Always August, pt. 7: "Something Must Be Done!"

After greatly exaggerating the extent of the 47 million uninsured, complaining about the profits made at every level of the health care system, and then scaring people with fears of lost insurance, the progressive always cries, "Something Must Be Done!" or perhaps "What Must Be Done! Mwah Ha Ha!" That's true, no matter what issue is up for discussion. Global Warming? "Something Must Be Done!" SUV's too big? "Something Must Be Done!" Sarah Palin too popular?"Something Must Be Done!"

Yes, "Something Must Be Done!" It's the progressive mating call. And, for once, I sort of agree. While the US health care system does provide good-to-great care to the majority, it does not do so in a manner that makes us feel like we're getting the most out of our money. And, it's not like the insurance industry does a good job assuring people that their insurance will be there, no matter what happens. That's really the issue that worries people the most and provides whatever support there may be for health care reform.

So what must be done? How about creating a federal backstop for people who lose their insurance because of pre-existing conditions? How about a national insurance market, instead of 50 Balkanized markets? How about ending the disparate tax treatment favoring people getting health benefits through their employers? How about a $5000 tax deduction for health insurance premium payments? How about (shudder) tort reform, the one thing that is never in any progressive health care reform legislation? How about hospitals providing price transparency (does anyone ever know what they are being charged for before they get the bill)? These are hardly original ideas, and there's more out there. Much more.

In retrospect, it's disappointing that such reforms never made much headway during the 12 years of the GOP's majority in Congress. It's not as if health care wasn't an issue. But, everyone seemed to focus on creating a prescription drug entitlement, rather than come up with the sort of market reforms that would better address people's fears about lost insurance. Instead, the GOP ignored people's fears, giving progressives years in which to hone their arguments and policy proposals (not that all of this time made them any more palatable).

Perhaps the most appalling aspect of the present debate is the "take it or leave it" tone of the reformers. If we can't turn the health care system into a gargantuan entitlement controlled by HHS and the IRS (death panels optional), then we can't have anything, seems to be the attitude. This, above all else, underscores the power grab that lies behind progressive health care reform. If they were really concerned about the fears of average Americans, they would create the sort of insurance industry reforms that would address many of those fears. But progressives don't go to all those marches, and attend all those meetings so they can reform the insurance industry. That's for the Charles Grassleys of the world. People are also saying, very loudly, that they would prefer incremental reform, rather than a wholesale reinvention. Again, such concerns - entirely reasonable and predictable - are cast aside.

If no health reform results from all of this, that will be a loss for everbody, including conservatives. Oh, we could crow over "defeating" Obamacare with Tea Parties and Sarah Palin's Facebook page. But, it's not enough to stop this, because it will be back so long as progressives are able to raise the same issues I've discussed this week. They are implacable. Going into 2010 and 2012, the GOP's message should not be "Vote For Us, We Defeated Obamacare!" It should be "Vote for US! Here is What We Will Do To Reform Health Care!" If the GOP cannot do this, our health care system, and our politics, will remain as fragile and uncertain as ever.