With all the recent tension from “town hall brawls over healthcare reform,” two things are clear: first, the public is waking up about the potential risks and benefits of healthcare reform (heavy emphasis on the risks); and second, people are fearful of losing the healthcare quality they already receive and overwhelmingly against change that will lessen quality.
As a result, the initial support that the Obama Administration and Congress first had before the August recess seems to be evaporating quickly. Consequently, small business and industry are becoming the fastest group to withdraw their support, and rightly so. Moreover, like the era, the chance that big business and industry remove themselves from the negotiation table with President Barack Obama grows more each day as questions go unanswered, and angry citizens lash-out at their representatives.
According to Politico, “there are already signs of strain,” and “some drug and insurance companies, along with business groups, are working furiously behind the scenes to shape reform in theirs.”
One step in this direction came from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, which “launched a multimillion-dollar ad criticizing Democratic reform plans for raising taxes and expanding government control over healthcare.” Even though the Chamber did not come out to directly oppose healthcare reform, they instead urged “viewers to tell lawmakers to slow down and do health reform right.” We could not agree more.
In fact, while President Obama has been “cutting side deals with the drug and hospital industries to keep reform on track,” he has neglected the “deep-pocketed interest groups… and a well-funded opposition campaign.”
Interestingly, while it is apparent that both sides of the debate know that either way—reform or no reform—the outcome could result in “mutually assured destruction.” What is important for businesses at this time is to remain at the negotiating table as long as possible, otherwise “they lose the power to shape legislation that could completely remake their industries.” Similarly, without the support of business, any chance of government legislation and reform could be significantly delayed by numerous impediments.
Furthermore, because drug makers are in opposition to many provisions of the bill, such as the reinstatement of “government discounts on drugs purchased by seniors who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid,” the debate is guaranteed to drag on.
In fact, while Democrats believe such a measure will save money, industry “points to a Congressional Budget Office report that says the savings could hit seniors in the form of higher premiums – which is one topic of a negative ad.”
Additionally, before the August recess, drug companies had agreed on contributing $80 billion toward reform, with the condition that “they won’t be asked for more, including in the form of drug discounts.” However, these casual arrangements have already been forgotten by politicians even before their break.
On the issue of insurance, businesses, hospitals, and other groups are starting to mount their opposition to the healthcare bill (now that people have read its ridiculous 1,000 pages). As a result, the insurance industry will be able to quietly add-in their input to oppose a public plan option, which would ultimately “kill their industry.”
Other issues for the insurance industry include protecting the “private Medicare Advantage programs from $150 billion in cuts while pushing for a mandate that everyone carry insurance.” In addition, the insurance industry wants a guarantee that any insurance exchange that will “help consumers buy insurance will also work for the insurers.”
Bruce Josten, chief lobbyist for The Chamber of Commerce believes that any healthcare reform that includes “a public plan or a mandate that companies provide insurance to workers or pay a fee to the government…is a step in the wrong direction.”
With almost three more weeks until Congress reconvenes, the goal of business and industry must be to remain at the negotiating tables for healthcare reform as long as possible. Why? One simple answer: Patients.
Industry and insurance companies care as much about patients, if not more than the government. It is in the very nature of private practice that these companies help hardworking Americans find ways to live longer, stay healthier, and be happier. It should not be a surprise that such companies are funding aggressive measures to protect those rights, and we, as Americans, should recognize these efforts, and continue to ‘grill’ our politicians for answers.
We need to remember that historically the Government has not been the best at keeping their promises, just ask a Native American.