Thursdays on Health Care in Catawba Co.

Last night (6/23) at the Catawba County Democratic Party Executive Committee meeting the subject was Health Care. The guest speakers for the evening were volunteers with Organizing for America who are working to get the word out, in a non-partisan way, on the various public options for this issue and the critical immediacy of citizen involvement. Local volunteers for Organizing for America have planned non-partisan, informational booths at the Maiden and Conover Farmer’s Markets for this Saturday 6/27 as part of Organizing for America's National Health Care Day of Service. Volunteers will be offering blood pressure checks, handing out apples, giving tips for healthy living, and explaining health care terms and options.

Trying to put teeth in its efforts and realizing that this issue is now in the hands of Congress, the Committee decided to make every Thursday a health-care-lobby day. The Catawba Party is urging everyone to send E-Mails or letters to their Congressional Representatives every Thursday until this issue is resolved. This is the least any of us can do to counter the 30,000 lobbyists who are actively working for Insurance Companies, Pharmaceutical Companies etc. We identified the US Senate for particular focus since that is where the Clinton effort crashed.

In April Catawba County Dems presented a resolution to the Tenth Congressional District supporting HR 676 which passed. In some form this resolution will probably get to the State Executive Committee, unfortunately the issue may be settled in Washington before then.

Personally I, Steve Ivester, favor a form of the Single Payer, Medicare like plan proposed in HR 676. And, I have held this position since 2007. From the Doctor/Patient point of view it works just like Medicare with everyone having an automatic supplement: No Interference, Quick Payment, Low Overhead, Information Efficiency, Abuse Monitoring. As with Medicare, Doctors would continue to be independent.

How funding would work is an open issue. In Canada it is just paid for with taxes. I like something that treats the entire population like a big actuarial group with everyone, of every age and condition in the same group. That is payment would be the same for all participants. Everyone, in some way, would pay into a fund his or her, full fair share, of the costs for operating the plan. Like now with Medicare, the government would kick in a portion of the payment for elderly and other identified groups. The out of pocket payment for these folks would be less but the fund would get full payment. Declaration of mandated benefits by Congress would only be allowed if Congress kicked into the fund the balance of the full payment.

I don’t think it should be ”just free” to anyone. I believe people only value what they feel they pay for. Education that this is a public benefit to be used and not abused would be part of the package. Small co-pays are probably good.

Employers might, or might not, be allowed or required to kick in for part of their employee’s fee. And, that employer contribution might, or might not be taxed. I think allowing employers to contribute before tax dollars is most consistent with what many have in place now. Some of this payment issue comes to tax and trade policy and would need to be carefully considered.