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 A Moderate Speaks Out on Health Care
by Tom Campbell
August 20, 2009
My recent column in support of moderates seems to have resonated with many North Carolinians who, like me, are appalled at the tone and volume of the public debate surrounding health care, among other issues.
I think I speak for moderates (and perhaps many liberals and conservatives) in wondering if what we have been seeing on TV is really happening in America. I want to tell both sides to sit down, take a deep breath, calm down, lower the volume and start acting like adults. The fear tactics and misinformation, coupled with all the shouting and claims on both sides is so loud and disruptive there is no way any of us who earnestly want to learn about these complex issues can possibly understand what may be one of the more important decisions we will make, impacting not only us but generations to come.
Our nation is blessed to have wonderful health care with miracle drugs, caring professionals and modern facilities. We are grateful. But the current health system is broken and has been for some time. Few can argue we need changes. Health insurance premiums have doubled in the past ten years in North Carolina (while wages increased only 18 percent), 46 million Americans don’t have health insurance and U.S. prescription drug costs are 77 percent higher than in other countries. Our country spends 17.6 percent of our gross domestic product for health care, more than most every industrialized nation. Insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, trial lawyers, doctors and hospitals have known about and have not fixed the problems. It is time we all demand honest and honorable discussions about solutions.
Can we at least agree where we are and what we want? The goal should be to have quality, affordable health care available to all people, especially our children. And one more caveat: given our past history if we don’t make some changes now it is highly unlikely we will do so in the next ten years. Meanwhile, the problems and costs will only get worse.
There are plenty of us open to hearing different ideas for improving our system. For instance, we are intrigued by a new approach in the western part of North Carolina. The Asheville Chamber of Commerce just got legislative approval for local businesses to pool together in an attempt to lower health care costs and help smaller businesses provide health insurance for their employees. This experimental program could include as many as 25,000 workers and if successful could be replicated.
Americans are the greatest innovators in the world, but for whatever the reason we haven’t put our collective ingenuity into fixing our health system. One thing we know for sure. The angry yelling, name calling and cross accusations are not going to get us anywhere. Neither will the refusal to acknowledge the problems, attempts to kill reforms, or being closed to new approaches. It is time to put our minds to solving the problems and cut out the partisan politics.
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