side note: Unfortunately — for both sides — this lobbyist seems to know of what he speaks.
A lobbyist close to the battles over federal health care reform predicted a bill will be passed by Congress, but not before Christmas.
Michael P. Strazzella, vice president for federal relations for the Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania in Washington, D.C., outlined for local business leaders Friday some of the sticking points of legislation.
President Barack Obama’s reform measures, he told those gathered for the Pennsylvania Economy League luncheon at the city Holiday Inn, really have not changed dramatically since he first considered expanding insurance coverage for more Americans.
Among the principal elements are to reduce long-term growth of costs for businesses and government, protect families from debt, guarantee choice of doctors and health care plans, improve patient safety, assure affordable insurance, maintain coverage for those who lose jobs and end barriers for insurance for people with pre-existing conditions.
Debate has focused on how best to accomplish some of the goals, particularly with respect to meeting the estimated $900 billion price tag for the reform measure.
“People believe we need something and that the (current) system is in trouble,” he said.
According to a Rasmussen Reports daily tracking poll, 54 percent of voters believe major changes are needed, while 45 percent disagree.
About 61 percent of voters say it’s important to pass legislation this year. However, voters by a margin 2 to 1 prefer smaller reforms that address specific problems as opposed to a comprehensive overhaul of the system.
And yet, he noted that Americans are divided about how well U.S. health care sizes up against those in other industrialized nations.
About one in three people feel the U.S. system is above average. Similar proportions of individuals believe it is average or below average.
Various camps are divided with regard to what a reform package should cover.
For example, he said, liberal Democrats favor universal coverage, increased regulation of the insurance industry, generous subsidies to low-income people and a public option.
Conservative Democrats favor protection of small businesses and a public option that negotiates rates with providers, while Republicans favor tax credits for health insurance purchases and medical malpractice caps.
The U.S. House approved a reform measure Nov. 7, but the Senate now is debating its own version.
Upon passage by both chambers, a conference committee will try to hammer out an agreement reconciling differences between the two bills.
A final bill will be developed by the committee before being passed by each chamber of Congress.
Strazzella said Obama would like to have a bill in place by his January state of the union address.
Among the critical issues that have emerged in the debate are the public plan option, level of financing, access to coverage for undocumented individuals and financing.
The abortion issue, he noted, has emerged as “the poison pill” in the debate.
He said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s push to include financing for abortion probably did more to reignite opponents of legal abortion than anything.
Anti-abortion Democrats forced Pelosi to accept restrictions as part of passing the health care bill last month.
The language passed by the House would forbid any health plan receiving federal subsidies from paying for abortions, except in cases of rape, incest or danger to the mother’s life.
He said eventually health care reform will require Obama to do more than meet with lawmakers behind closed doors. Instead, the president may well have to go on the road to sell his plan.
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