Opinion - Whatcom View

POSTED: Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009

Time to engage thoughtfully on needed health care reform

If you have just joined the health reform discussion or have been active in the debate for years we can all agree something big is in the works. This kind of frenzy has accompanied attempts to reform health care since the 1950s and the pattern is predictable. It starts with a healthy and thoughtful debate and a commitment to bipartisan action and then deteriorates into a redefining and translating of the issues by both political parties and special interest groups to meet other agendas. The result is that we are left confused, frustrated and searching for "the truth."

What is different from past reform efforts is how today diverse interests and people agree on the basic need for reform. Numerous polls show the majority of Americans, and from our experience, the people of Whatcom County, including health care providers (physicians and hospitals), business (including small employers), elected officials and consumers of all ages agree on the following:

We need a system that is affordable for everyone. The purchasers of health care: Individuals, businesses and their employees and our local, state and federal government cannot sustain the rising costs of health care that annually outstrips the growth in wages.

Health care reform should cover all Americans regardless of age, sex, employment status or preexisting health conditions. Everyone (whether they are insured or not) pays for the system we have now. Americans also agree that people should not be denied coverage when they need it most because of a preexisting condition.

People want personal choice of plan and doctor. Those who are satisfied with their coverage now want to keep their current plan and doctor. Those who don't have insurance want the same choice: to pick a plan (private or public) and the doctor who will provide quality affordable care.

People want a system that is simple to understand, that provides the benefits they need with no surprises and reduces costly administrative overhead.

The cost of health care reform should be shared by all. Everyone who participates in coverage should pay for it (individuals, employers, government) and no one group should bear the burden of the cost. Uninsured people with low income should receive a subsidy to purchase an adequate and affordable plan.

If we can agree on the basics, then why the anger and the divisiveness we are seeing in the news? It is because we also share concerns about how this will be implemented. Some examples of what people are worried about include:

Those who have coverage and are happy with their doctor don't want health reform to change their existing health care relationship. All reform plans being considered by Congress protect these relationships.

Although people agree on the need for health reform they don't agree on how to pay for it. Many options are on the table but are still unresolved. Limiting tax breaks now in place for employer-sponsored health plans, taxing items that contribute to poor health, and rewarding care that improves health outcomes rather than the volume of tests, procedures and surgeries are all being considered.

Since 2002 the Whatcom Alliance for Healthcare Access has worked to improve access to health coverage and care in our community by serving the uninsured and underinsured while at the same time promoting sound health policy at the state and national level. WAHA's goal of acting locally while promoting sustainable health policy at the legislative level takes a public/private partnership that requires active involvement of the local hospital, medical society, city and county governments, small business, public school system and consumers.

WAHA's education and policy efforts are rooted in principles that promote a health system that works for everyone. WAHA's principles are more critical today than ever before and clearly have application in the current debate:

Involve community stakeholders from both public and private sectors who have a wide range of views and opinions.

Welcome diverse voices and seek non-partisan common ground in addressing health care policy issues.

Focus on education, improved public understanding and awareness of critical health policy issues.

Work with all health policy officials (elected and appointed) to achieve sustainable health care reform.

Now is the time for health care reform and there are many forces at work that could forestall the changes our system needs. We should stand by our common goals to reform health care while being diligent in educating ourselves and engaging in discussions on the complex implementation issues yet to be resolved. That means seeking out voices that may differ from our views and challenging those we agree and disagree with to work towards a solution that works for everyone. Health reform is the greatest domestic policy issue of our time and it requires our undivided attention. Failure should not be an acceptable option.

For more information and links to health reform resources visit whatcomalliance.org.

Stephen Gockley is a senior attorney with the Northwest Justice Project and president of the Whatcom Alliance for Healthcare Access board. Sue Sharpe is executive director of the St. Luke's Foundation, member of the WAHA board and chair of the health policy committee.