Health Reform is the Most Important Domestic Policy Issue

Published

Summary of the Testimony of Senator Tom Daschle

Distinguished Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress

Committee on Energy and Commerce

U.S. House of Representatives

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Health Reform is the Most Important Domestic Policy Issue

* It affects our health, security, and global competitiveness

One of the Obstacles to Reforms is Myths

* Myth one: We have the "best" system, when in reality there are islands of excellence in a sea of mediocrity

* Myth two : We cannot afford reform, when the reality is we can't afford the status quo

* Myth three: We don't "ration" care, when we have the worst kind of rationing: by income and illness, by age and disability

Recent Efforts Have Focused on Incremental Reform

* There have been a number of major pushes for comprehensive reform in the U.S.

* Since the last one, energy has been spent on incremental reform

* What has been done, and should be done this year - SCHIP, mental health parity, genetic non-discrimination, for example, -- are critical and meaningful

* But such policies are plugging the holes in a failing system

Comprehensive Reform of the Health System and Beyond Is Needed

* New leadership is needed, including businesses, with the goal being an accessible, affordable, and quality-based health system for all by 2012

* A new framework is needed, which allows for private delivery in a public system

* Health reform is necessary but not sufficient to deal with the 21st century health challenges - in particular that of obesity and chronic disease

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2007/04/pdf/daschle_testimony.pdf

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” …We don't have universal health care in this country because powerful corporations who profit from health care beat us. The pharmaceutical companies stole our tax money when they successfully lobbied, maybe the better words are "bullied" and "threatened," their way into protecting their industry from that old free market practice of bargaining for the best price...” Elizabeth Edwards

http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/edwards_rage07/?lk=4776978-4776978-0-27492-ZdAH2HM9Aj06esdtwhVj0jD-NDKPdgjZ

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Specializes in Cardiac Surg, IR, Peds ICU, Emergency.

With the enormous respect due to a woman who has done great things for children, I find it ironic that she criticizes the system that has made her the millionaire that she is today.

The system she champions would make her husband unemployable in his previous career, and definitely not as wealthy as he is now.

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I think a system with no need for malpractice litigation because medical malpractice is rare would be a great system.

A useful and happy life is possible for those of us who are not millionaires too.

If I could do it over I would have sought out opportunities to learn to care for pediatric patients.

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Specializes in Cardiac Surg, IR, Peds ICU, Emergency.
I think a system with no need for malpractice litigation because medical malpractice is rare would be a great system.

A useful and happy life is possible for those of us who are not millionaires too.

If I could do it over I would have sought out opportunities to learn to care for pediatric patients.

Hardly imaginable it seems.

We will still make mistakes, and it should be remediated. Unfortunately, a universal, single-payer/socialized system will never support the gargantuan settlements won in today's litigation. In fact, I would expect malpractice incidents to increase because the rationing of services would likely lead to an increase in misdiagnosis.

What I can't understand is why the politicans who champion single-payer systems also oppose the kind of tort reform that would actually make their single-payer proposals more functional. I also don't understand why they don't realize that countries with single-payer/socialized systems do not have wealthy attorneys who have made their millions on malpractice litigation. It doesn't seem well-thought-through. You would think that they would make moves to restrict malpractice litigation and begin ratcheting up governmental reaction to malpractice instead of civil reaction.

I am very pleased with my transition to pediatrics. I don't think I will ever be able to return to a bedside role in adult medicine. I am glad to have the adult experience, but I am glad to have made the move to learn this new skill-set in a Pediatric CICU.

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Specializes in burn, geriatric, rehab, wound care, ER.

"With the enormous respect due to a woman who has done great things for children, I find it ironic that she criticizes the system that has made her the millionaire that she is today."

There you go again, negating someone's criticism due to something with entirely no bearing on the situation.

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Specializes in Cardiac Surg, IR, Peds ICU, Emergency.
"With the enormous respect due to a woman who has done great things for children, I find it ironic that she criticizes the system that has made her the millionaire that she is today."

There you go again, negating someone's criticism due to something with entirely no bearing on the situation.

So you think multi-million-dollar malpractice awards and the subsequent practice of defensive medicine has no influence on the cost of health care?

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Specializes in burn, geriatric, rehab, wound care, ER.

it does not invalidate her criticism. Facts are facts.

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Specializes in Cardiac Surg, IR, Peds ICU, Emergency.
it does not invalidate her criticism. Facts are facts.

I think it rather does.

You can't criticize the profits of insurance and pharmacuetical companies with an credibility when you supported self-enrichment from the same activity by a different means, especially in a manner that provided no benefit to the system itself. At least insurance companies provide compensation and pharmacuetical companies provide therapies. What contribution did her husband make? He only took.

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Specializes in burn, geriatric, rehab, wound care, ER.

I think your real problem is with anyone criticizing the US system. And your method of pointing-the-finger serves to distract from the real issues. "Well it can't be true, because he/she said it and he/she is a bad person" a la Carl Rove MO.

The facts are that we don't have universal health care and we pay way more than other countries for the same meds because of the overwhelming lobbying power of the health insurance and pharmaceutical companies. That is why I don't think things will change until we adjust the balance of power eg public funding of political campaigns. What was all that about government by the people for the people -right now it seems that it is government by the corporations for the corporations.

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Specializes in Cardiac Surg, IR, Peds ICU, Emergency.
I think your real problem is with anyone criticizing the US system. And your method of pointing-the-finger serves to distract from the real issues. "Well it can't be true, because he/she said it and he/she is a bad person" a la Carl Rove MO.

The facts are that we don't have universal health care and we pay way more than other countries for the same meds because of the overwhelming lobbying power of the health insurance and pharmaceutical companies. That is why I don't think things will change until we adjust the balance of power eg public funding of political campaigns. What was all that about government by the people for the people -right now it seems that it is government by the corporations for the corporations.

I have a problem with someone hypocritically criticizing the US system, and I didn't bring her into the discussion.

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Current System

Current Average wage 30$/hour or 4800/month.

Real wage value is about 40 dollars per hour benefits included or 6400 dollars per month.

Single Payer

Under single payer the new wage value would rise from 4800/month to 5595$/month. (Adding 795$ to base wage. This is the value of the family coverage with a Canadian expense ratio of 17%.) Negotiated wages would go into your pocket not the health insurance companies.

Family health insurance cost at 10% payroll tax would be 560 dollars/month. You and your family would end up with 398 dollars more each month to spend. There would obviously need to be some tweaking around the edges for single people without dependents and the working poor but the central point remains that more money would be available for your family on a monthly basis. I think a properly designed single payer system would be a boon to the middle class. Part of the bargain to put this together would be to get corporations to agree to roll the benefit costs over to employee wages in exchange for taking the cost of health care off corporate balance sheets.

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