News
Ever-growing health care crisis
March 30, 2007
The Oklahoman
By Phil G. Busey
It is past time for substantive action for solutions on health care. A recent article in The Oklahoman again focused attention on the strains and costs in providing health care to more than 650,000 uninsured Oklahomans.
What is it going to take for leaders to move on this critical issue? Health affects every fabric of our state. Poor prevention and lack of coverage negatively affects our children and productivity. This impacts all of us so significantly that two unlikely adversaries, Wal-Mart and the Services Employees Union International, united supporting affordable universal health care for all Americans by 2012.
The system isn't failing because of quality of care but because of spiraling, unquantifiable costs, uninsured and an aging population. This problem, compounding for years, cannot be remedied quickly. It negatively impacts business competition. It results in financial crises for uninsured and insured alike and drains state tax revenues. Change must occur at the state level if not at a national level.
The president's proposal, based on tax credits for individuals purchasing coverage, is a beginning but assumes people can afford coverage to begin with. Let's face the facts. Businesses have the credit but it hasn't dented the health care burdens they face. It is tough enough to qualify an employee-based plan, then hope members don't develop health risks. Individuals face the same cost and qualifying issues while health costs rise at an annual minimum 13 percent.
It is unrealistic to assume everyone can qualify or afford health care without change. Problems center on increases in premiums driven by plan census and health-related problems. Those who are healthy can get health insurance. What about the aging or families suffering from health risks? If a senior or family live up to their means, at best credits alone will not encourage them to spend on healthcare.
Healthy employees could opt out of company plans leaving only a high-risk group. Resulting costs could force companies to drop plans altogether. The proposal doesn't consider pros or cons of universal health care as an option. With mounting uninsured, a pure tax-credit approach will do little to relieve costs. The price of medical malpractice insurance has to be addressed and we need measures to control ever-rising medical and prescription costs.
This is a systemic problem that can only be fixed by comprehensive remedies. Solutions have to identify and address underlying causes to benefit us in the long run. The major hurdle is to act. Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland completed an important summit of professionals recommending steps and solutions. The governor now should lead and spur the Legislature to an objective evaluation of health care options including universal healthcare. This has to be done quickly and with everything on the table.
It is certain if Congress or the state continue to ignore reform, we all lose. We cannot bury our heads in the sand any longer and avoid a much-needed and critical overhaul.
Busey is chairman and CEO of The Busey Group of Companies.