Cut the Politics-Let’s Get REAL with Health Care Reform

Cut the Politics-Let's Get REAL with Health Care Reform (Image from CBS News)

Health Care Reform, a quite complex array of pros and cons, government involvement, corporate ownership and emotional citizenry. Everyone has a take on it and within these past few weeks these highly vibrant responses has made it quite hard to understand what the reform is really about. I have searched endlessly listening to NPR speakers, reading several blogs and reading Rob and Meghan’s posts.  My personal stance is, the current system is proof that we need some what of a government lead direction however how much are we willing to hand over is at stake. I wanted to learn more about the work that Congress is doing with the legislation and I was disappointed to hear the house reached August recess and the senate is to follow. On the other hand, I realized that this is the perfect time to pause and learn about everything that has happened so far in the process.

I’m sitting in my living room looking at two pieces of paper that my mom showed me earlier today. The papers were faxed to her from the desk of Congressman Tom Price (R GA). My mom questioned if this could be a scam. I looked at the papers and on it is a message with my mother’s name and the subject as: New Advisors-Press Release. At first that is all I looked at, I tossed the papers aside saying this republican congressman probably wants to put you on a list so don’t bother. But tonight, I am intrigued by this and wanted to follow up on this not so mysterious fax papers. The fax cover letter has the following message printed in perfect hand writing (but definitely done by a computer):

(my mom’s name),

Because of your invaluable experience, we are asking you to represent Ohio as a consultant on the Physicians’ Council for Responsible Reform.

We’re running a press release to honor the achievements of you and other concerned physicians like you. Please call me with your approval (listed number).

I follow to the second page and things clear up even more. One thing I notice right away is the bottom of the page. There are a list of doctors names and in the middle column my mom’s name is there circled and handwritten-your name here. So maybe the republicans and more specifically the “physicians’ council for responsible reform” is really taking a stance by hearing from the real experts- I had hope. Yet, I once again used my handy google search engine to discover a much similar description of this letter on the Wonk Room. If you are not familiar with the Wonk Room it is a blog run project by the Center for American Progress. The Center for American Progress is a non-partisan run organization in Washington D.C. Coincidentally; I met with them a week ago while in D.C!

This was definitely what I suspected, that bit of hope died after I read the blog. Unfortunately, many congressional members both democrat and republican are using this time to recruit professionals for their list of credentials, while, what they really should be realizing that this is no time for the game of politics. SO END IT NOW. While they are there wanting to win one for the team, many of us uninsured or poorly insured are suffering with high payments and little improvement to our health. When you have doctors like my mother receiving letters like this of course they may not have the time to do the background research (they are doing more important things like seeing sick patients). So if Congress really wants to voice the stance of millions of health practitioners in the United States, they should start with a conjoined effort of gathering everyone for the talk- similar to the beer talk Obama recently had, except completely different story. I leave you with this, while you may be healthy now (knock on wood) and may not bother thinking about health care, think again:

Heart Disease-

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States for both women and men.

• In 2003, approximately 37% of adults reported having two or more of six risk factors for heart disease and stroke (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, current smoking, physical inactivity, and obesity).⁷
• It is estimated that about 47% of cardiac deaths occur before emergency services or transport to a hospital.⁴

Cancer-

According to the CDC, cancer is ranked the second leading cause of death in the United States. The total number of deaths estimated is at 559, 888, deaths per 100,000 population numbers at 187.0.

• Numbers of noninstitutionalized adults who have ever been diagnosed with cancer: 16.4 million
• Percent of noninstitutionalized adults who have ever been diagnosed with cancer: 7.3%

Diabetes-

Over 23.6 million people in the United States have diabetes that’s over 7.8 percent of the population and this number is only growing(National Institute of Health). Out of the 23.6 million, 17.9 million are diagnosed where as 5.7 million are undiagnosed, without knowledge of their diabetes these 5.7 million will further deviate their health and lead them to death. The estimated cost of diabetes direct and indirect is $174 billion, the direct medical costs is at $116 billion.

• After adjusting for population age and sex differences, average medical expenditures among people with diagnosed diabetes were 2.3 times higher than what expenditures would be in the absence of diabetes.
• Indirect costs: $58 billion—disability, work loss, premature mortality

The Public Option…

This being my first post to Abyss of Intention I wanted to take a moment to thank all those involved in the blog for the invitation to write and to wish AOT continued success in representing the thoughts and views of recent college graduates, grad students, etc.  I think we all represent an incredibly unique viewpoint.

HEALTH CARE REFORM!  Alongside social security and the capital gains tax, no three words strike the same fear in the hearts of American law makers and politicians.  No issue has represented the proverbial third rail of politics like the dicey topic of health care reform.  And yet, never has health care represented such a large percentage of per household spending than now.  Never have we needed better health care than now.  As the Obama administration pushed back the deadline for health care legislation this week from August to the end of the year, they reinforced the public’s understanding of one thing: this is an increasingly complex topic.  It needs to be.  In order for health care to be tailored to the needs of the consumer, while maintaining the financial feasibility of a financial services market, it needs to be.

THE PUBLIC OPTION

As of late, the Obama administration and a number (of mostly Democrat) law makers have proposed the introduction of a public health care option.  This option would make it available to purchase a government-run health insurance plan either in lieu of an employer-provided or private insurance plan.  It is important to preface a discussion of this public option with stating that this is only a proposal and efforts in congress and the white house have, to this point, only begun debates on specific reforms.

At issue with the proposal of a government-run health care provision is a concern of fundamental liberal economics: competition.  Competition is the driving force of free market economies to which current private health care insurers participate.  A potential insurance purchaser determines his or her purchase within the framework of a cost/benefit analysis of each of the private insurers.  Even employer-provided insurance plans typically provide a ‘menu’ of health care giver options.  Not only do purchasers choose from a range of potential co-pay levels, Rx costs, and dental and optic packages but their decision is based on the per month cost of the insurance plan.  Insurance agencies all work on the same plane in this regard.  They must all provide a consumable product which competes (there’s that competition word, again) with other private options on the market.

If a public option is indeed introduced, the viability of a health care market could be put at risk.  A taxpayer-backed public option would provide the potential for a near endless stream of program capital.  In all, the issue with the public option would be the program’s ability to provide more services for much cheaper than any of the private insurers.  To the extreme end, the public program could even work at a revenue negative rate, truly putting it out of the competitive grasp of private insurers.  Obama officials have laid claim from the outset of the proposed public option that this could provide a corrective competition in the market, which has up to now, taken on an unfair advantage for the companies.

For the public option to work, proposed legislation will have to answer questions of who will be allowed to purchase the public option.  Is there a cap at how many will be allowed?  Health restrictions?  Very real accommodations will need to be made in order for a public option to be a viable market participant, not a market dominator.

I certainly applaud the administration on a number of different topics relating to this debate.  First, a hat must be tipped to President Obama, Peter Orszag, Zeke Emanuel (Check out the Huffington Posts article on him here), and much of congress for taking the bold step to say, “We must fix it this time”.  Also, the administration must be given credit for its efforts to address fundamental shortcomings, such as: preventative medicine, prescription costs, health care employee work conditions and for generally raising the level of debate regarding the crisis of health care.

More important than any discussion of market economies and the viability of private insurance interests is the health and welfare of all Americans.  I hope and pray that this might be the focus of those with the loudest voice.