After spending most of today watching and listening to the Health Care summit
meeting of President Obama with Congressional leaders of both parties, certain facts
have become obvious.
The dictionary defines Reconciliation as "To settle or resolve a dispute. To make compatible or consistent." In the Senate, Reconciliation is a legislative process resulting in the Assasination of the filbuster rule--that a 60 vote majority is required to cut off debate in order to allow a vote on a controversial measure.
In the face of unanimous Republican opposition to any form of Health Care reform
measures the Democrats would accept, even a compromise bill which would go a long
way toward Republican desires, the Senate majority seems to be preparing to
exercise the nuclear option RECONCILIATION. That is frightening to the Republican minority who are calling such action dictatorial and undemocratic. This despite the fact the Republicans have used the tactic many times in the past to defeat Democratic minorities.
Health care has been in crisis in this nation for at least 40 years. Unless the current system of private, for-profit insurance providers is substantially modified,
the nation will be in bankruptcy within one or two decades. And because the insurance companies stack the deck by cherry picking who they will insure, what they will cover, and lifetime limits on claims, their profits are assured. As
a virtual monopoly they can also set premiums at their unregulated discretion.
If the Senators were required to seek health care insurance on the same terms as
middle class citizens, they would quickly disenthrall themselves from the insurance
industry lobbies, and pass meaningful reform that would cover all citizens, at reasonable cost and provide meaningful benefits. To guarantee cost reduction and
control, the compensation method for health care providers needs to be changed
to one based on good outcomes, not on volume of procedures. Good practice will also
require Tort reform to get rid of frivolous lawsuits and exorbitant awards.
All that would be possible if the goal was the benefit of the general public, not the defeat and destruction of the president, and the protection of the deep pockets
insurance industry
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
The recent Health Care Summit ended in a predictable impasse. In addition to a failure at conciliation it diminished the image of the role of the US Presidency.
Once elected, the President addresses Congress on the State of the Union and the US Citizens in televised addresses on important national matters.
Otherwise he exercises his powers from his office in the White House. The US President should not sit down in a televised debate as if he were running for office.
Barak was ill-advised by his hubris.
The President should know better.
Jacques
Post a Comment