Healthcare Congressional Committee

[Blair]

X Blair

[Blair]

I'd be willing to become Chair, even though with 3 members that may not be a major issue

[Blair]

If there's no opposition I'd like to assume the duties of Chair, to get this moving.

[Blair]

My first duty as chair is to invite Yankee, A.Scott and KingPoleon to be expert witnesses to this panel- I've heard from all three of them about their healthcare ideas, and it's clear they've all got a lot of good ideas. I hope that they can contribute to this panel

[Blair]

As chair I officially call this committee to session


Firstly I know that healthcare can be a very complex issue- even as someone who spend 6 months studying global health policy I still find vast parts of  healthcare law very complex, and tricky. This is why I invited various members, and hope that we can find a good balance here.

Before cracking onto policy this is a very good read, and provides a good background of US health indicators. What's important is working out what is needed in the long term, rather than what is best in the short term.

http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2015/oct/us-health-care-from-a-global-perspective

[Blair]

Before we look at the specific plans (I'm aware there's several versions going around) I'd like to lay out in my view the 5 major decisions we have to make.

+ Do we want to expand medicare coverage for 55 year olds, and expand medicaid coverage?

+ Do we want a public option? ( A government/ or govt supported insurance scheme)?

+ Do we want to put market controls on drug companies regarding prices/imports etc?

+ Do we want to allow the regions to have their own plans to compete?

+ What about Obamacare do we want to keep or remove?

[Blair]

Do any congressional members of this Committee have any questions for any of us?

I'm stuck at work for the whole of this weekend as I'm having to go on the road- I'll post some of my thoughts tonight when I've got access to hotel WIFI

[Blair]

As I've said since we only have 3 members of this committee and we're working on such a complex issue this is the exact type of discussion I want- open, and policy focused.


Some questions

I know that one problem with the co-ops is that they'd struggle with the funding issue- the 6 billion should be enough?

If the regions established their own plans (as I'm sure the North will do, and most likely the other 2) they'd be the option of 'Non-Profit co-ops, a regional plan, expanded medicare and private options

[Blair]

I've been planning a version of healthcare reform myself; whilst several others like Scott and KingPoleon have been working on their own versions which is why we've had rather slow progress on this

[Blair]

I wouldn't let the three plans be a major headache as they all seem broadly similar

[Blair]

Yes- with my other matters in congress, a new term in uni and my Presidential bid I won't have time in the next 7 days to put out a healthcare plan of high enough standards