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Opinion: Democrats' 'Pay or
Play' doesn't address
core health care issues
By Rep. Barbara
Bailey
Health care may be the
most far-reaching issue of the 2005 legislative session. It affects
families, employers, workers and taxpayers. It is a high priority for
all lawmakers in Olympia, however, there is a distinct difference in
philosophy over how to address this issue.
As the lead Republican in
the House on health care issues, I’m especially concerned about the
escalating costs of health care and the availability of affordable
coverage for families. Unfortunately, many of the proposals that are
moving through the Legislature fail to get at the heart of this problem.
The cornerstone of the Democrats’ health care reform legislation (House
Bill 1702/Senate Bill 5637) is an expensive, government-run plan left
over from the failed "Hillary Care" days. Commonly known as "Pay or
Play," the Democrat plan would require employers to purchase health
insurance for employees ("play") or face a tax penalty ("pay"). The plan
would cost Washington employers more than $1.6 billion a year. That
money would be used by the state to expand government health insurance.
Certainly we want all
citizens to have access to affordable health care. And there’s no
argument that costs are the major reason for people being uninsured.
However, Pay or Play fails to address any of the real problems that make
it hard for families to get health care coverage.
It fails to control runaway health costs and penalizes our state’s job
providers. Employers in Washington are not failing to offer health care
because they don’t care about their employees. They’re not offering
health care because they cannot afford it. Simply passing a law forcing
them to buy coverage will not suddenly make health care affordable. What
it will do is force businesses to layoff workers, close their doors, or
take their jobs to other states. It is estimated that up to 25,500
workers in Washington would lose their jobs if these mandates are forced
on businesses.
Our strongest objection to
Pay or Play is that, for all its costs, it would not live up to its
promise of providing coverage for our uninsured. Less than 3 percent of
the state’s population would be eligible for coverage under the Pay or
Play plan. The vast majority of the uninsured would remain without
coverage. Nearly 254,000 employees would have fees paid on their behalf,
but would remain ineligible for coverage because they do not work the 86
hours per month necessary to qualify. It simply doesn’t get to the
problem of controlling costs or covering the uninsured.
The aim of this misguided
health care plan is clear: It’s about putting government in charge of
our health care. Pay or Play is not an alternative to socialized
medicine, but a deliberate and methodical step toward it.
Pay or Play won’t create
jobs. It will destroy them. It won’t control costs. It will increase
them.
I and many of my House
Republican colleagues believe there’s a better way to provide affordable
coverage for all citizens. Our plan, House Bill 1686, gets at the core
issues that make health care unaffordable.
We’ve proposed a freeze on
health insurance mandates that drive up the costs of health care. And
while we’re at it, we propose to look closely at the 47 existing
mandates to determine whether the costs outweigh the benefits. Not
everyone needs acupuncture coverage and they shouldn’t be forced to pay
for it.
The all-or-nothing
approach forces consumers and businesses to either buy "Cadillac" health
coverage or go without. Instead, we are proposing to increase affordable
health plan options, reduce government’s heavy-handedness, and allow
competition among private insurers to drive down costs. We also want to
reduce the cost of expensive medical liability insurance to help keep
good doctors in our communities.
Finally, we need better
financing designs such as Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) that empower
patients rather than government. HSAs are tax-free accounts controlled
by individual patients to help cover health care expenses. They are the
centerpiece of a consumer-driven health care system that leaves patients
and their doctors in charge of health care decisions – a stark contrast
to the government-run system created under Pay or Play.
Let’s quit "playing"
around with archaic health care schemes that threaten to put people out
of work. We can create a better health care system for Washington – but
only if we propose genuine solutions that address the real problems that
are contributing to our health care crisis.
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For more information, contact:
John
Handy, Assistant Director: (360) 786-5758
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