The real debate finally begins

Now that this hysteria of the town hall meetings has subsided, Congress is starting to get serious about creating some form of health-care reform.

With thousands of industry lobbyists trying to scuttle the project, or water it down to a point its value will have little impact solving what the rest of the country sees as a health-care crisis, we're not sure what will eventually be decided in the final bill.

At least there are now some serious discussions on both sides of the aisle -- without hysterics -- so there is hope that somehow, some way, affordable health insurance may actually become available to all Americans. That doesn't mean all will take advantage of it, but it will at least be available.

We still believe the biggest problem is finding a way to control costs, which means tort reform to help cut malpractice insurance costs for doctors and cut down on unnecessary tests.

Getting prescription drug prices down is imperative (and we strongly advocate a ban on advertising, except in medical journals, of prescription drugs so the tens of millions spent on advertising Viagra, etc., can be used to cut costs).

Putting severe limits on what insurance companies can deny a person coverage for also is important. And getting insurance costs down to a point that people aren't sending their entire paycheck to the insurance companies just to provide health insurance for their families is vital. Getting those companies to pay for "wellness" and preventive medicine costs so medical issues don't reach a point of catastrophe also should be included in the legislation. Finding ways for small businesses to pool their resources in order to get "big guy" breaks on insurance for their employees is another point that needs to be addressed.

One of the debates will be the "public option," in which the government will offer medical insurance to those who want it. It is just that, an option. But you'll see a lot of people trying to shift the argument to focus on the public option plan, rather than the areas we've listed above which would provide fundamental reform.

The public option would be a government-funded, government-run health care option, similar to Medicare. Under the plan, people would pay premiums 10 to 20 percent less than they currently pay for private insurance, according to its supporters. It wouldn't be required, but it would be a nice option to have on the table.

And no matter what, there are still some working people who won't want or still be unable to afford, any health insurance, no matter how cheap it is. But the numbers should be much less than they are now, and there is a hidden and huge cost to taxpayers who have to pick up the tab right now for those who are uninsured. So getting as many people on board as possible will at least save some money in one area. Whether or not it covers any increased costs to taxpayers in another area has yet to be determined.

But it is nice to see the debate now finally turning away from hysteria to actual, concrete proposals from both parties. Hopefully, by this time next year, we'll have a program that works and hasn't been so watered down that it becomes just another bureaucratic boondoggle.

We can only hope.

-- Kelly Everitt