Health Care Discussions

Over the past couple of weeks (since my last posting) I had to prepare for 137 Disciplinary Hearings with the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission (I represent Florida’s Attorney General on the Commission). After that I went and played Uncle Jim for a few days, visiting my brother and his family, so I haven’t been writing. A lot has happened during that time and I’m going to try catch up over the next couple of days.

Health care has been in the news. As I have written, America’s health care system is a very good system; it’s not perfect and can be improved. However, it is not so bad that it needs to be gutted/ scrapped and begun a new. Town Hall meetings have been all over the news. A good thing is that people are getting involved; they are asking questions and providing input to their representatives. They are reading the proposed legislation and becoming informed. This is great, something that hasn’t occurred in several years.

People are scared, and feeling frustrated because they feel that their representatives aren’t listening. Unfortunately, when they have had an opportunity to attend these meetings the frustration shows and others (including the media) have concentrated on that instead of what people are saying. Many have asked very pointed and thoughtful questions, made good suggestions to their representatives and the anger is being used as a justification for not addressing their comments.

I mentioned that I visited my brother Tom and his family. Sometimes Tom and I have similar views on issues, and there are times in which we are on opposite ends of a position. Health care is one of those issues that we differ on, yet we were able to have a conversation. We didn’t agree on some of the aspects, but we also didn’t yell, we respected each other’s point of view.

We both believe that changes are needed. Based on his experience last year when he had shoulder surgery, and the fact that he pays over $7,000.00 a year in premiums to insure his family (I hope he doesn’t mind my sharing that info), he and his wife feel that change needs to happen now. Then after reform is passed amendments can be passed to fix any problems with the reform. They also talked with me about the health care system in Japan (my sister in law was born and raised in Japan). According to them the Japanese system works extremely well.

I on the other hand believe that Congress should take a few months to study different options, like the Japanese system, see what will work in the U.S. and then pass a reform measure. Everyone seems to agree that approximately 91% of the U.S. population has some form of health care, but the true number that will be helped by reform varies from 4 to 46 million (the president originally said 58 million but in the past week as said that the number is between 37 and 46 million).

My position is based on two reasons, none of which is the fact that I am a republican. I served as a trustee on a health insurance trust for five and a half years. I’ve been involved in modifying the plan, including benefits and costs, so I know what is involved. We took months so we wouldn’t have to go back later and change. Some have argued that we should just put something in place and then later get rid of benefits that aren’t cost effective or that don’t work as well as projected. I don’t believe that will happen because of the experience on the health trust when we made changes to prescription coverage.

Originally the trust I am a part of would reimburse a member for prescription costs, you would submit an application for reimbursement along with your receipts and then receive a reimbursement. At one point the trust was doing well enough financially that the board decided to try a one year trial, we added prescription coverage instead of reimbursement. Our costs skyrocketed, prescription costs were incurred immediately instead of incrementally as with reimbursement. This is similar to what has happened to Medicare. It also became harder to do budget projections. At the end of the year the numbers showed that the coverage was a poor option, reimbursement was the more fiscally responsible policy. Despite that the membership refused to change and threatened the trustees if an attempt was made to return to the former policy. People didn’t care that it was a fiscal burden to the trust, or that there was a serious possibility that the coverage could bankrupt the trust (as happened with the firefighters trust ten years earlier); the members wanted the convenience of not having to submit paperwork for reimbursement.

The other reason I believe we should take a few months to study various options and put together a thoughtful program, is I doubt that you will be able to modify it after passage (at least not in time to prevent the program from going bankrupt). A case in point it Social Security reform. In the mid 80’s there were changes to Social Security enacted. After passage it was learned that for a lot of people their benefits would be reduced, significantly, if they participated in another retirement plan. Basically and overly simplified, if you contribute/ participate in certain retirement plans your Social Security benefits will be drastically reduced even if you’ve paid all your quarters. For example, I have paid all my quarters and because I also paid into a pension system at the City of Miami I will not receive all the Social Security benefits that I would otherwise be entitled to. According to the last letter I received from Social Security, despite the fact that I have all my quarters (and will continue to pay for several more years), I will receive less than $500.00 a month (instead of the $1,200.00 I would otherwise receive). There have been attempts to ammend this legislation to make it more equitable for more than 15 years and still nothing has happened.

Just like many of the laws that Congress has passed they will not participate in any public option that results from health care reform. Several members of Congress have demonstrated that instead of listening to their constituents they will call them names and degrade them if they disagree. That being the case can we rely on their correcting problems in the system once reform is enacted? I doubt it.

Like I said the one good thing that has happened during this health care reform issue is that many people that didn’t care about what happens in Congress, that didn’t feel that they could make a difference, are now becoming involved and active. Like a woman told Senator Spector during a town hall meeting, she hadn’t been involved before but now they (Congress) “have awakened a sleeping giant.” Even my 9 year old niece was asking questions. Let’s hope this involvement in the government process continues.

And finally, enough with the name calling (by all sides), let’s set an example to our next generation and be civil towards each other, children are watching what is happening and they do imitate the actions of adults. We’ll accomplish a lot more if we listen to one another and work together.

That’s My Opinion, What’s Yours?