Last week, four Snohomish County representatives, Marko Liias (WA-21st), John McCoy (WA-38th), Mary Helen Roberts (WA-21st) and Mike Sells (WA-34st), wrote a letter of support for a public option in healthcare reform to Unites States Congressman Rick Larsen (2nd).
“We write to express our enthusiastic support for the inclusion of a strong public option in the health care reform bill presently being debated in the House. As state legislators, we would be remiss if we did not voice our opinions on the current debate,” the letter states. “A strong public option is a critical fallback for the many different groups that would be covered under the reform plan.”
They go on to say, “The implementation of a strong public option would create incentives for insurance companies to charge competitive rates and become more efficient. Lower prices and better efficiency would benefit everyone, including those that presently have health insurance. In addition, the competition created by a strong public option would incentivize insurance plans to focus more on primary care and preventative medicine, leading to improved health outcomes and better care.”
Posts Tagged ‘Health Care’
Four Snohomish County representatives support public option
Monday, November 2nd, 2009The Right Responds to Healthcare Reform
Friday, October 30th, 2009
James C. Capretta, of the conservative magazine National Review, wrote a piece last night responding to the House healthcare bill, saying that the bill is “a total fiscal and health policy disaster.”
Capretta claims that the bill attempts to mislead the public into thinking that the bill is worth less than $1 trillion by ignoring the repeal of the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula. Capretta also objects to the increase in Medicaid eligibility from 133% of the federal poverty line to 150%, due to the increase in taxes that will be incurred from this. In effect, Capretta says that the bill plays into the continuing liberal attempt to increase the size and scope of the federal government:
To sum it up, the House bill is nothing but a massive, uncontrolled federal entitlement expansion — at a time when the central, looming threat to the nation’s long-term prosperity is the unaffordable health-care entitlements already on the federal books.
Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN)
Capretta’s article comes after the House Republican Conference Chair, Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), said in an interview with CNN that the House healthcare bill “really is a government takeover of health care in America.” House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and House Minority WHIP Roy Blunt (R-MO) expressed similar concerns toward an expansion of government involvement in healthcare.
There seems to be a consensus among conservatives in opposition to the House healthcare bill, citing their fundamental opposition to increasing the reach of the federal government. And, it is true that this bill will increase the scope of federal oversight in healthcare – but, as Evan McMorris-Santoro at Talking Points Memo points out, Republicans (and specifically conservative Republicans) have yet to offer any alternative. Rep. Pence did say that he would like to see bipartisan efforts to cover those with preexisting conditions – beyond that we have heard almost no alternative ideas from the right, just opposition.
We will have to wait and see if liberals, moderates, and conservatives in Congress will work out a compromise bill as negotiations unfold.
Senator Baucus and Senate Finance Committee release draft of healthcare bill
Wednesday, September 16th, 2009Today Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, released the first draft of that committee’s long-awaited healthcare reform bill.
You can read the entire draft of the bill here.
If you do not want to read the 223 page draft of the bill, read Baucus’ 18 page “Framework for Comprehensive Health Reform.”
Senator Cantwell on why Republicans should support a public option
Tuesday, September 1st, 2009On Sunday, Senator Maria Cantwell appeared on “State of the Union with John King” and discussed Medicare reimbursements and bending the healthcare cost curve.
I just love it when she says:
“Well, you’re not going to get an argument about bending the cost curve from me because my state almost subsidizes the rest of the healthcare system because we’re so efficient and the rest of the country delivers more inefficient care.”
Here’s the rest of the video:
Congressman Jim McDermott hosts online Q & A
Thursday, August 27th, 2009Yesterday Congressman Jim McDermott participated in an online question and answer session on healthcare policy reform. Read the conversation here from the Seattle Times.
Sen. Murray on the passing of Sen. Kennedy
Wednesday, August 26th, 2009Senator Murray has posted a statement on the passing of Senator Edward Kennedy, which comes across as warm, sincere, and reflective of Kennedy’s impact on his colleagues.
“(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) issued the following statement on the passing of U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA). Senator Murray served with Senator Kennedy for 16 years in the U.S. Senate, including many years as a senior member of Kennedy’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee.
”When I was young Ted Kennedy was larger than life. I could not believe it when I first walked out on the floor of the Senate and he walked over to welcome me. From that day on, he became a valued friend, a courageous partner, and a personal mentor.
“From my earliest memories in the Senate when I watched him patiently and passionately argue to pass the Family and Medical Leave Act, to his last moments when he led the charge to pass legislation that guaranteed equal pay for women and encouraged Americans to serve and give back to their country as he did, Ted never once stopped fighting for those who couldn’t fight for themselves. The country is indeed a better place because of him.
“His loss is very personal to me. I will miss him. Our country will miss him.
“My thoughts and prayers, and those of all Americans, are with his family at this difficult time.”
View the press release on Publicola here.
Washington legislators hold second healthcare town hall
Tuesday, August 25th, 2009
On Tuesday night in Bellevue, Senator Karen Keiser (D-Kent), chair of the Senate Health & Long-Term Care Committee, and Representative Eileen Cody (D-Burien), chair of the House Health Care & Wellness Committee, held their second in a series of four healthcare town halls.
Of the first two events in the series, Senator Keiser said she believes, “These are marvelous. Democracy in action.”
Thus far the town halls have gone smoothly and have been largely disruption free. That is in stark contrast to what people have seen from national news sources. “People have a lot of concerns,” said Senator Keiser. “It’s a wonderful development, they’ve been misrepresented.”
This town hall attracted several more members of the political world, including Senator Rodney Tom (D-Bellevue), Representative Ross Hunter (D-Bellevue), Steve Hill, Administrator of the Health Care Authority, and former State Representative Max Vekich, who is currently running to be a Seattle Port Commissioner.
Senator Keiser and Representative Cody emphasized the need for a transition to evidence based methods in healthcare policy, which will help reduce healthcare costs. Keiser cited the $55 million in savings in 2008 on prescription drugs when the drugs were compared by patient outcomes and the effectiveness of the drugs rather than their cost.
Washington legislators are now working with Congressman Jay Inslee to adapt some of that language for H.R. 3200, the healthcare reform bill from the House of Representatives.
Federal healthcare reforms would include consumer protections that prevent rescission, the practice of taking insurance away from consumers after they have become ill, extending health benefits of younger adults that are on their parents’ health plan to the age of 26, ending gender discrimination, and ending cost-sharing for preventative care, such as expensive colonoscopies.
Another key theme in the discussion was aligning physician incentives to patient outcomes. Currently, if a patient has the wrong arm amputated and has to go back in to get the other one removed, the hospital would be paid for both operations. Keiser said that under the new system, “Avoidable errors will not be reimbursed.” That would mean only “paying the hospital when you have recovery” she said.
Confronting popular misnomers in the media, Keiser assured the crowd, “There will be no death panels. There has never been a death panel.”
The pair also confronted reimbursement inequities around the country. Keiser said, Washington is 11% under the national average for Medicare reimbursements, and Florida is 13% over the national average. Yet Washington State has better outcomes, said Keiser.
Currently, taxpayers and people with health insurance pay for those who do not have health insurance but utilize medical facilities. “Healthcare is a system of cost shifting,” said Keiser. “We pay one way or the other.”
A physician’s take on reforming healthcare
Tuesday, August 25th, 2009We’re planning a series of posts by Washington State physicians, but this post from a Dr. Frank Lipman on Huffington Post pre-empts us. It’s well worth a read – particularly if you’re looking at the shortfalls of “reform” from the point of view of care delivery.
I think Washington is barking up the wrong tree. They’re busy arguing about what amounts to health insurance reform, while what this country needs is true health care reform.Interestingly, what is happening in Washington mirrors much of what we do in Western Medicine. We suppress symptoms instead of dealing with the root causes of the problem. All the options on the table now only address how we pay for healthcare, rather than why we are unhealthy and how we change that. If we don’t change why we are unhealthy, not only are we unlikely to secure better medical outcomes, but it will probably bankrupt us too.
For the rest of his post, click here.