Local congressmen haven't changed health care views

The August health care debate - both the raucous town hall meetings and the more sedate private sessions with special interests groups - haven't caused any fundamental shifts in the views of South Hampton Roads' federal lawmakers. // As the three U.S. representatives and two senators who represent the region join their colleagues in the Capitol today to reconvene Congress, they remain split on how best to address health care issues.

All still agree that major changes are needed to get the rising cost of medical care under control. But there isn't strong support among them to approve major health care legislation this year and prevent the debate from spilling into 2010, when House members will be focusing on their re-election campaigns.

"I really still feel that the policy should drive the clock rather than the other way around," said U.S. Rep. Glenn Nye. "I want to continue to try to get the best bill possible. I think that should determine how long it takes."

The Norfolk Democrat has not taken a stand on a House bill, HR3200, that would set up a government health care insurance plan to compete with private insurers. Backers say the plan would force lower prices

through competition. Opponents say it would have an unfair advantage over private plans.

The bill would also require everyone to have insurance, require most employers to offer coverage, and raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans to help insure the poor.

Nye, who met with several private groups during the month long recess, said he wants to make sure any health bill doesn't overburden small businesses or their owners.

The House bill, particularly the government option idea, may be in trouble after being assailed by opponents at town hall meetings in Virginia and across the country.

Senior officials in the Obama administration said last week that the president may not support the government option as Democrats try to restart the debate on health care overhaul. Ensuring choice and sparking price competition are more important than having a government plan, they said.

"We're entering a new season," senior adviser David Axelrod told the Web site Politico last week. "It's time to synthesize and harmonize these strands and get this done. We're confident we can do that."

The president is scheduled to address Congress about health care Wednesday.

U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, a Newport News Democrat whose district includes parts of Norfolk and Portsmouth, said that without a lower-priced public plan, he doesn't see why private insurers would be motivated to cut their rates. There are some places where one insurance company controls 70 percent of the market, he said.

"In a capitalistic society without any countervailing force, I don't see how you can address the issue of affordability," said Scott, who held two town hall forums where he heard both strong criticism and support for his views.

U.S. Rep. Randy Forbes, a Chesapeake Republican, has been a consistent critic of the health overhaul legislation. Forbes has said having a government plan to compete with private industry would be disastrous. He argues that private companies can't compete because the government can write the rules any way it wants.

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, who opposes a government plan, said he's convinced some other approach can be found to drive down costs and also get under control the rapid increases in Medicaid and Medicare spending.

Warner said Congress can "take a giant step forward" with some kind of legislative action in 2009. "But even if there had been a perfect bill... you would have to come back and fix and amend the bill. This is going to be an ongoing process, but we've got to get started."

Warner, who hosted a boisterous town hall forum in Fredericksburg on Thursday, said he's been surprised by the level of anger and misinformation in the public debate.

The former governor said he takes offense at opponents who have said his proposal and others that discuss end-of-life care amount to establishing "death panels."

Warner has proposed expanding Medicare's hospice care for the terminally ill. Among other things, it would provide relief for family caregivers and offer more counseling on establishing living wills, which advise families on the wishes of incapacitated patients.

"The misinformation about that has been outrageous," he said. "I don't know if some of those comments are based on ignorance or just plain malice, but they're so far from the truth."

U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, who favors a government insurance plan, has been critical of Democratic legislative leaders for failing to hold public hearings on specific bills before bringing them up for a final review.

Webb said he'll ask Democratic leaders to slow down the debate and attempt to dissipate some of the public anger. Warner agreed.

"I guess the vehemence has been a bit surprising," Warner said. "I think if we calm down we would find a lot more common ground."

Have questions about health care reform? Submit questions by sending an e-mail to healthcare@pilotonline.com.

Bill Bartel, (757) 446-2398, bill.bartel@pilotonline.com