Health reform debate heats up

People in Kansas and across the nation are watching as Congress steps up its work on major health reform legislation.

The U.S. Senate Finance Committee last week began its long-awaited markup on the bill that is expected to be the Senate’s counterweight to a broader reform bill already endorsed by three U.S. House committees.

The finance committee, led by U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., is scheduled to continue work this week, plowing through a lengthy list of possible amendments offered by Democrats and Republicans. Few major changes were made to the bill last week subsequent to some changes offered by the chairman himself, but it became apparent the measure might win support from at least one Republican senator, Maine’s Olympia Snowe.

Meanwhile, U.S. House Democrats planned a closed-door meeting today in anticipation of floor debate on their reform plan.

In Lawrence and other cities across the U.S., supporters of health reform have been stepping up their demonstrations in ongoing efforts to counter the waves of opposition that were widely publicized during Congress’ August recess. The Obama administration also continues its public relations offensive with daily events scheduled to emphasize the need for reform.

Amid that flurry of activity, business and state government leaders continue to try to decipher the details of the latest proposals and amendments and calculate the likely ramifications, though many details remain sketchy or unsettled.

Kansas business operators continue to express their distrust of the federal government’s ability to solve the problems of rising health care costs even while acknowledging the problems hinder their ability to compete in the global marketplace.

Andy Allison, executive director of the Kansas Health Policy Authority, said his agency estimates that any of the major plans now being considered in Congress would mean Medicaid coverage for “at least” 70,000 more Kansans but with the possibility the state would actually save money because the federal government would assume more of the costs of Medicaid and create other opportunities for savings. He also warned that expanding coverage would likely compound the problem Kansas has fielding enough primary care providers, especially in rural areas and poor urban neighborhoods.

Kansans in Congress, with the exception of U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore, a Johnson County Democrat, remain firmly opposed to the major reform proposals. U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, announced when bill markup began last week that he wouldn’t vote for the measure regardless the changes the committee might make to it because he didn’t that trust Democratic leaders would let Republican alterations remain intact once the bill left the committee.