A Blog Called Hope

Lt. Governor Elizabeth Roberts announced legislation on Tuesday which seeks to cover all Rhode Islanders with a minimum level of health insurance. This is no small feat and I applaud her for her efforts to get the ball rolling and to start the discussion here in the Ocean State. And to be quite honest with you, I feel sorry for her because I know she will now become the target of many of the same types of attacks that ensue when anyone tries to accomplish anything that actually tries to help people.

The details of the proposal are many. In essence Roberts’ plan is a transformation of the health care system in Rhode Island through the implementation of eight separate pieces of legislation which will each address a certain aspect of the health care system. Understanding the complexities of health care reform (one only needs to revisit the failed 1993-1994 attempt at national health care policy), Roberts’ approach is incremental and well structured. As savings are accrued in one area, reforms will extend to another area. The goal of the plan is to increase the value, access, and affordability of health care, expanding coverage while controlling costs. Additionally, the legislation is based on the knowledgeable advice of various elements of the community, including small business owners, health care providers, community and nonprofit groups, and consumers.

Among the most attractive pieces of the plan are the following:

• An emphasis on preventative care – instead of treating sick patients, any new system should compensate doctors for keeping people healthy through prevention and the monitoring of chronic conditions.
• The “Health Care Quality and Value Database” allows consumers and policy makers to monitor the costs of different treatments.
• The systematic state-wide electronic medical record-keeping that will protect the privacy of patients but allow for the transmission of accurate information to the appropriate medical staff.
• Reducing the number of uninsured actually lowers the total cost of health care. Because the uninsured typically delay treatment until later stages of illness and get medical care at emergency rooms, the costs of their care is much more expensive than it has to be.
• HealthHub RI is a partnership of private insurance companies and the health insurance commissioner which will “facilitate the availability, choice, and adoption of private health insurance plans.” The hub will create the transparent atmosphere which will enable consumers to freely choose from plans made available by competing insurance companies.

As everyone knows, health care costs are continually rising. In the 1950s health care spending was only 4.5% of GDP. As of 2006, health care spending increased to $2.1 trillion (yes, trillion) and accounts for 16% of GDP. We really can’t wait any longer, and it’s not like “waiting” has made the situation better. Rhode Island cannot afford to do nothing.

As with any piece of legislation, not everyone will be pleased with every aspect. A perfect example is the phone call that I received yesterday from an individual who was furious with the Democrats who want to expand the health care system to be universal. And while he was referring to national policy, specifically the health care plans of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, the argument can be applied to the state level health care plans as well.

While I can appreciate his frustration, I feel that it’s misplaced. It is recognized that there are limitations to the current health care system and that there will be additional burdens placed upon it when additional citizens are covered under a universal program. The point is well taken, but as a society, we should all be asking ourselves different questions. Who deserves to have health care coverage? Should health care coverage only be provided to a certain group of citizens? Do only certain people have the right to be healthy? What do we want our society to look like?

I know the predictable Republican / Conservative / Libertarian response would be to deny anyone any benefits which they cannot afford on their own, but that type of mentality is self-defeating and dangerous to public health. We cannot afford to have millions of people walking around the country, or thousands walking around the state, sick. Rather, we should be thinking about health care as a merit good, a service which everyone should have access to as a matter of right and not as a matter of economic resources. Rather than getting all pissed off that some people are getting something for “free” (as if that’s ever really true), we should figure out how can we ensure that everyone has access health care. Good health should be available to everyone regardless of their ability to pay for the simple fact that having a bunch of sick people working and living around us is detrimental to our own good health.

The Roberts plan is a wonderful step in the right direction!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 13th, 2008 at 9:56 am and is filed under Health Care. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.