Report from the bloggers' conference call on the Patients Choice Act

Very soon Barack Obama and the Democrats will unveil their universal health care plan. My guess is that you can expect a replay of the panic-peddling strategy that saw the president's economic stimulus bill passed into law--even though most legislators who voted for it hadn't read it.

Because the longer the content of that bill was open to inspection--in this so-called age of transparency--the worse it would have looked. The Employee Free Choice Act, a two year old bill, a bad bill I'd like to add, isn't aging well. Which is why under its current form, EFCA is very unlikely to become law.

As for health care, just yesterday, Obama told supporters, "If we don't get it done this year, we're not going to get it done."

The Obama administration is making the laughable claim that their health care bill--even though there is no bill yet--will keep health care choice, extend coverage to the 50 million Americans without insurance, while still lowering costs. But it will turn into a government run health care system.

That's change that doesn't make sense.

It's been a few weeks since I've read (perhaps it's my reading material) anything referring to the Republicans as the "party of no."

Unlike the Democrats, the GOP has released their health care plan--the Patients' Choice Act of 2009.

Here's a brief summary from a press release:

"The Patients' Choice Act of 2009," transforms health care in America by strengthening the relationship between the patient and the doctor; using choice and competition rather than rationing and restrictions to contain costs; and ensuring universal, affordable health care for all Americans. "The Patients' Choice Act" promotes innovative, state-based solutions, along with fundamental reforms in the tax code, to give every American, regardless of employment status, age, or health condition, the ability and the resources to purchase health insurance. The comprehensive legislation includes concrete prevention and transparency initiatives, long overdue reforms to Medicare and Medicaid, investments in wellness programs and health IT, and more.

"As a practicing physician, I have seen first-hand how giving government more control over health care has failed to make health care more affordable and accessible. The American people deserve health care reform that will work, not another round of so-called reform that repeats the same failed policies of the past. Congress and the administration have the opportunity to pursue bold reform and a fresh start. The Patients' Choice Act will provide every American with access to affordable health care without a tax increase, more debt and waiting lines," Dr. Coburn said.

Dr. Coburn is Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), a well-known Washington budget hawk. Two days ago I participated in a bloggers' conference call with the good doctor. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) also took part.

Or course the doctor spoke first, "Go talk to any American today--most of them have concerns about health care." Coburn added, "They know the system has some problems."

You can approach solving these problems in one of two ways: "You can say we want government involvement." But Coburn cautions "It's going to be expensive, inefficient, and and not with the best outcome."

Or we can use "Principles that work in the rest of society, and try to take people out of government care, and put them into care where they have their own choice, based on their own desires, based on their own health, getting care when they want it and how they want it."

How do we make it affordable and give everyone access?

Focusing on prevention and wellnesss is one way, Coburn offered, as well as
"concentrating most health care dollars as management chronic disease rather than the results of chronic disease--which is sick care."

Quality and affordability of health care and using competitive markets is another method to improve this segment of our economy--a big part by the way, health care is 1/6 of the American economy.

Ryan warned that a government run health care plan will turn into a government monopoly where the patient is not the decision maker. "It is a system that (will be) decided by politicians and bureaucrats who ultimately are in a positioning of rationing care. We don't want to go down that path."

We want the patient and the physician to be the nucleus of the system, Ryan offered, and he added that in a government run health care system, "The patient can't fire the provider, because the provider is the government."

Nunes discussed his recent town hall meetings in California, where he requested that anyone who likes Medicaid--or if they know of anyone who likes it, to call his office. "So far no one has called."

"Anyone who is on Medicaid does not want to be on Medicaid," Nunes said.

If enacted into law, the Patients Choice Act will deal with Medicaid, which Nunes calls "a complete disaster."

Ryan added that the bill is about "redeploying" health care dollars, not spending more money.

Don't forget Coburn's warning: Government run health care will turn into a rationing program.

One more caution: If "Obamacare" becomes law, we'll be stuck with it forever. Once government-controlled health care is put in place, it can't be dislodged.

Name one country that's been able to dump it.

Now is not the time for panic-peddling.

Related posts:

Rep. Paul Ryan on keeping health care choice

Report from the GOP Whip Team bloggers' conference call

Senate needs more Coburns

Health care leaders says Obama overstated cost savings

Sen. Coburn to propose amendment to ban Obama stimulus "campaign" signs

Technorati tags: government politics Barack Obama Obama Oklahoma Tom Coburn Republican health universal health care economy paul ryan California