Health Care Reform: Do You Know What's Going On?

Over the weekend, I participated in a lively debate about health care reform. What I found so striking was that the conversation didn't focus on liberal versus conservative agendas. Instead, the group found itself arguing over where legislation stood today and which proposals were still on the table. Although we were all convinced that we were well versed on the issue, the reality is that we are all probably a bit misinformed.

Looking back, I can't really blame the group for not keeping up with the latest proposals. According to The New York Times, there have been 564 amendments filed in the last couple of days. And since so many of those amendments will never end up in the final bill, it does seem like a waste of time to study up on every last one of them.

If my friends are like me, they probably read their local newspaper this morning hoping to catch a story summarizing the latest proposals. While I can't speak for others, I can tell you that I was sadly disappointed with the news coverage. Rather than seeing anything substantive, all I came across was news that President Barack Obama was interviewed on five Sunday talk shows, including one on Univision, and that he snubbed the Fox News Channel.

I also learned that President Obama got into a heated debate with ABC's George Stephanopoulos over the definition of taxes and that the news anchor even brought out the Merriam-Webster dictionary to back up his argument that health care reform will increase taxes for the middle class. This "stunt" is getting so much media attention that I can only imagine Stephanopoulos is going to get a fat raise the next time his contract comes up for renewal.

What would I rather see the media cover? I want to see more coverage about how health care reform is a likely boon for health insurance companies. If the public is required to purchase insurance from private insurers, those firms stand to gain millions of new customers. And while proposals mention subsidies for low and moderate income folks to help them afford their premiums, I have yet to come across any discuss that would limit how much an insurer could charge members or how much it could increase premiums each year.

Is it any wonder America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), an industry trade association, supports reform?
President Obama image by Mrsrichardson823, CC 2.0.