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07/17/09

The Washington Informer

A Robust Public Option is the only Option for Real Healthcare Reform  
Opinion / Editorial

BY CONGRESSWOMAN DONNA F. EDWARDS   
THURSDAY, 16 JULY 2009


The U.S. healthcare system is one of the most expensive systems in the world. We spend $2.2 trillion per year on healthcare services and products, and yet approximately 46 million Americans are uninsured, 80 percent of whom are from working families.


Almost half of all personal bankruptcies are attributed to medical debt. And, for the 80 percent of Americans who have health insurance, premiums, deductibles, and co-payments are skyrocketing; and we all pay for the flaws that leave millions uninsured and seeking care in expensive hospital emergency rooms. In fact, premiums rose 114 percent from 1999 to 2007, greatly outpacing incomes.

These high costs are crippling middle class, working families and businesses. As President Barack Obama has said, maintaining the status quo is unacceptable and unsustainable. It’s time for Congress to step up – to implement comprehensive reform that must include a robust public plan option that will put Americans – patients, not insurance companies – in charge of their healthcare, expand coverage to all Americans, and lower costs.

Healthcare reform is about addressing what I call the three c’s: care; costs; and continuity. Americans need and deserve affordable, high-quality, and portable care. People should not feel trapped in a job because they are afraid to lose health coverage for themselves or their children.

Victims of domestic violence should not be afraid to leave abusive relationships because they receive coverage through their spouse or because an insurance company shamefully declares domestic violence a “pre-existing” condition. No life decision should hinge on health insurance, which is why we need healthcare reform now to expand coverage to all Americans, ensure competition, and give consumers meaningful choice of doctors and plans.

This is an important opportunity for the American people. That’s why I have joined with President Obama and many of my Congressional colleagues in support of a robust public health insurance option. A robust public health insurance option modeled after Medicare must be available immediately to all Americans to compete alongside private insurers. A robust public health insurance option that guarantees access to care and meets the medical needs of all Americans is critical to reform. Reform will succeed when patients choose their doctor; doctors and patients choose their care; and insurers stay out of those decisions.

Now, critics of the public plan option charge that such a plan would create another bureaucracy and interfere with patient care. These claims are overstated and ignore the fact that whether it’s Medicare, Medicaid, or Veteran’s care, these systems have a proven record of quality and efficiency – not without some problems, but they work for patients. Furthermore, a public plan option will help provide what is missing from the current system namely coverage, lower costs, and quality of care – providing millions of Americans with peace of mind.

In order for the public option to compete on a level playing field and bring down costs, it must have doctors – a medical provider network that is built upon the existing Medicare network. This will assure consumers that they will be able to access providers if they choose the public health insurance option. A provider network in which doctors, not insurers, are in charge of medical care and are compensated fairly for their services will ensure that the public option provides real access to Americans, regardless of whether they are in urban or rural areas.

In addition to the Medicare provider network, a robust public health insurance option must include comprehensive benefits covering mental health, dental, vision, hearing services, preventive and long-term care, affordable prescription drugs, and the full range of reproductive health care. These benefits are often the missing pieces for middle class families that have insurance – these important benefits can often consume thousands of dollars out-of-pocket for a family.

For the sake of our current and future health and prosperity, we need comprehensive health care reform now to change fundamentally the landscape of the American health care system -- reform that expands coverage to all Americans, does not exclude or discriminate based on pre-existing conditions, income level, or gender, and lowers costs across the board. A robust public plan option must be included if we are to meet these goals. Let’s bring on the choice. Let’s bring on the competition.

Congresswoman Donna F. Edwards serves Maryland’s 4th Congressional District.