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My 6 Point Plan To Actually PASS Healthcare Reform
February 24th, 2010
I tweeted the points that follow last Monday, as bullet points, and want now elaborate. With the president’s meeting with Republicans at the White House tomorrow on moving healthcare forward, I want to get this out there.
This piece is to denote what components a healthcare bill will need, and not need to actually be passed in Congress. This is not an ideology argument, other than the ideology of being practical and getting something done, versus the ideology of all or nothing/my way or the high way.
The President, on Tuesday, finally released a healthcare plan on the White House website, which was much the Senate plan with modifications. Here’s the major components a healthcare bill will need, or need not to have to actually pass:
1. Forget about public option, not doable
It’s simply without doubt that it is not politically doable to get such a component passed, and insisting on it is death to healthcare reform, and a big screw you to tens of million who will receive relief from some substanitive reform, versus no reform.
2. Limit insurance company power
Along with not allowing insurance companies to deny people for pre-existing conditions as the president and most democrats are pushing; their are many facets where the insurance companies retain too many unchecked powers. Obama’s proposal for the premium rate board is a very good one. Further such things as insurance companies currently being able to disallow doctors offices to give patients discounts, because whatever a doctor’s lowest charge for service is one time, then that disconnted rate is the rate at which the insurance company will reimburse at for that service across the board. These and such other powers should be rest away from the insurance companies, which would have a great effect on driving down delivery cost.
3. Change fee system
A lot of research and reporting has demonstrated the benefits both actual health wise, as well as cost wise, from moving away from our pay per services fee system, and going to a pay for results or overall care provided system. Albeit a difficult to navigate and implement, this is the type of measure that can provided cost reduction without major government expinditure.
4. Allow Portability
This is a very important prospect for many people who have healthcare and want something out of the bill in order to support it. It’s a component that Republicans have supported. It is hence a facet that moderate legistators can use in justification to allow themselves to vote for a reform bill.
5. Subsidize more Insurance to the extent that it can be paid for
Once, all cost and access barrier reductions that are in a bill fail to still reach some people to allow them healthcare insurance, an insurance subsidy componenant should be established (or beafed up, as one already exist) that allows for insurance payment assistance for as many people as a set fund will allow. Extending such assisntance to many more people will keep more liberals from bailing who are pondering following the Howard Dean all-or-nothing philosophy.
On the flipside it cannot be a guaranteed to all, no matter what entitlement, as we cannot afford the entitlements we already have pledged and which threaten to bankrupt the nation. This caveat will hold moderates in.
6. Tort Reform
Despite liberals pretense that over active litigiousy doesn’t play a role in the cost of healthcare cost, the liability and medical insurance cost of healthcare provides that is driven by the upward pressurses of running-away litigation of course does play some role.
While it is easily overhyped by Republicans, and long almost singularly used in their remedy for health cost redunction; including it not only provides fair and need cost relief, its inclusion most, along with some other foremention components, guts Republicans ability to claim it’s a bipartisan, far-left, socialist bill, blah blah blahl and provides cover for moderate democrats to vote for the bill.
See also: Healthcare Debate Dominated By The Extremes: Nothing For The Majority In The Middle
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posted in Health, Politics | | | View blog reactions |
2 Responses to “My 6 Point Plan To Actually PASS Healthcare Reform”
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Yobachi Boswell is creator and publisher of BlackPerspecitve.net. I’m a writer, activist and political watcher based in Nashville, Tennessee. I’ve also been know to do some spoken word and MCing in my day.
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I’d fight for the public option during reconciliation. I would rather Obama lead without consensus from the G.O.P. at this point. Bush and the G.O.P. used signing statements, reconciliation, etc for so much money for war and tax cuts to the rich that at this point I’d prefer Obama rule as though he has a mandate and force the Democrats on Capitol Hill to go along. I understand how difficult that is but look where being nice has gotten him at this point.