.You can say that again. Hard to understand why much of the public is so complacent or suspicious.
ReplyDeleteI saw an article -- can't remember where, but it was credible -- that reported in 10 years health-care premiums would double. If you're like me and your employer doesn't chip much in to their own plan, you pay what amounts to almost a second rent ($880 a month for wife, child, and me).
Will we be expected to pay a third rent in 10 years? Never mind what we get for it. I won't even get into that.
Although everything Pearlstein says is true I think we are better off with no bill now than a half ass one that is little more than a bandage. The system may have to deteriorate even further before true health care reform is possible. The very minimum is a public option. Short of that nothing is better.
ReplyDeleteRuss, I have private insurance and one of my family requires a HIPA plan. You don't even wanna know how much a month we have to spend on insurance.
ReplyDeleteRon, I agree. The problem is that the momentum may be shifting and waiting for Congress and the White House to get their shit together may mean no reform can pass. That would really suck.
Russ and Jay
ReplyDeleteAt 63, two years from medicare, I could not get health insurance at any price. I have some medical issues that should be addressed now but won't be so it will cost even more in two years. Insanity!
George Stephanopoulos said tonight it looked like the bill won't be done by the August break. According to him the rush is about the historical record that all the big, important presidential initiatives of the past have been pushed through early in their first term. He ticked off several examples including Medicare with LBJ.
ReplyDeleteThe fear is simple. The extra time gives opponents what they need to take advantage of what is now forward momentum, reaching critical mass for defeat. The birthers (yeah, go ahead and Google that) and teaparty fringe are forming lynch mobs now making the network news. I'm thinking if Obama doesn't pull a rabbit out of a hat tonight hopes are very dim for health care reform. It's scaring the shit out of a lot of Congressmen.
I don't like the way this is being framed. Not passing this by the end of August does not signify "doing nothing". The same argument could be made that it is being rushed through before the public has time to digest it. If we're going to throw money around like confetti (What's a few hundred billion here and there?), then we had better do it right. Does anyone honestly think the proposals put forth so far constitute "doing it right"? As an industry insider who works with the waste in the system on a daily basis, I can tell you that the Washington solutions barely nudge the biggest cost drivers.
ReplyDelete