How I Differ From Doc Hastings

A Series

Part 2 – Health Care

(Please note that this is not the first I have written about my position on the Health Care legislation that has recently been enacted into law – please see my first Blog post – go to my web site, click on the “blog” button on the left of the home page and then go to the bottom of the blog page for my earliest post.)

As I have been campaigning all across the 4^th District I have been asked how do I differ on the issues with Doc Hastings.  In this series of posts, I would like to specify exactly where I differ.  I believe that as you see these areas of difference you will find that my stand on the issues more closely reflects the majority of the voters in this District.  It is time that your voice was heard in the halls of power in Washington D. C.

To see how we (Doc Hastings and I) differ on the issue of health care, let me begin by quoting from a post on Doc Hastings’ web site referencing his position on the Health Care law that recently passed Congress.  This is from his weekly column and is dated March 26, 2010.  He states, “While everyone agrees that improvements must be made to our health care system . . .” My question is, if everyone agrees that improvements must be made, how come during the first 6 years of the Bush administration, when we had a Republican majority in the Congress, a Republican majority in the Senate, and a Republican President, why didn’t the Republicans “improve our health care system” then?  My first difference with Doc Hastings is, that not only are the Republicans in Washington D. C. the party of NO now, they have been the “party of no solutions” all along, during the years that they had complete control of both the House, the Senate, and the Presidency!  They truly have been and still are the “party of no!”

It seems to me to be very un-business-like to be in charge, do nothing to solve the problems, then, after someone else comes along with a proposed fix that you don’t like, to suddenly say we have a better way.  Why weren’t Doc Hastings and the other Republicans doing something to solve these problems for years before this?  He states, “I am committed to doing everything possible to repeal this government takeover of health care and get to work on common sense reforms that will actually lower health care costs, increase choices, and put people back to work.”  Doc where were these “common sense reforms” years ago?  You have been there for 16 years.  As I understand it, health care didn’t just become a problem since 2009.  Where were the ideas to “actually lower health care costs” during the last 16 years that you have been our Representative? 

In Doc’s article he states, “Congress must focus on common sense solutions like ending lawsuit abuse, allowing the purchase of insurance across state lines, expanding health savings accounts and helping small businesses band together and purchase insurance for the same price as large corporations. “  As I have already noted above, these “common sense solutions” that he proposes now seem rather hollow, when, for the past 16 years, and especially for the first 6 years of the Bush administration, we heard nothing about these “solutions.”  Why don’t we have limits on lawsuit abuse?  Where are the laws allowing us to purchase health insurance across state lines?  In reality, neither Doc nor the Republicans have provided any solutions or any leadership on this critical issue.

Here is my solution to the Health Care Problem.

First the current law is ridiculously large, excessively bureaucratic, and its implementation is stretched over such a long period of time as to be completely ineffective in the next 10 years, when we need improvement NOW!

First, I would propose that we must tackle the issue of the ever escalating cost of health insurance.  For many years Americans have had groups like Blue Cross and Blue Shield which began as not for profit organizations.  In fact it was not until the mid 1990s that this large insurer became a fully “for profit” company.  Thus the idea that all medical insurance must be “for profit” to fit into the American capitalistic way, is simply not true.  We must be able to assess what types of medical insurance plans we want and create a broad spectrum of insurance choices.  I think it is very instructive to note where and how Blue Shield began.  Note this quotation from Wikipedia, “The Blue Shield concept was developed at the beginning of the 20th century by employers in lumber and mining camps of the Pacific Northwest to provide medical care by paying monthly fees to medical service bureaus composed of groups of physicians.” 

By assuring that there is not a single monopoly of either for profit companies, or of not for profit groups, and cooperatives, we can assure a competitive balance in the market place and provide both choice in insurance plans and choice in types of health care coverage.  Currently, as an employee of the State of Washington, that is what I am offered.  I am not limited to a single option and I have chosen the option that grants me the greatest freedom in choosing where and from whom I get medical care.  It is critical to remember that in a capitalistic society, capitalism works best when government assures the broadest spectrum of choices available.

During the years when I was manager of a small business, I found that the most cost effective approach was to purchase major medical insurance coverage from an insurance company that would pay 100% of all cost over $5,000 and then to self insure each employee up to that amount.  In this way each employee had complete freedom of choice as to doctors, pharmacies, etc.  This innovative approach saved the company thousands of dollars in premiums.  Solutions like this could be provided and implemented in law.

Secondly, I would address the issue of tort (lawsuit) reform.  This would serve to limit the cost of medical mal-practice insurance that is affecting the cost of services by physicians, clinics, and hospitals.  There is significant room in our society for real reforms in this area.  Reforms that do provide for adequate protection from negligent care and adequately compensate the unfortunate individuals that are harmed by such unfortunate incidents can and should be made in our legal system.  As these unrealistic and detrimental excesses are dealt with we can rightly expect this cost component of our medical care to lessen its impact on the overall costs that are associated with medical care.

Thirdly, we must assess which cost are the responsibility of government via plans like Medicare and Medicaid and which costs must continue to be the elective choice of the individual.  We, as citizens, can not demand that the government control its spending and not realize that that very control will mean limits to the things that government is expected to pay for.  During the course of my life I have witnessed a dramatic change in what government is expected to provide but a failure of our society (we the people) to understand that these services come at a cost.  Till now, our politicians have been content to over promise and under-manage.  They have gotten away with this by excessive government borrowing.  But it is clear that this is a path that is unsustainable.  Can we as a society come to terms with these issues?  Of course we can.  That is the “American way.”  Will all of these decisions be easy ones?  NO!  But it is what we can do and now, unfortunately, what we must do.

The difference between Doc Hastings’ approach and mine are dramatic.  He has not provided leadership, nor has he provided real solutions.  He and the Republican Party along with their Democrat Party counterparts have allowed these problems to fester until they threaten the foundations of our freedom.