Obamacare Debate Continues

This Week in Health Reform: March 12, 2010


This week President Obama traveled outside of Washington to rally support for his health care reform plan, while Republicans continued to highlight the risks involved with approving the Senate version before contentious provisions are removed.

On Thursday, the Congressional Budget Office released its scoring of the Senate's health care reform bill passed last December. The President's plan was built on this legislation, though his version has not yet been scored by the CBO.

Meanwhile, Business Week highlighted the complexities of the health care system through sharing a widow's perspective of her husband's end of life care and the value of their private health insurance.

As the health care reform debate continues to take shape this year, we encourage you and others to engage members of Congress by visiting the Health Action Network.

Health Care Reform

Business Groups Launch Ad Release to Combat Legislation: As President Obama attempted to garner increased support for his health care overhaul, a coalition of 248 business groups led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce launched a 10-day, $10 million ad campaign aimed at pressuring lawmakers to oppose the health care reform bill. Business groups say the Democratic legislation will hurt companies by adding new taxes and costly requirements while failing to control medical costs. The ads will run on national cable television and in 17 key states around the country, targeting moderate and conservative Democrats.

In addition, the health insurance industry trade group, America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), launched a $1 million ad campaign Tuesday on national cable television. The AHIP ad directly responds to attacks on the industry by President Obama and Congressional Democrats. Citing data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services showing that insurance costs only make up 4 percent of health care spending, the ad points out that hospitals, doctors, and drugs are the real reason for rising health care costs.

Public Opinion

Americans Still Opposed to Reform: In a newly released Rasmussen Reports survey, 53 percent of American voters continue to oppose the health care plan proposed by President Obama and Congressional Democrats. Further, 54 percent believe passage of this proposal will lead to higher health care costs, and 49 percent believe it will reduce the quality of care. Only 17 percent of respondents said this plan would reduce health care costs as promised.

In a recent poll conducted by Gallup, a slight majority of Americans would advise their Members of Congress to vote against the current health care plan and 48 percent disapprove of the President's plan for reform. The poll also finds that those who oppose the bill oppose the approach while supporting the general concept of reform. Among those who disapprove the bill, 62 percent would prefer that Congress scrap this legislation and start over; while 37 percent prefer Congress not work on reform at all.

159 Ways the Senate Bill Is a Government Takeover of Health Care: This week the Senate Republican Policy Committee unveiled a list of new boards, bureaucracies, and programs that would be created in the 2,733-page Senate health care bill that serves as the framework for President Obama's health proposal.


David P. Bernal