House passage last Saturday of a health care reform bill was hailed (and condemned) as a major legislative event.
But the reality is something far less dramatic. No one expects the Senate to pass the House version. So the nation still does not know what shape health care reform will take.
That’s assuming Congress can come up with a reform package that will attract a majority of lawmakers in both chambers.
Despite a sizable Democratic majority, Saturday’s House vote was a close one. As it was, liberal lawmakers had to be cajoled into supporting the reform bill, while conservative Democrats balked at costs and other factors.
This suggests there is minimal wiggle room within the party, while Republican support for the measure was all but non-existent.
Among the more contentious aspects of the House-passed legislation was the so-called public option, which would allow the government to provide health insurance as an alternative to private companies. Critics claim that the public option would eventually drive private insurers out of business. We’re not so sure of that, but we wonder if it’s wise policy to have government in the health insurance business.
One compromise being considered would establish a trigger mechanism for a public option. It would be used only if private insurers failed to cut costs for consumers.
But that begs the question: How would they reduce premiums? One obvious way is to deny coverage, one of the complaints that’s now aired against insurers.
This brings up the underlying dilemma of health care reform. The effort is supposed to make health care more affordable, while making it more available. These two concepts directly conflict with each other.
To date, Democrats have failed to adequately explain to the American people how this is going to happen. In particular, skeptics doubt any cost control claims.
Much of the public debate over health care reform tends toward the silly, heavy on ideology and thin on meaningful detail. The real issues regarding health care reform are whether or not it can expand coverage, control costs and improve the methods of paying for it all.
Democrats, as flawed as their efforts may be, deserve points for at least trying. Republicans who have mostly divorced themselves from constructive attempts at health reform didn’t even try when they were in control of Congress.
And for those who suggest the best approach to health reform is to leave well enough alone, we counter that this is a recipe for disaster. With health insurance rates far outpacing inflation, and Medicare looming as a fiscal disaster, blind opposition is irresponsible.
If health care reform is not addressed, it won’t be just a Democratic failure. It will be an American failure.
— New Castle News, New Castle, Pa.
