Observer-Reporter: To Fix Health Care, Welcome All Ideas

Sunday, September 13, 2009



We have been critical in this space of Republicans in Congress, not for their opposition to Democratic proposals for health care reform, but for the lack of their own ideas about how to lift the country out of this mess. We can only assume that some of those in the GOP prefer the status quo - increasingly costly health insurance for those who can afford it and none for those who can't.

But some congressional Republicans, including Tim Murphy of Upper St. Clair, do recognize the need to act and have reasonable ideas on how to reform health care. It is unfortunate that these ideas have not figured in the bills now being considered.

In a way, Murphy calls for more government involvement in health care than even some Democrats. In a statement following President Obama's address to Congress Wednesday, he said, "Health-care reform must also include making the safety, quality and cost of health care transparent. This is where government can and should play an important role."

Although in favor of affordable, guaranteed health care for everyone, he, like almost all on his side of the aisle, is reluctant to go as far as a public option. "Before creating a government insurance company I would prefer to offer people the financial support and the options to truly shop around in a reformed marketplace" with vouchers and tax breaks, he stated.

It's not clear, however, how simply subsidizing people's payments to private insurers would lower the cost of that insurance, whereas the effect of a government option in competition with private companies is more predictable.

Obama's proposal for health-care reform, as he spelled it out Wednesday, is a good plan, save for one notable weakness. Many Republicans in Congress have pointed out that significant reduction in costs is not possible without addressing the high price and effects of malpractice insurance. They are right.

The president gave little more than lip service to the malpractice issue and a promise to look into it. Truth is, the Democrats have chosen their battles, and they did not want to bog down reform even further by picking a fight with trial lawyers. They could have won more respect for their effort by using more backbone.

The minority in Congress with constructive ideas about fixing health care deserve more of a voice in the current negotiations. Those who strive to defeat any effort toward reform deserve to be ignored.

[ Back to News ]