The Direction of Health Care Reform

The Obama administration achieved a victory this week. After much negotiation, the President signed the $787 billion economic stimulus package, a portion of which is dedicated to health care services and the medical industry. Last week, I focused on the impact that the stimulus bill will have on Medicaid in particular. This week, I will approach the issue from a different perspective. According to a New York Times article, 1.1 billion of the economic recovery package will be allocated to the Department of Health and Human Services to compare different medical treatments and services. “The program responds to a growing concern that doctors have little or no solid evidence of the value of many treatments.” Researchers are hopeful that the funding will allow them to eliminate ineffective and costly treatments. Supporters of the funding also claim that the medical assessment will help reduce the cost of health care in the long run. Rather than focusing on new drugs and treatments, the study will emphasize alternative services that may substitute procedures deemed ineffective. Proponents of the plan agree that the research will supplement the existing health care system and help to improve the quality and efficiency of care.
With the economic stimulus package settled, the Obama administration is focusing on cabinet appointments and health care reform. After several nomination failures, including Daschle, President Obama is considering Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius for secretary of health and human services. Her record indicates that she is committed to a bipartisan approach, particularly regarding health coverage expansion. Gov. Sebelius has considerable experience “navigating partisan politics as a Democrat in one of the country’s most Republican states.” According to New York Times reporters Peter Baker and Robert Bear, Sebelius will probably not play as significant of a role as previous nominee Daschle would have regarding setting health care policy. However, health care reform activists are pleased with her candidacy and hope that she will help expand the health care system and guide it in a new direction.
One major issue that the incoming secretary of health and human services will face is a growing number of uninsured young adults. As of 2007, 29% of people in their 20’s did not have health coverage due to several factors. First, many young adults cannot afford health insurance. This is especially prevalent in major cities, where the cost of living is high and young adults face competing financial burdens. Second, there is a group mentality that twenty somethings are invincible. Many young adults to not opt for health coverage and seek alternative health services. For example, reporter Cara Buckley reveals different sources that the uninsured populations will use to avoid paying for coverage. Methods include resources like WebMD to self-diagnose, borrowing medications from friends, or using free clinics for most health services. The real problem is that most family health plans stop covering young adults at 19, but most of this population does not qualify for Medicaid. There is a gap between the very poor citizens, who receive government assistance, and those making minimum wage, who cannot afford private insurance premiums. Some politicians and interest groups suggest increasing the age that families can claim their children as dependents. Some states have already enacted this policy. Easing these requirements will alleviate some of the issues, but a more extensive health care reform is necessary. Hopefully under the Obama administration, with the recently enacted stimulus bill and a new secretary of health and human services, the the health care system will address some of the major problems affecting our country and head in the right direction.