Health-care Debate Coming To Your Home

Aug. 4--You might to want to keep your TiVO handy in the next few weeks, because your favorite TV programs will include a glut of campaign-style ads about health-care bills working their way through Congress.

With members of the House home for a monthlong recess and the Senate to follow at the end of this week, August is shaping up to be a drawn-out air war between supporters and opponents of the sweeping health-care overhaul proposals.

The health-care industry, political parties, consumer advocates and others already have begun to weigh in with messages that focus less on the technical aspects and more on emotional pleas certain to confuse and incense, move and inspire.

"Our greatest generation denied care," warns one ad.

"A little more cooperation, a little less politics, and we can get the job done this time," promises another.

There will be scores of other reminders, particularly pointed questions from voters in town-hall meetings across the state. And if that isn't enough, supporters and opponents of proposed changes have begun holding rallies and waving signs at busy intersections in Columbus.

Republican opponents of the plans put forward by President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats say the recess could mark the death knell for the revamp. "As more Americans learn more about their plan, (Democrats are) likely to have a very, very hot summer," said House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-West Chester.

For those supporting the changes, such as Rep. Zack Space, D-Dover, the wave of commercials is nothing new: "Truth is, we've already experienced an advertising blitz, and that will continue."

Space, who as a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee helped forge a compromise, told reporters that Americans understand "the need for health-care reform" and lawmakers sooner or later will have to grapple with the system. "This problem will not go away. It will just get worse."

At stake are major changes in one-sixth of the U.S. economy, and a large section of Ohio's economy, which is home to such nationally renowned facilities as Cardinal Health, the Cleveland Clinic and university hospitals in Cleveland and Columbus.

"Health-care reform will have a lasting effect for the next 50 or 60 years, much the same way that Medicare did in the 1960s," said Jonathan Archey, director of federal relations for the Ohio Hospital Association.

Some analysts warn that Congress might be drawing up a bill that Americans simply do not want. A spate of polls last week showed that support for a major overhaul has plummeted.

A Wall Street Journal-NBC News poll last week showed that 42 percent of Americans oppose Obama's plan for reform. More alarming for the White House is that 39 percent believe the quality of their health care will get worse.

"Right now, it appears that Washington might be forcing the conversation about health care instead of the public," said Dennis Eckart, a former Democratic congressman from Cleveland. "The public is reacting to Washington, and Washington is not reacting to the public.

"I think the recess will be good for them. I think they need this time home to get a bill."

Analysts say the reason for concern is that polls show more than 80 percent of Americans are satisfied with their current insurance, but they fear either losing that coverage or watching their premiums continue to rise.

Insurers fear that a public or government-run option for those who cannot afford private insurance would drive them out of the market. Congressional Democrats have insisted that a public option be part of any overhaul.

Doctors and hospitals are concerned that they would be reimbursed at rates lower than the cost of services.

And small businesses say that a requirement that all companies either insure their workers or pay a penalty is unaffordable.

"To do this now is lunacy on the government's part," said Duane Hickerson, president of Relay Gear, a Columbus-based promotional product agency with 21 employees. "This is an additional expense when many businesses have let people go."

Ohio Medicaid Director John Corlett said states are fearful about talk of expanding Medicaid, the tax-funded medical program for the poor and disabled, a move that could cost states billions of dollars that they don't have.

"We are supportive of efforts to get more people covered, and we would support the expansion of Medicaid as long as the federal government assumes the cost," Corlett said. "The state can't afford it at this time, and I don't think anybody can expect us to take on that responsibility."

William D. Hayes, president of the Ohio Health Policy Institute, said financing will be the biggest challenge.

"Someone's cost is someone else's revenue," he said. "It can't be done without dislocation somewhere in the system."

There are four different versions of health-care reform: two in the House and two in the Senate. All would cost between $661 billion and $1 trillion in the next decade and be financed by reductions in Medicare and tax increases.

But none of the versions has won the backing of a clear majority in either chamber. Lawmakers are deeply divided on whether to require that all companies insure their workers or pay a payroll tax that would be used to cover health-insurance costs, or to impose a tax on the most-expensive health-insurance plans, which employees now receive tax-free from their employers.

In addition, there is no agreement on whether the government should mandate that Americans buy insurance, much like states require people to buy auto insurance.

Frustrated with the pace of bipartisan talks, Democratic leaders yesterday promised to push a health-care bill through the Senate whether they get Republican support or not.

Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., the third-ranking Senate Democrat, raised the prospect of the leadership crafting a bill to Democratic specifications and using a rare legislative procedure to expedite legislation fulfilling Obama's domestic priority.

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