Progress

On Thursday, a New York Times article reported that President Obama's secretary of health nominee, Kathleen Sebelius, will not achieve a quick approval. The Kansas governor fielded a series of questions from the Senate Finance Committee, who will continue to review her responses. Based on the hearing, it appears that Sebelius receives more support from the Democrats than the Republican party, who question her stance on abortion. Another point of contention during the hearing was tax irregularities. Gov. Sebelius also established her stance on a public coverage plan that would compete with private insurers. She supports creating more options for consumers, especially those that only have access to a few options.
According to a New York Times article, "efforts to overhaul the health care system have moved ahead rapidly." The chairmen of five Congressional committees, all Democrats, and the health care industry have made several important decisions regarding potential legislation. The two parties have met consistently to discuss pressing matters. First, the chairmen determined that all citizens should have health insurance, financed partly by employers. Second, the congressmen suggest that the federal government provide a public health insurance option to supplement private insurance plans. Third, the Democrats established an early deadline, the end of July, for the House of Representatives and the Senate to vote on the legislation. Fourth, the health care industry promised to accept all citizens, regardless of their illness, if the government required that Americans have health insurance. The industry also offered to stop charging higher premiums based on level of sickness. However, the chairmen face considerable obstacles, particularly from the Republic party. The Republican camp argues that "a government plan would have unfair advantages and could drive private insurers from the market." And, the chairmen have yet to discuss financing such a coverage plan. One fact is that both political parties and the health care industry will have to make concessions in order to create a successful health care reform. Without the support of each group, a public coverage plan could become a costly failure.
Finally, a third New York Times article outlines some of President Obama's plans for health care reform. According to this article, "Mr. Obama’s strategy is to sell the expansion of access — largely through public insurance programs — as inseparable from serious efforts at innovation and restraint." The article references the incremental health care reform that took place in Massachusetts. One of the main elements of success was the idea of gradual change. Another important element is rewarding those who encourage preventative medicine. Finally, the state of Massachusetts is working toward requiring that all residents be covered by insurance. While the case does provide strong evidence to support a public health care coverage plan, I believe it will be difficult to implement this plan and expect the same results. In my opinion, expanding coverage is a necessity, but there are so many other factors to consider at the federal level.