One of Barak Obama's key campaign proposals was the overhaul of the current health care system. Like many others, he recognized not only the need for change in this area but also the American citizen's desire for it. Back then and even as recently as this past July, a publicly-funded insurance alternative to the current system was a cornerstone of this proposal. Then the ranting and raving started (not that there's anything wrong with ranting). This important piece of the puzzle went from being, in Obama's words, "...the best way...to force insurance companies to compete and keep them honest", to, less than one month ago, "...not the entirety of health care reform (but) one tiny sliver of it". What happened?
Well, to put it simply, the Republican Party happened. Or, more precisely perhaps, pressure on the GOP to scuttle this proposal in favor of "health insurance cooperatives" in lieu of a government-sponsored, single-payer system. Do you smell a lobbyist here? Now, I don't know that such a system wouldn't work, and I know that other countries use them with success. However, according to T.R. Reid, author of "The Healing of America", his research of these co-ops has shown that the heavy hand of regulation is what actually makes them workable. In other countries, these co-ops are not allowed to refuse coverage for pre-existing conditions or deny payment for needed care. If they try, the insured gets the next month's premium for free. Now, there's a concept! They are also not allowed to raise premiums on their own; if they do, they face steep fines. Have you heard of anything like this falling from the lips of those pushing this notion, though? I sure haven't.
I admit that, besides this core issue, I'm in the dark as to what else is being considered in the arena of "health care reform". Besides prescription drug negotiations to close the "doughnut hole" in Medicare, I really don't know what other reforms of our health care system are being discussed, and I've actually been paying attention.
Since no real reform seems imminent without a public alternative to private insurance, I think that all the other stuff (whatever it is) should be pushed to the back burner, at least for now. Change coming in small steps is usually more palatable to most people, so, I say, just concentrate on the public option segment right now. Too bad if the insurance companies and "big pharma" don't like it--it's the one thing that will make the biggest, most positive change in the lives of most people. And, ahem, isn't that supposed to be what this is all about?
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