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This Time It's Personal
By Scott Ward
September 9, 2009
The new wave of government crashing into Washington, D.C. since January has caused a rising tide of government knows best solutions. The federal government rushed to rescue the auto, banking, mortgage and insurance industries. And with hyper-energy the House passed a cap and trade bill containing massive tax increases on every American and their businesses. And then it got personal.
The latest proposal from Washington -- government run healthcare -- has stirred the spirit of America and ignited a flame. Patriotic Americans are raising their voices saying -- the federal government has overreached. The American people have had enough.
There is no doubt that health care in America is in crisis. That does not mean we should throw our hands up and accept a nationalized health care system. We have the best health care in the world -- and we need to keep it the best. That's not possible when the doctor-patient relationship is dismantled and thrown out. We must find ways to make health care insurance more affordable and accessible to all Americans -- rather than move to a health care system where winners and losers are arbitrarily picked by a heartless government based on cost instead of need.
Right now, Medicaid is the largest driver of state budgets. Under the current proposal in Washington, eligibility for Medicaid will expand -- in a program we already know is unsustainable. The National Governor's Association estimates that states are facing a $350 billion dollar shortfall through the end of fiscal year 2011. These costs are borne almost solely by taxpayers. The only way to expand this program is to ask the taxpayer to pay more -- much more. Expanded coverage does not mean more quality care. Reimbursement rates to doctors and hospitals are driving many to drop Medicaid patients because they simply cannot afford their care.
When government officials in Washington State -- including Democratic Governor Christine Gregoire -- raise concerns about paying for increased Medicaid coverage and their ability to provide Medicaid at all -- federal lawmakers ought to take note.
The states have always been the incubators of ideas -- and it is no different with healthcare reform. Some states have created an on-line database of health insurance providers so individuals can shop for the health insurance that best meets their needs. Some plans focus on prevention by providing people information on healthy living -- offering incentives for taking more responsibility for their personal health care. Another proposal extends coverage to uninsured children by offering very low income families insurance at no cost and a sliding scale for working families. Other states have addressed medical liability reform -- reducing health care costs for everyone and putting the focus back on quality health care instead of defensive medicine.
Policymakers ought to take a real hard look at why the average cost of health insurance in Georgia is one-third of the cost of government-mandated insurance in Massachusetts. They might also want to consider why Texas has seen a high influx of doctors since implementing major medical liability reform. Each state has different needs, and a nationalized healthcare system would take away the ingenuity and flexibility state governments need to determine what is best for their citizens.
So, to our friends in Washington, this time it's personal. We all want health care reform -- but don't take away the care from our health.
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Scott Ward is president of the Republican State Leadership Committee. The Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) is the only national organization whose mission is electing Republicans to the office of Attorney General, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State and State Legislator. The RSLC is the largest caucus of Republican state leaders in the country -- making a national imp
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Note -- The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, views, and/or philosophy of GOPUSA.
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