The time for health care reform is here

After thirty years in the U.S. Senate, Senator Baucus (D – Mont.) describes working to achieve health care reform as his “calling.” With the combination of urgency due to the economic crisis and President Obama’s dedication to the cause, Senator Baucus is certain that the opportunity for real change is finally here. “We must act this year to reform our health care system, because if we don’t act, I think the costs are just going to be too high and the alternative just is not bearable,” he stated at a meeting at the Center for American Progress aptly titled, “Health Reform: ‘Now is the Time for Action.’”

The current economic crisis in the U.S. is shedding light on the necessity for change. Senator Baucus cited statistics reporting that 1/4 of the average American’s income is spent on health insurance, and this is only going up. This cost, he said, is unsustainable. Furthermore, many Americans receive health insurance benefits from their employers; as a result, when the rate of unemployment rises, so does the rate of uninsured. Senator Baucus reported that every day 14,000 Americans lose their insurance coverage.

“Part of the reason health care costs so much is that we do not have a healthcare system… we have a health care free for all,” Senator Baucus explained. He provided several examples of waste and inefficiencies in our current system. For example, currently we reward providers who use more expensive tests. Additionally, we pay more to hospitals whose patients are readmitted after their first visit than to institutions that get it right the first time. This, he said, needs to change.

Senator Baucus concluded the meeting by explaining the combination of urgency and opportunity presented today: “If we do not act this year, then we won’t have another opportunity in my judgment for probably another decade…. Fortunately, President Obama is committed to reforming our health care system this year. The opportunity is before us. The stars, I think, are aligned. Now is the time… Let us work together to make it happen.”