The Health Care Fiasco

Commentary By Ron Beasley

The headline reads:

Reid pulls together Senate Dems to take huge step on health reform

Although the Senate�s action was a mere procedural vote, it represented
the end of weeks of anxiety for Reid while foreshadowing difficult
legislative and political battles ahead. Applause from spectators
greeted the final tally announced by Sen. Chris Dodd (Conn.), while
Democrats including Reid, Daniel Inouye (Hawaii), Carl Levin (Mich.)
and Tom Harkin (Iowa) exchanged hugs and slaps on the back. Outside the
Senate, a crowd of about 50 people greeted senators with cheers and
applause as they left the building.

Steve Soto says Good Job Harry but then goes on to point out that it's a meaningless job.

Harry Reid achieved a minor miracle a half-hour ago when he got 60 votes to begin the health care debate in the Senate
right after the Thanksgiving recess. No sooner had he done that, with
the help of alleged Democrats Blanche Lincoln and Mary Landrieu, did
Lincoln make it clear she would never vote for any final bill that
allows cash-strapped middle class families to choose a public plan
instead of being forced to buy from the pimps who bankroll her
campaigns. Landrieu needed to be bought with $100 million for her state
just to allow a vote.

And Joe Lieberman, despite a CBO report that shows the flawed Senate
Finanace Committee plan actually reduces the deficit, swore that he
would fight health care reform because it adds to the deficit, showing
once again that he is wholly-owned by Aetna and other industry pimps. I
look forward to someone, anyone, running commercials in Lieberman,
Lincoln, and Landrieu's states showing how willing they were to deficit
spend a trillion dollars for the war in Iraq, but now cannot stomach a
paid-for bill that helps Main Street.

David Kurtz asks: Where Does This Leave Us? And then goes on to answer his own question.

The only reasonable reading of today's developments is that while the
Dems will get 60 votes this evening they are still short of the 60 they
need to get to a final vote on a bill that includes an opt out public
option. Couple that with the fact that there is 100% guaranteed to be a
health care reform bill in some shape or form passed by the Senate, and
you're left with somebody needing to strike a deal to get this done.

So- where does that leave us?  Not in a good place.  If the Republicans were smart they would let the Democrats pass a health care reform like the bill in the House or the Senate.  Why?  Because neither of them attack the real problem of rising costs - health care premiums are due to rise 16% next year with or without a bill.  The Republicans will then be able to blame the legislation for the increased costs. 

Any attempt to reign in costs when a majority still have insurance will be labeled "rationing" as we saw this week.  No real reform will be possible until even more people find themselves without care.  Neither the House or the Senate bills will help the majority of Americans and as prices continue to rise will become a political liability for the Democrats.

The best the Democrats can hope for now is a bill that is filibustered in the Senate.  Yes, the best thing now is no bill at all.  Those who say we won't get another chance are dead wrong.  With premiums rising at 16% a year the entire health care system is about to collapse and no real reform will be possible until that happens.

See The Medical Industrial Complex for more information on cost containment.