The past year, 2008, brought plenty of attention and legislative activity regarding health care and health insurance. The amount of activity tells us that the American public wants something to be done, one way or another. Skyrocketing costs for health insurance premiums, higher deductibles, and expensive prescriptions are all reasons that the rate of health care coverage for all Americans continues to drop, as fewer and fewer can afford coverage. Recently in Washington DC, a health care forum was sponsored by two non-partisan groups at which Senate spokespersons sounded confident for major changes in 2009.
Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA), himself being treated for a brain tumorr, recently gave up his seat on the Senate Judiciary Committee in order to focus on health care, stating that it was "the opportunity of a lifetime" to finally get a plan enacted. Speaking at the forum, John McDonough, a health care aide to Kennedy stated that the Senator is committed to achieving reform and is very confident of its ability to pass.
The Republican Health Policy Director for the Senate Finance Committee, Charles Clapton stated that there was strong Republican support for getting the plan done, but that money is constricted by over a trillion dollar deficit. There would be competition for the funding, but with a system wherein private plans were delivering the benefits, we would see the most innovation. Similarly, Dr. Mark L. Hayes, the GOP Advisor for Health Policy on the Senate Finance Committe stressed the necessity for bipartisanship if a bill is to get passed, and that waiting 15 years to enact a plan will cause severe problems as opposed to solving the problem now.
Jocelyn Moore, an aide to Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), said that Senator Rockefeller is ready and eager to work with the Administration and the Congressional leadership to make sure that the goal of comprehensive health care reform is achieved. She said that there will be no options taken off the table and that the window is wide open for reform. Specific issues to be addressed should include increased coverage and affordability, reining in skyrocketing unnecessary spending, and development of preventative care programs.
With a reported 475,000 jobs lost in November and employers shedding nearly 700,000 in December, the issue isn't likely to go away any time soon, as large numbers of unemployed workers will undoubtedly be dropping health care coverage out of financial necessity. Congress has its hands full with this issue. We can hope they will work together to find a way to pass some version of the comprehensive universal health care plan which we desperately need.
Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA), himself being treated for a brain tumorr, recently gave up his seat on the Senate Judiciary Committee in order to focus on health care, stating that it was "the opportunity of a lifetime" to finally get a plan enacted. Speaking at the forum, John McDonough, a health care aide to Kennedy stated that the Senator is committed to achieving reform and is very confident of its ability to pass.
The Republican Health Policy Director for the Senate Finance Committee, Charles Clapton stated that there was strong Republican support for getting the plan done, but that money is constricted by over a trillion dollar deficit. There would be competition for the funding, but with a system wherein private plans were delivering the benefits, we would see the most innovation. Similarly, Dr. Mark L. Hayes, the GOP Advisor for Health Policy on the Senate Finance Committe stressed the necessity for bipartisanship if a bill is to get passed, and that waiting 15 years to enact a plan will cause severe problems as opposed to solving the problem now.
Jocelyn Moore, an aide to Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), said that Senator Rockefeller is ready and eager to work with the Administration and the Congressional leadership to make sure that the goal of comprehensive health care reform is achieved. She said that there will be no options taken off the table and that the window is wide open for reform. Specific issues to be addressed should include increased coverage and affordability, reining in skyrocketing unnecessary spending, and development of preventative care programs.
With a reported 475,000 jobs lost in November and employers shedding nearly 700,000 in December, the issue isn't likely to go away any time soon, as large numbers of unemployed workers will undoubtedly be dropping health care coverage out of financial necessity. Congress has its hands full with this issue. We can hope they will work together to find a way to pass some version of the comprehensive universal health care plan which we desperately need.
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