Kitzhaber pushes a health care cure
Reform - The ex-governor envisions a sweeping new approach to the ailing system
Sunday, January 08, 2006
HARRY ESTEVE
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1136613327304540.xml&coll=7

"Health care is not nearly as important as our system of public education or our sustainable economy or a clean environment." 
"It's not a state problem, it is a system problem, a national problem."

Kitzhaber has it WRONG on both counts. Health care is the most important item on Oregon's political agenda and only our state government is going to fix the problem for us, Oregonians.

If John Kitzhaber wants to save America by all means please do. If John Kitzhaber wants to propose health care reform that appeals to those already well protected with health care coverage including public employees because there is no risk nor courage involved in supporting a plan unlikely to succeed and have any affect on them in their lifetimes, fine. But I have no interest in listening to the grandiose universal national health insurance reform proposals from a person so well clothed in generous layers of health care protection that his success or failure will have no practical effect on his own life at all except for his ego and reputation. I, my family, my friends, and our fellow Oregonians and Oregon's public institutions need affordable health care NOW. Just because the federal government and the private health insurance industry are broken doesn't mean we or John Kitzhaber must fix them in order to help Oregonians NOW.

The Oregon Community Health Care Bill is a viable solution to Oregon's health care crisis which does not involve the federal government nor the private health insurance industry. It is a real solution, a real bill, which, unlike Kitzhaber's national fantasy, is a politically centrist solution to Oregon's health care crisis capable of attracting support from left and right, Republicans and Democrats, urban - suburban - rural and can be implemented in the foreseeable future.

The federal government and the private health insurance industry have failed to prevent a health care crisis in our state. Huge numbers of Oregonians have no health insurance. Huge numbers of Oregonians pay for such costly health insurance that they can afford little or no actual health care. All of Oregon's public institutions are facing skyrocketing and unstoppable increases in health care costs which significantly diminish the quality and quantity of services that need to be provided to the public. Three gubernatorial candidates, Pete Sorenson, Vicki Walker and Kevin Mannix AGREE that these social conditions are moral and economic problems which must be solved by our state government. That solution is already at hand.

The Oregon Community Health Bill :
1. Is the most market driven health care plan in America.
2. Removes the burden from businesses of providing health care and places it on the state of Oregon.
3. Reduces health care costs to public institutions in Oregon by 20%.
4. Provides actual health care not just health insurance.
5. Eliminates the term, "preexisting condition." If the procedure is covered you're covered.
6. Provides affordable health care - on a sliding scale according to income - as good as that received by any public employee in Oregon to anyone willing to make a commitment to Oregon for one year as a registered voter.

The governorship of our state, Oregon, is NOT intended to be a platform for national health care reform. Oregon's governor, our governor, my governor, MUST pay attention to Oregon and solve its health care crisis. If John Kitzhaber wants to reform the American health care system he should run for President.


Richard Ellmyer
Oregon Community Health Care Bill author and project champion
President, MacSolutions Inc. - A Macintosh computer consulting business providing web hosting for artists and very small businesses.
Writer/Publisher - Oregon Health Watcher commentary - Published on the Internet and distributed to 6000 readers interested in public health care policy in Oregon.
http://www.goodgrowthnw.org/health.html
http://www.goodgrowthnw.org/octoberpoll.html
http://www.goodgrowthnw.org/candidates.html