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Staff Editorial
Health care reform: Now not later
With the country experiencing a recession and employment figures down, it’s no wonder that Americans from all walks of life are closely following the debate on health care.
No matter which side of the political argument you’re on, chances are that you or someone close to you, whether they are a relative of friend, is experiencing financial difficulties that may be related to the economy. The last thing a person in a tight financial situation needs is the added expense of medical costs from an emergency. With certain co-pays on more affordable health care plans, such as an emergency room visit or surgery, still bearing a hefty price tag, anyone may find themselves in dire straits after an unexpected hospital visit. Students supporting themselves may find this situation particularly trying. The reality of the health care situation in this country is that the costs are simply too high for a growing number of citizens.
But what is happening in Washington that will help to change this? Neither the Republicans nor the Democrats can seem to agree on a cost-cutting middle ground. Regardless of whether the solution is a public option or something similar, the public needs a solution now, not a year or two from now. The time it could take for major changes to the health care system to be implemented is not a small number, such large scale changes to an entire industry or even implementation of a government-controlled option could easily take more than a year. By then, it may be too late for people struggling to keep up with medical bills.
Part of the problem with the health care debate is the exorbitant amount of money the health care industry as a whole spends lobbying legislators on both sides of the aisle. Another part of the problem is the fact that the health care industry enjoys something that no other industry in America has the privilege of: full antitrust immunity. Perhaps removal of this immunity is the first step towards affordable health care.
Whatever the solution may be, the fact is that more and more Americans are going broke now. Dragging out this debate over several more months is only going to result in both Democrat and Republican voters becoming angry and disillusioned with the political process. Perhaps our representatives on Capitol Hill could set aside the major points they disagree on and pass a bill that would actually help us today. This doesn’t have to be a drastic, sweeping change to the entire industry. Working on the points they can agree on now, passing a bill resolving those issues, and working on the major points after the American public is thrown a lifeline is not a tall order. This would simply require that politicians stop bickering and do the job they were elected to do. Unfortunately, that may be too much to ask of our elected officials.
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