NORFOLK
It actually happened Wednesday: a civil, bipartisan discourse on health care.
Two local members of Congress - a Democrat and a Republican - sat side by side, politely offering broad principles and predictions.
They emphasized common ground and dodged any opening to snipe at the other party.
The crowd of nearly 100 submitted questions, most in writing, that were sober, substantive.
No outbursts, no tirades.
"This is how it ought to be," one of the participants, Democratic Rep. Glenn Nye, said afterward.
Nye and Rep. Rob Wittman, a Republican, spoke Wednesday morning before a gathering of the Eastern Virginia Association of Health Underwriters at the Residence Inn Norfolk Airport.
One of their many points of agreement: substantial doubt about a government option in health care.
"I will consider the notion of a public option," Nye said, "... if it can be set up in such a way that it does not crowd out the private insurance market. That reduces choice, not increases it."
Nye said, "I haven't yet seen a plan that convinces me."
Wittman said, "A government-run option has some inherent problems with it." He said he preferred "allowing insurance to be sold in wider marketplaces and to be sold across state borders."
Nye appeared solo in a later meeting with small-business owners. He reiterated his reservations about a government role, saying a public option should not "enjoy substantial benefits from the government that will crowd out private insurance."
He spoke to about 20 members of the Entrepreneurs' Organization at the Courtyard by Marriott Norfolk Downtown. Some businesspeople there complained to Nye about soaring costs for premiums and prescription drugs.
Kevin Kordek, president of A-Active Termite & Pest Control Co. in Virginia Beach, said one of his prescriptions recently rose from $15 to $147. Premium costs for his company jumped more than 40 percent over the past two years. "Forty-one percent is pretty excessive," Kordek said, "and this is with a healthy group."
Part of the problem, Kordek said, is the fear of "multibillion-dollar class-action suits."
At the earlier session, Nye and Wittman said they were open to "tort reform" to rein in damages from such suits. But Wittman cautioned that it wasn't "the silver bullet. If we just do tort reform, we don't get our arms around it."
The two voiced similar goals in health care reform. Wittman spoke of "controlling costs and making sure we preserve decision-making, and that needs to be between the patient and the provider."
Nye - a member of the Blue Dog wing of moderate and conservative Democrats - said he wanted to cut costs and preserve choice: "I strongly support the notion that every American should be able to choose their own doctor and method of insurance."
He also said a health care bill must not increase the deficit - "We can't keep charging up the national credit card" - and must preserve military benefits.
Neither expressed support for the current version of the House health care bill. Wittman said he had "very deep reservations" about it. Nye told the small-business group: "I'm not convinced the bill right now is in a form that I would be willing to support it."
But both voiced optimism that a compromise ould be reached.
Even when asked to point out differences from each other, they emphasized philosophical similarities. "The differences are probably in the details," Wittman said.
"If you came here today to see partisan dispute, I think you picked the wrong Democrat and the wrong Republican," said Nye, triggering a burst of applause from the insurance group.
Matt Manock, the president of the Hampton Roads branch of the Eastern Virginia Association of Health Underwriters, said the group invited Nye, Wittman and Republican Rep. Randy Forbes, who, he said, had a scheduling conflict.
The association, Manock said, consists mostly of independent insurance agents and brokers.
"It was not a town hall," he said, referring to the public health care forums across the country that have sometimes degenerated into shouting matches, "so that in itself homogenizes the audience a bit."
The requirement to submit written questions also reduced the possibility for shrillness. "That wasn't necessarily to filter the questions," Manock said, "but to minimize people who like to stand up and talk."
But he added: "I credit the congressmen more so than the crowd.... It seems to me they want to be more thoughtful. They're willing to read to slow this up a little bit. That impressed everyone in the room."
At the end of the session, Witt-man thanked the insurance group. Nye added: "I couldn't have said it better."
Then they shook hands.
Philip Walzer, (757) 222-3864, phil.walzer@pilotonline.com
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NOT Immoral to make millions off of the sick
The insurance CEOs might as well be feeding from a trough filled with the dead and dying. It IS IMMORAL for anyone to make that kind of money from sick people, by NOT paying their health bills. Blue Cross and Blue Shield had a "hold" policy, a mandatory hold on certain bills for a period of time before payment was made, and the CEOs made millions on the interest collected from the monies held on unpaid claims. Anyone against public option must LOVE insurance CEOs for some weird, strange, creepy reason.
Nye forgets where he comes from
Nye has obviously forgotten who put him into office. Seems his constituents need to do some remindin'.
I am making an effort to understand the bill
I finally took some of the writers advice on these blogs. I downloaded HR 3200 off of the US Congressional website and started to read it last night. I found it extremely boring and to be honest at about 25 minutes into it I was dozing off. It has become a great cure for insominia. That being said, it seems to have a lot of attachments and amendments already strapped to it. On the pages that everyone has been talking about in the blogs I couldn't find anywhere where there is specific mention of the government making decisions on life or death of the elderly or handicaped but I have to admit that I have only read a small portion of it. I did find that in places it can be confusing and worded in such a way that it may be interpreted in a number of different ways depending on how the beauocrat applying it wants to. I think that one bill that congress could bring up and pass is to require the government to write legislative bills that can be read and understood by the average person of high school education. Then they can write the same type of law as it pertains to insurance company policies.
Is this bill...
a work in progress, and what's posted today may not be what's posted tomorrow? I ask because some of the 'offending' provisions were to be either re-written, or dropped altogether. I wonder if that's happened to this legislation at all?
Rep. Nye . . .
Is my new hero.
I think conservatives can find common ground with Blue Dog Democrats. The extremes of both parties seem out of control . . .
I don't know what to make of him..
myself on this issue. He says (per the article) that he's against the bill as it stands, yet he favors a public option, which many find to be the most objectionable part of it. So he may be trying to have it both ways. Most policitians do at some point. But his 'book' is still out for me. For whatever that's worth. That and a $1.25 buys a cup of coffee, right?
LOL..
This Needs To Be Shared With All Commentators Here...
IT APPEARS THAT: AM81430 one of our regular commentators, has either voluntarily quit posting here... Or they have been sanctioned by the editorial Moderators here, & their posting privileges & back-catalog of posts have been removed as of yesterday afternoon.
AM81430's comments & points of view have been no more or less contentious or spirited than any of us who have been regular contributors to the V-P’s article commentary’s, LTE’s or blogs for the last few years. While our personal opinions may have almost always been at opposite polarities, I bore no personal enmity to AM81430's rights to free expression.
If AM81430's sudden departure was self-initiated - I wish you godspeed in your endeavors.
If that departure was a result of conflict with the Moderators here; then I think we all deserve explanations as to why; & when we can expect to see AM81430's posts reinstated here.
My apologies to all for a false alarm ...
After seeing a communication from the V-P Moderator team that AM81430 had NOT been sanctioned by them & that other posters were still able to see AM81430’s posts. I re-checked my own commentary page & preference settings.
Low & behold the Hide Comments From This User switch had somehow been inadvertently toggled & on my system only, AM81430’s full menu of posts had been temporarily vaporized.
Kudo’s to whomever at the V-P came up with this whiz-bang concept... But it would be nice to have some sort of prominent wig-wag or flag that would indicate the Ignore Switch had been activated...
Pardon My Digital Error,
vw
An employer provided..
health care insurance foundation is not going to allow for an individual to truly 'shop around' for the coverage they desire. Shopping around would open up true competition for consumers dollars, and force those companies to provide more bang for the consumers buck! That's what's missing in health care coverage. Perhaps the auto and home owners insurance companies and programs are models to be studied and possibly emulated to get health care away from the employers. ALL would benefit if that were to happen, the employers would be saddled with less overhead (and what that contributes to decisions like downsizing) and individuals health care coverage won't suffer because they lost or left their job(s). The better providers will benefit, and their profits will no doubt reflect that. Don't forget, lots and lots of investment vehicles (like 401ks, IRAs, etc.) include shares in insurance companies, so putting the insurance companies out of business via govt takeover of the health care industry will spawn it's own set of problems.
Thoughts on HR3200 from a "friend"
HR3200 is a disaster in the making for the USA. Consider this: Liberals think they can improve the problem of a partial monopoly by turning it into a total monopoly. "Single payer" = "single provider." Does that make any sense at all??? Of course not.
It's the famous liberal two-step: First screw something up, then claim that it's screwed up because there's not enough government oversight (it's the free market run wild!), and then step in and really screw it up in the name of "reform." Competition? Government-provided health care isn't a competitor; it's a monopoly product paid for by the taxpayer. Obama himself compared national health care to the post office - now there's model of efficiency and profitability - not! Obama claims "basic consumer protections that will...hold ins companies accountable". Better way = same way we protect consumers today: Give them the power to tell their insurance companies, "I'm taking my business elsewhere." More gov't is NEVER the answer!!!
Message to Rep. Nye
Sir, you are a coward! Meet with the people who elected you and discuss the Heath Care issue. If you have nothing to be ashamed of, simply have a town hall and speak to the people. I promise to press the case against your re-election should you not be a representative of we, the people.
R/
Dan
truth
For profit health insurance is immoral. The only way to maximize profits is to raise premiums and deductibles and deny claims. The only answer to our health care crisis is single payer. The legalized bribery going on in Washington over health care reform is stunning. The health care industry has spent $1.4 million a day since the beginning of this year.
The top ten insurance executives earned $85.6 million and the top ten insurance executives earned $199.4 million, plus profits for share holders. Outrageous.
Per hour earnings:
Mike White - Abbott - $17,395.00
Fred Hassan - Schering-Plough - $15,677.00
Bil Weldon - Johnson & Johnson - $13,022.00
Ron Williams - Aetna - $12,656.00
H. Edward Hanway - CIGNA - $6,373.00 - also getting $73 million retirement package
Angela Braly - WellPoint - $5,127.00
Immoral!?!? Nut Job
Your argument has no bearing on health care. Your worried about what people are compensated for their years of experience, education, and dedication to their jobs. I do not care at all about what executives make. I want the government to get out of the way. The "public option" will not ever work, because the only way to pay for it is through increasing the national debt and/or drastically raising taxes on the wealth and middle class. Obama's "only the rich will see an increase in their taxes" will never work and he knows it BECAUSE THERE ARE JUST NOT ENOUGH RICH PEOPLE! Canada's government, single provider system is currently failing but you don't hear than on CNN or MSMBC. Great Briton has extremely long waits for common care and their death rates from treatable cancers far exceeds our own. Yes, their can be improvments, such as elimating the restrictions on competition between insurance companies that crosses state lines and reforming our tort system where the loser of the law suit pays both the plainiffs lawyers and their own.
I am a successful buisness
I am a successful buisness owner, but anybody who thinks this type of compensation is good, is a total idiot. And that goes the same for Wall Street executives. This is nothing but gouging the American public, how much is enough? Thats just like that shirt that you buy that is made in India or China.....It costs no less than what it would if it were made in Georgia, just more of the profits from that shirt go to make the company executives salaries just down right stupid. And that is at the expense of the American economy. Back in the 50s 60s and 70s that shirt was made by an American in America. It provided a living for the person who made it all the way up to the owner of the company, who made good money, just not 5000 times what the average salary of the average tax paying American! China will be the next superpower and they will owe it to us! The only thing we make in this country anymore is crappy cars, debt, expensive drugs and health care and government controlled defense products. Everything else is made overseas to make greedy CEOs richer, remember that next time you buy something made in China!
And one more...
You forgot the 1 TRILLION in Federal Spending, should the heathe care bill passes. Ever see a Government Program run efficently or ever end? We need a plan, but not Government intervention. I'd be on board with regulation and rules concerning cancellation of policy, catastrophic medical and other insurance tricks. How about putting the 47 Million uninsured on the same plan as Congress? It would be world class and cost Wayyyy less than 1 Trillion.
Just a thought.
Profound misunderstanding of profits
With the exception of Saints, no one does anything for reasons other than profit. I assume you accept your paycheck from your employer. That is your profit on the sale of your labor. I have every bit as much right to make a profit in my dental practice, and the owners of insurance companies (widows, orphans and pensioners) have every right to expect a profit on their investment. Were it not for profits, nothing would get done.
In a free market, no one ever gets rich other than by providing more value for the dollar than the next guy. It is the search for higher profits through growing market share that drives the improvement and efficiency that brings you ever increasing value in everything you buy in a free market.
The problem with health care costs is that we have not had a free market for over 60 years since the government gave overwhelming tax advantages to employer sponsored insurance plans. The cure is restoring the free market.
Sure
So then we replace them with 100 government administrators at double the cost and get half the care.
As for the single payor plan how is that working in Canada? Lets hear from the incoming president of the Canadian Medical Association.
Dr. Anne Doig says patients are getting less than optimal care and she adds that physicians from across the country - who will gather in Saskatoon on Sunday for their annual meeting - recognize that changes must be made.
"We all agree that the system is imploding, we all agree that things are more precarious than perhaps Canadians realize," Doing said in an interview with The Canadian Press.
"We know that there must be change," she said. "We're all running flat out, we're all just trying to stay ahead of the immediate day-to-day demands."
or.....
"We know that there must be change," she said. "We're all running flat out, we're all just trying to stay ahead of the immediate day-to-day demands."
or....
Ouellet believes there could be a role for private health-care delivery within the public system.
or maybe....
Doig says there are some "very good things" about Canada's health-care system, but she points out that many p
immoral?
I thought the dem position was that people shouldn't impose their morality one anyone. So I guess it's just an opinion rather than a statement of fact or position.
Thanks for the wages you broke out. I guess you didn't have room to list the politicians, actors, activists, authors, talking heads, other business leaders, etc, with equally or exceedingly immoral salaries.
Do you support salary caps for all individuals, or only insurance executives?
myths
Myth 1: "Health reform won't benefit people like me, who have insurance."
Myth 2: "The boomers will bankrupt Medicare."
Myth 3: "Reforming our health care system will cost us more."
Myth 4: "My access to quality health care will decline."
Myth 5: "I won't be able to visit my favorite doctor."
Myth 6: "The uninsured actually do have access to good care--in the emergency room."
Myth 7: "We can't afford to tackle this problem now."
Myth 8: "We'll end up with socialized medicine."
Just to name a few that people are buying into
Read the bill - debunking your ridiculous "myths"
1)True. The legislation (HR3200) will NOT help you - it will raise your cost and eventually push you into the gov't run option - read the bill.
2) Medicare (good ex why gov't should NOT be in HC) operates at a 7% deficit, receiving back 93 cents for each $1 in costs. It's bankrupting itself.
3) This point is too vague (much like BO's) to make sense. However, the legislation on the table will cost more than the current system - there's no free lunch, ever! Source: GAO
4) Your access to quality care WILL decline - further lowering fees for services will see fewer docs entering medicine. Coupled with 50M more in the system, who's going to see you? Take a number.
5) You can visit your favorite doctor, but he might not be allowed to see you... by law! Read the bill.
6) Ask the Mexicans if they can't get good health care in ERs from S. Padre Island to San Diego.
7&8) We can afford to tackle this now, but HR3200 IS a backwards, socialized option that will destroy the best health care ever known.