Gray Column: Health care reform is about who you trust
Published: August 31, 2009
If you want good television drama don’t watch the usual prime time channels. Instead, just tune into C-SPAN for a health care town hall meeting. I watched one in particular — that of Congressman Gerry
Connolly who represents much of our area. Fortunately, that town hall meeting was relatively quiet, albeit it took place in a retirement community.
But as for other meetings around the country, things weren’t so civil. In fact many people were downright angry with the president’s health care reform plan and expressed that anger verbally.
But President Obama shouldn’t take the screaming and hollering at town hall meetings personally.
The reality is people these days are just angry. Health care is just the platform where that anger is being played out.
People are angry because the economy hasn’t turned around.
They’re angry because their 401(k) is now just a k.
And then there are those special few who are well … angry all the time.
But behind all the screaming and hollering going on at the town hall meetings there is a deeper issue than anger.
That issue is —people don’t trust the government to solve any problems to include health care.
Consider a recent poll done by Rasmussen Report, a nonpartisan media company that distributes political polling.
According to their latest poll results, 54 percent of Americans say the best option is for Congress not to pass health care reform this year.
However, at the same time 72 percent of likely voters said they see health care as a very important issue that needs to be addressed.
Basically what these people are saying is: “We think health care is important; we just don’t want you (The White House and Congress) handling it.”
Why so much distrust? I say consider the history.
Since the creation of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965, every president and numerous members of Congress have talked about health care reform or attempted it. The most famous of these attempts came
under President Clinton.
However, the only thing to show for 45 years worth of talk and attempts is a blame game.
Democrats and Republicans exchanged political punches hoping to score points with you and me on who cares the most about our health. In the end, nothing got resolved.
Meanwhile, people fortunate enough to have health care insurance saw their premiums rise and the 47 million uninsured and 25 million underinsured Americans were left hoping and praying they or their
loved ones didn’t get sick.
In the end, voters said, “The heck with it; I don’t trust any of you.” That distrust is now displayed through anger, which brings us to the emotions we have seen at recent town hall meetings.
Now along comes another president telling us to trust him because he can get health care reform done. Pardon us all if maybe we are a little cynical or distrustful.
So what needs to happen to bring the trust back? It’s simple: Pass health care reform this year. Not only that, but pass a bill that some Republicans are willing to sign on to.
Obviously that means some changes to the president’s current reform proposal. Perhaps some changes to what a public plan would look like might help. The president has shown some interest and
flexibility in making changes.
Either way, health care reform is the next best way to get the trust back between the government and its people.
Call me naïve, but I would love to see a health care bill being signed into law at the White House with a bipartisan representation of House and Senate members each with their political fingerprints on the
bill.
Yes that would take a lot of negotiating, finagling and humility but the payoff would be worth it — a health care system that works and a government that works as well.
What do you think? Do you trust the president and Congress to pass health care reform this year?
Davon Gray works in Washington, D.C., and resides in Woodbridge. Contact him at .
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Reader Reactions
Precisely, there is when the Government can participate, creating mechanism that help small business to provide insurance at lower cost to their employees. It will reduce the number of uninsured. President Bush offer that plan to the congress in 2007 but it never pass. However , if President Obama wants to produce a Law in a bipartisan way , he must to start again , with a bill that focus in solve problems , not to create more; in a bill not made for lobbyist in favor of certain groups or ideology, a bill that regulate the health industry , not kill it.
Godsaveus:
But the cost, number of uninsured, number of underinsured, of the private health insurance keeps going up and up at a staggering pace. It ain’t working. Got to slow the runaway train down - take it off the tracks.
Thank you Mr. Gray you are perfectly right, as we can see in the public opinion people do not trust in the Government , some people defend the Government inabilities to manage programs like Medicare or Social Security with the abilities to manage an Army which is totally different. For the government in general efficiency is not a main thing. Although privates companies rely in more efficiency to increase the margin of profitability government not. Most people that have their medical insurance are happy with them and the government should not waist taxpayer money providing a costly government subsidized health insurance option that at the end will kill private insurances and our government like many others won’t be able to provide the same quality of services. We only need the government to regulate the heath insurance business and provide heath services to people that can’t afford ( not to people that can afford but make the decision not to pay for insurance). The problem with this law is that it will not do anything of that. More over it is controversial because will provide money for abortions, it will interfere with live ending decisions, freedom of choice. Obama wants to reduce the premiums on insurance but this law don’t do anything to reduce trials for malpractice, because trial Lawyer are big Democrats donors.. DEMOCRATS are the party of NO because they say NO to any amendment proposed for Republicans. Republicans are willing to work but not with partisan Democrats who want to impose their socialist agenda.
I agree that there is a trust issue near the heart of most partisanship.
The last administration’s supporters were perfectly content when their leaders shredded the constitution, practiced torture, bankrupted the treasury to wage war for profit and give big corporations huge tax breaks, use the Justice Department to harass their political opponents, “out” an undercover CIA agent and an important covert operation in an act of political payback, etc etc.
But now that the “other party” is in the White House and in control of Congress they have turned into the party of “NO”. They were bristling and posturing and obstructing before Obama ever took office, and it’s pretty clear to most everyone that the Republicans are “all about” denying Obama and the Democrats in Congress any win whatsoever at whatever cost. They’ve turned politics into a game of football…doesn’t matter what happens to the country so long as their team wins.
I’ve heard it said that a Republican would cut his own throat just on the chance that he can splatter a little blood on a Democrat. They prove it true every day.
Mr. Gray,
While I’m still waiting for your column, interviewing a Progressive Democrat on Health care reform, It’s nice that you’ve come out in favor of a bill.
The sad reality is that Republicans will never agree to anything any Democrat agrees to, purely out of spite. As far as who we should trust more, let’s think about this;
Over that past twenty years, the “Government” has run health care for active duty military, including through several wars. Although there have been a few problems, over all most active duty members have receved excellent care.
Since 1993, the “Government” has run TriCare for active duty military familes and even some active duty memebrs in remote areas. Although there have been a few problems, over all most members have receved excellent care.
The “Government has been running health care through the Veterans Administration since at least following WWII. Although there have been a few problems, over all most members have receved excellent care.
The Government has been running Medicare/Medicaid for 44 years now. Although there have been a few problems, over all most members have receved excellent care.
Over the past thirty years of for-profit health care, premiums have gone up faster than the cost of living while coverage has decreased. Insurance executives receive hugh bonuses for finding creative ways to deny claims from people who depend on that coverage for health care. Today, 47 million uninsured and 25 million underinsured Americans (those not on a government-run program) are hoping and praying they or their loved ones didn’t get sick. 72 percent of likely voters said they see health care as a very important issue that needs to be addressed.
Who should we trust to run our health care? Seems to me it’s a no-brainer.
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