There's been a lot of talk and some action on health care reform in Congress, the Department of Health and Human Services and the private sector in the closing days of the first session of the 102nd Congress.
It was no coincidence that 22 Senate Republicans held a press conference two days after Harris Wofford, a political neophyte, was elected to fill the Senate seat of the late John Heinz, tragically killed in an air collision.
The press conference was called to announce the introduction of a major health care reform bill by the Senate Republican Task Force on Health Care. The task force was created in 1990 by Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole, a co-sponsor of the proposed Health Equity and Access Improvement Act of 1991.
Impatient after waiting for the President to take the initiative in developing a major health insurance plan, the task force unveiled its proposal (NU, Nov. 18). Sen. John Chafee, R-R.I., task force chairman, said it 'builds on our health care system's strengths.'
It was refreshing to hear that the proposal, S. 1936, recognizes that 'our system needs to be modified to promote fairness, to respond to the needs of those it does not adequately serve and to otherwise prevent further erosion.'
The task force again reminded us that the United States' medical technology 'is among the best in the world,' and that 85 percent of all Americans, 'do have some form of health insurance.'
The word 'fairness' is seldom heard about a program to improve the country's health care system. More often, those with good health insurance through their employers say they are afraid that if a universal health insurance plan is enacted, their coverage will suffer.
In addition to the introduction of the Senate Republicans' health care bill, developments have continued at a fast pace.
Commercial and non-profit insurers, physicians and hospital representatives held a 'summit' meeting with Health and Human Services Secretary Louis Sullivan, M.D., on reducing health care administrative costs (NU, Nov. 11). By coincidence, it was held Nov. 5, the same day as the special election for the Senate in Pennsylvania.
Secretary Sullivan assured reporters at a press conference following the half-day summit that perhaps $20 billion could be saved through electronic billing and computerizing patient records when the system is fully developed.
However, Health Insurance Association of America President Carl Schramm stepped forward at the press conference to estimate that about $8 billion a year would be saved by streamlining the records system.
It needs to be done as quickly as possible, everyone agrees. However, the administrative reform steps being taken may be 'too little and too late' to keep up with the political forces calling for a major overhaul of the health care system.
Secretary Sullivan mentioned at the summit press conference, as he has before, that the possibility that 'Draconian measures' will overtake incremental reform is always there.
Moving right along, the National Leadership Coalition for Health Care Reform proposed a major overhaul of the health care system Nov. 12.
The coalition's 'play or pay' proposal has the support of an impressive number of corporations, labor unions, consumer groups and former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford (NU, Nov. 18).
Two days later, the House Democratic Caucus passed a resolution supporting comprehensive national health insurance legislation.
The resolution, offered by House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt and Rep. Marty Russo, D-Ill., said:
'All Americans will be guaranteed coverage for high quality health care which preserves their ability to choose their own doctor, hospital and other health care professionals.
The resolution also promised that 'in order to make high quality health care effordable to the individual and society, growth in health care costs will be contained and sources of inefficiencies and waste will be eliminated.'
Rep. Russo is the sponsor of H.R. 1300, a single-payer universal health insurance bill that now has 64 cosponsors, more than any other health care reform measure pending in Congress.
The last word on the political message from Pennsylvania's special Senate election comes from HIAA President Schramm. While it's 'the conventional wisdom that the health care issue won the election for Mr. Wofford, those who believe that could be wrong,' according to Mr. Schramm.
HIAA's Democratic and Republican professional polling of Pennsylvania voters found that 'it was a vote against Washington, a vote over the economy and a call to the President to turn his attention to the domestic economy,' he said.
