Healthcare has become the dominating deadly disease in every state’s “non-deficit budgeting” demand.
(BEND, Ore.) - Like an invasive and overwhelming infection of the entire body-politic, the healthcare quandary has evolved into a definite threat to ongoing programs in existence, while defeating most “medicines” however carefully administered.
Due to intolerable increasing dollar-drains at every level, every state in this nation now faces an obviously impossible task: To provide moral and management-demanded dollars to defend desperate needs by many more citizens; as thousands in every state find themselves unable to provide for themselves.
Major causes are economic conditions beyond the abilities to compensate open to most citizens.
No state can operate on deficit-finance. Budgets must be balanced –as required both by law and common-sense management.
Yet today’s healthcare costs via Medicaid --serving only partial populations in every state-- are running for some states more than the combined costs of primary and secondary education. (See Reader Note below for documentation.)
The modern developments in both societal and world commercial and business trends have created --once again!!-- an impossible situation for all concerned:
Healthcare costs driven inexorably upwards by economic pressures; while past remedial operations have clearly failed to heal the problem; and, via unforeseen consequence, have inevitably added to the now rapidly-increasing burdens.
That situation arises from past legislative failures at every level, starting with national politics-driven “law” more than fifty years ago; and exacerbated by well-meaning but ill-advised legislative compliance with overwhelming pressures brought to bear by citizen groups.
“Tax reform” set up a half-century ago caused over-consumption by some, unfairly paid-for by others. Medicaid --one of the heaviest State-level costs-- has fared the same fate due to forbidden deficit-funding at state level.
Medicare, meant to assist 65-and-older citizens, then suffering from poverty, is now engulfed by the same group --become the wealthiest in the nation.
Each powerful-pressuring group has been intent on only a part of the huge overall problem-created by all-of-the-above. Each has brought about partial practice paying off part of the problem; while primarily protracting and promoting even further desperate demand and deep failures to provide practical provision for solution.
Fortunately Oregon has been blessed by a practical doctor with personal/professional experience from which to build a highly useful and motivating plan to face up directly to all parts of this issue wisely and well.
Former Governor John Kitzhaber’s ARCHIMEDES PROJECT --laid out in excruciating detail for our own Legislature in Senate Bill 27, the Oregon Better Health Act, has provided an excellent plan for action both by Oregon NOW and the national Congress later.
Kitzhaber and associates make the absolutely essential point that this plan provides an inevitably-demanded wise process for Oregon citizen participation in building the plan properly --for both coverage and costs.
Thoughtful and experienced professionals have now wisely and well compared the consequences of some healthcare planning to the famed “Three Blind Men Meet An Elephant” story: Where each blind man feels part of the elephant but only one wise-one really understands the size-and-shape of the huge beast.
What seems to many observers now even more meaningful is comparison to a python inexorably squeezing both State and personal resources; in very threatening coils of constant change and complexity; with dreadful and deadly consequences unless rapidly released.
The already-serious consequences are rapidly now approaching near-death impact on far too many of our citizens and their families. Too many, too frequently, now find themselves unavoidably evading and avoiding that dreaded-costly visit to the physician;
or the specialist, or the other-care provider; all of whom in turn find themselves charging more; and losing both clients and compensation.
Those economic pressures thus not only deprive those most needing these services, but unavoidably also threatens the economic viability for those very service-providers so badly needed.
What SB 27A, now in the full Ways & Means Committee, proposes is plain, proper, prompt and comprehensive coverage --built as rapidly as possible while wisely considering complete aspects-demanded.
Here’s how: It is a PLAN for a PROCESS, providing Oregon citizens with a full year of direct public involvement via six forums specifically created for that purpose.
It clearly recognizes the complexities and the necessities to avoid further unforeseen consequences, and provide means and mechanisms for so doing.
It provides a conceptual structure for a new system while assuring comprehensive consideration of all possible components --and their costs.
It involves individuals directly and responsibly in all consideration of their own healthcare solutions.
It directly challenges the existing and highly ineffective federal concept of categorical eligibility.
Thus is created a detailed structure within which a new system can be developed --one worthy of Oregon’s new determination to “Fly With Her Own Wings!”
When the Oregon Legislature accepts and endorses this one, then we will have also a fair and rational new pattern for national healthcare change-and-reform --ready to guide and support the now-essential reform we MUST have at national level, and SOON.
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Reader Note: A comprehensive background on these rising healthcare costs, and their consequences, is provided by an Op Ed in The STATESMAN JOURNAL today (18 May 07). See: “In search of a sustainable healthcare system for Oregon”, by Mike Benedetto. He was Executive Director, Oregon Health Policy Commission, consultant to Oregon Senate GOP Caucus; and is now VP, Planning/Development, Clear Choice Health Plans, in Bend.
Op Ed:Salem-News.com