So, it’s looking more and more likely that our HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY for
health care reform will be whittled down by the legislature, in the
absence of strong, realistic leadership by Our Guv. And the Feds’
unwillingness to provide Medicaid dollars for, like, Medicaid, will
prove to be a problem for the MassACT health care ballot initiative as
well, even if it passes.
It’s been a point of heretofore minor frustration with looking at most
of the major candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor, and
realizing that most of them don’t really have health care chops. <a
href=”http://www.devalpatrick.com/issues_health.cfm”>Deval Patrick has
’em; <a
href=”http://www.samkelley2006.com/issues_details.asp?id=29″>Sam
Kelley is running on his (in spite of his spotty website); and
other than that it’s pretty bleak. Tim Murray makes no mention of this
issue on his website; Deb Goldberg doesn’t have an issues page either;
Andrea Silbert supports Universal Health Care (who doesn’t?); Tom
Reilly has dealt with the issue in <a
href=”http://www.ago.state.ma.us/sp.cfm?pageid=965″>a law enforcement
capacity, but hasn’t advanced any new policy proposals to the best
of my knowledge.
I hate to penalize candor, but here goes: In their interviews with us,
Deb Goldberg
and Andrea Silbert both ingenuously admitted to not being “health care
experts”. Silbert even told of going some time without insurance. But
they both can wonk out on terrifically complicated
issues like economic development, local aid, school building formulae,
you name it. They’re really smart people! So much more reason
for them and the others to get serious about the policies that are
going to get more people insured, and control costs.
To all the candidates: If you’re serious about economic development,
don’t you want to know a lot about a business expense line that’s
growing more than 10% a year? And doesn’t it behoove you to know the
unique structural problems behind the health care crisis? (Do you know
what “adverse selection”
is?) If you’re on the “cities ‘n’ towns” tip, don’t you want to know <a
href=”http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/07/20/rising_healthcare_costs_stagger_cities/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+–+City%2FRegion+News”>why
they have to pay so damn much in health care — even more than
the state pays for its employees? And don’t you want to have something
substantial to say to ordinary people who feel like the sharks are
circling, and any day now, they could be uninsured? (Or are
already?)
I know, I know, the issue is my personal hobby horse for now… but
good gravy, there’s a lot at stake. And it’s not going to be “fixed”
after this year. If you’re elected — maybe even more so if you’re not
— it’s going to be your problem.
Charley, you hit the nail on the head. Healthcare is the one issue that candidates need to have a firm and deep knowledge of, if they are to be successful. The runaway costs of healthcare are effecting every aspect of our economy. If businesses are to flourish, they must get a handle on healthcare. If individuals want to control their family budget, they can not easily withstand double digit increases in premiums every year.
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You are right Charley, that only Deval Patrick and Sam Kelley are addressing the issue. Sam Kelley in particular is expounding on healthcare and solutions on every stop as he criss crosses the state. Dr. Sam Kelley served to the Presidential Healthcare Task Force with Hillary Clinton and understand the issue frontwards, backwards and inside out. As as physician and a Lt. Governor candidate, Sam Kelley is the one to keep the issue on the front burner and bring some solutions to the forefront.
Here’s something you can do that will put Massachusetts on track to reform the health care mess. It’s all well and good to blog about it, but please, also take some time to advance the reform work in a positive direction.
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Go to http://www.HealthCareForMass.org, endorse the Health Care Amendment Campaign, sign a postcard to legislators, and if you are so inspired, write a personal letter in support of this citizen-led effort to establish a constitutional right to comprehensive, affordable health insurance. Now that’s a powerful way to break through the political log-jam on health care reform.
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To become informed about one policy approach to meet the amendment mandate, go to http://www.MassCare.org for legislation that is premised on using our state’s healthcare dollars for healthcare instead of continuing the 40%–of every dollar!!– being diverted away from care to feed the bloated bureaucracy, top-heavy administration, obscene amounts of marketing, and other uses that don’t do a thing to help anyone’s health.
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Take a few minutes now to take action to help the Health Care Amendment Campaign secure its second needed ConCon vote on May 10, 2006 and then win the statewide vote on the Nov. ballot.
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This will put us on a path that LEGISLATORS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO STRAY FROM UNTIL EVERYONE HAS COMPREHENSIVE AFFORDABLE INSURANCE IN THE COMMONWEALTH.
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Learn more and take action at http://www.HealthCareForMass.org
That’s fine, Anne, and most of us here will agree that universal health care is critical. But even after the amendment passes (and I hope it does), the legislators and governor will have to figure out an implementation. And they’re spitting the bit on implementing incremental health care improvements now. So much more reason for all of us to demand real knowledge and answers from our candidates.
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And for the candidates: Yes, you will make enemies wading into this one. Choose them wisely.