Published: June 16, 2009 07:25 pm      

Compromise might be key

THE ISSUE: Health care.

OUR VIEW: There has to be a better way, and it’s critical that lawmakers find it.



With Congress setting to work on a plan for universal health coverage, members of President Barack Obama’s team say they are open to a compromise.

That’s good news. The goal here should not be to adopt the president’s plan or the health insurance industry’s plan or anyone else’s plan. The goal should be to finally solve a problem that has been plaguing this country for years.

Now is our best opportunity to finally resolve this issue. All of the key players agree that it’s an issue in need of a solution. The trick will be in agreeing on that solution.

One leading possibility being put forward by moderates is a plan similar to the rural electrical cooperatives scattered across the country. The cooperatives receive government funding, but they operate independently.

A similar plan might well work for health care.

Obama addressed the American Medical Association’s annual meeting in Chicago on Monday. He told the doctors that overhaul could not wait and that bringing down health-care costs was the most important thing he could do to ensure the country’s long-term fiscal health.

That’s a strong statement, but it might well be true.

Health care costs were among the key factors that finally brought down General Motors and Chrysler. With more affordable health care, American industries could become more competitive in the global economy almost overnight.

At the same time, the health care industry is also struggling. Hospitals write off billions of dollars in health care costs every year, and yet catastrophic medical bills are the leading reason individuals find themselves filing for bankruptcy.

Meanwhile, an organization called Families USA issued a study last year claiming that nearly nine people die in Indiana every week because they don’t have health insurance.

People without health insurance generally see a physician only when they’re sick. They seldom go in for the screenings that might catch a problem early, and as a result, uninsured adults are more likely to be diagnosed with life-threatening ailments in the advanced stages, thus greatly reducing their chances for survival.

There has to be a better way, and it’s critical that lawmakers find it.

It’s good to see that the administration is open to compromise. With luck, other key players in the debate will take a similar approach.