OPINIONWhat editorial writers are saying about health system reform proposalsHouse and Senate bills offer reform solutions but have sparked contentious debate among physicians, lawmakers and others about the right path to take.Other Views on Medical News. Posted Aug. 3, 2009. Newspapers across the country have been examining the pros and cons of reform proposals and the cost of health system reform to the nation. Here is a sampling of opinions. A strong health reform billThis [House] bill is clearly not hugely costly. It would expand the government's role in financing and regulating coverage but would also bolster private coverage. It would increase employer-based coverage, mostly by requiring employers to participate. And it would send more clients to the private insurance industry. CBO's curious health care estimatesDemocrats and the Congressional Budget Office are dramatically underestimating how much current health care proposals will cost. We have read the House bill and the CBO report about it, and both are setting up taxpayers for an expensive surprise if government health care becomes law. Health care reform must be true reformOne promising alternative being discussed is the creation of nonprofit health care cooperatives, owned by patient groups with no government ties. Such co-ops would negotiate directly with insurers for low-cost group insurance rates. Getting health care right is most importantAs much as some of us may want to roll the dice and see if reforms will work, we're not at a place where that's a reasonable option, given the trillions in new federal obligations to help prop up the nation's precarious economy. America faces a long-range financial picture significantly different from what Franklin Roosevelt or Lyndon Johnson encountered when they launched Social Security and Medicare, for instance. Health care reform bill shouldn't kill competitionUntil now, there was a lack of political will to get this job done. Today, it'd be tough to find someone who opposes health care reform in this country. Virtually everyone agrees -- albeit for different reasons -- that it's a mess and needs fixing. Even so, if Congress figures out workable reforms for health care, it will be a remarkable feat. Kalamazoo (Mich.) Gazette, July 23 Momentum on health care reform must continueAs much as Americans need universal coverage, the main focus must be cost containment. The United States can't continue to compete economically when it's spending 17% of its gross domestic product on health care, vastly more than nations that offer far more complete coverage. (San Jose, Calif.) Mercury News, July 18 This content was published online only. Copyright 2009 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
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From the vaultQuotable"Our goal really is to provide the right care for patients at the right time. Not too much and not too little." Steven Weinberger, MD, co-author of a list developed by the American College of Physicians of 37 clinical situations in which screenings and medical tests provide little or no benefit |
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