Here’s what I know. We have not worked all these years on health reform in order for Congress to pass a bill mandating that Americans must buy health insurance from a private company, regardless of whether it is for-profit or not-for-profit. If this is the primary focus of reform legislation, it is not acceptable. We want legislation that is going to lead us to improved health, lower the overall cost and improve the patient’s experience as they interact with the system.
This debate has been whittled down until it’s hard to recognize where we are in terms of progress, much less where we are going. How did the debate end up being about an individual mandate to purchase private insurance? Or, was that the intended question all along? And I can only imagine that there are vested stakeholders out there who are chuckling at what they will gain if these proposals actually get enacted as legislation. This is the health insurance version of the Medicare Part D boondoggle – the industry gets a lot of people who are required to participate, and American taxpayers will foot the bill.
I will not be cornered when someone asks me if I will settle for reform without a public insurance option. That is 100% the wrong question and I hope you’ll join me in letting Congress know that they themselves have been cornered into solving the wrong problem.
At the Archimedes Movement, we started with this question: “What must we do in order to improve the health of the American public?” We developed principles that included among other things, equity, a focus on health, disease prevention and chronic disease management, affordability and economic sustainability. We said that all Americans should be eligible for and have timely access to a core health care benefit, and that the process of defining that core benefit should be transparent and explicit. We said that giving everyone insurance, while it is important, would not solve the health care crisis, not without a way to rein in costs and improve quality. We cannot only focus on treating people when they are ill; we have to invest in getting and keeping people well.
Two short weeks ago Congress left Washington D.C. for its August recess and now it seems the tide has turned. Or has it? It still costs me $1149 each month for insurance to cover my family of four; businesses are still laying off workers, reducing the level of coverage or dropping health insurance altogether. Every week more than 44,000 Americans lose their insurance. So what has really changed?
Congressional town hall became the stage for the organized (and effective) message that Americans like things the way they are, that we have the best health system in the world and that Americans don’t want things to change. As far as I can see, only the media’s perception has changed. Welcome to the August Recess!
If you, like me, cannot imagine waking up one day soon to learn that we are all required to pay a private company for something that Congress says all Americans must have, then join me in telling Congress “NO” – there has to be more to this reform. We want real reform, based on what is best for the American people, not based on what vested stakeholders feel they can live with. We have to be willing to say, “no, this is not acceptable!” If you are going to require that Americans purchase insurance, then give Americans a choice. Private insurers should not be afraid of a public insurance choice; Americans will buy what is best for them and their families if it is affordable. Insurers should have to compete based on cost, quality and outcomes, not avoidance of risk.
Don’t wait. You need to act now. And remember: Congress is not in adjournment during this recess; decisions are being made each day about legislation.
We are at a crossroads. Legislators head back to DC on Labor Day weekend to decide what’s in and what’s out of the health reform package. Will it be based on the will of the voters or by the desires of special interests? We need to cut through the misinformation and rhetoric. We have to turn frustration back into meaningful dialog. Join us in telling Congress to get back to work on meaningful health reform. We won’t accept less than that.
Now more than ever, the efforts of our movement must be clear and concise, respectfully stating that despite certain loud voices, we the people are ready for health reform and we demand fundamental changes that move our system closer to achieving optimal health.
Get the facts about the three current health reform proposals from the House Tri-Committee, Senate Finance Committee, and Senate HELP Committee here. See the Kaiser Family Foundation’s Side-By-Side Comparison of Congressional Health Reform Plans.
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