By Susan Redden

sredden@joplinglobe.com

Public option.

Or not.

Employer mandates.

Or not.

Affordable.

Or not.

Health care coverage.

Or not.

As proposals ricochet around Washington and forums held by legislators locally and around the country provoke deep passions on all sides, a roundtable will be held next week in Joplin so residents can get a diagnosis of health care reform.

“Health Care Reform: What’s in it for me?” is the title of the roundtable set for Sept. 28 at Missouri Southern State University.

The event will bring together health care and insurance experts, economists and legislators “in a nonpartisan forum,” said Nii Adote Abrahams. He is head of the MSSU department of finance/economics and international business, which will sponsor the forum.

“Our goal is to provide information, because there is a lot of misinformation out there,” Abrahams said.

Speakers will include Gary Duncan, president and CEO of Freeman Health System; Scott Brothers, president of The Insurancenter in Joplin; and state Rep. Kevin Wilson, R-Neosho, chairman of the special standing committee on health insurance in the Missouri House of Representatives.

Discussions will be led by Jeffrey Milyo, a health economist with the University of Missouri-Columbia and a Robert Wood Johnson scholar who has studied the health care system, health policy and public health.

Washington debate

Last week’s bill out of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee is the latest among a variety of proposals and plans.

U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., has joined other Democratic senators, including Mark Pryor, of Arkansas, to urge provisions that curb the rapid growth of health care spending. She notes that health care spending in the United States is roughly $7,300 per American per year, compared with $2,900 per person in other developed countries.

She joined with a bipartisan group of senators urging support for reforms that, among other things, bar insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions.

But U.S, Sen. Christopher “Kit” Bond, R-Mo., has said Americans are wary of much of what is being debated.

“Americans have sent us a clear message that they want reform that lowers costs, increases access and keeps government out of their health care decisions,” Bond said. “They do not want reforms that cut seniors’ health care, force Americans off their private health plans, cost hundreds of billions of dollars and put government bureaucrats in charge of health care.”

The latest plan, put forth by U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., took hits from both sides.

Republicans claim the measure is too costly. Other said the middle class would suffer.

“Many middle-class people would pay more than they are paying today and would face the prospects of a penalty if they don’t comply,” said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., a member of the Finance Committee that Baucus chairs.

Not carrying insurance could result in a steep fine under Baucus’ bill, as much as $3,800 per family, or $950 for an individual. People who can’t afford their premiums would be exempted from the fine.

To pay for the 10-year, $856 billion bill, Baucus wants to tax high-value insurance plans — those worth $21,000 for a family and $8,000 for an individual. Baucus says those are “Cadillac plans” enjoyed by a small minority of Americans. His aides said about 10 percent of plans and 8 percent of taxpayers could be affected.

Watching, waiting

Duncan, of Freeman Health System, said local health care officials are watching the legislation and believe the final version “will include a lot of amendments from the left and the right.”

He said hospitals need reforms that address the problem of people without health insurance, “because that cost is falling to physicians and hospitals.”

Duncan said hospitals also want to see “pay-for-performance” to reward doctors and hospitals for delivering high-quality, cost-effective care; funding to help train additional doctors; and tort reform, which he said would reduce the tests that come with “defensive” medicine.

President Barack Obama’s administration on Thursday announced $25 million in grants for states and health care systems to experiment with alternatives to medical malpractice lawsuits.

The grants can cover a range of ideas, including programs in which doctors and hospitals quickly acknowledge a mistake, offer an apology and restitution, and pledge to take corrective action.

Trial lawyers, however, say capping penalties harms aggrieved patients and their families who are seeking restitution. Preventable medical errors are estimated to cause 44,000 to 98,000 deaths a year.

Duncan also said: “And we have to incentivize better health habits, because society cannot pay for sick care for people who aren’t responsible for their own health. It’s like someone with car insurance being told they can drive as fast as they want.”

Wilson, the legislator from Neosho, said the final version of the federal legislation “will dictate what we need to do in the state.

“We’re waiting for a concrete plan” he said. “Like any government program, it’s easy to promise things, but I haven’t heard of anything concrete that pays for the promises.”

The process also is being closely watched by the insurance industry, said Brothers, of The Insurancenter.

“We don’t represent insurance companies; we’re an advocate for the consumer in helping them select the best coverage,” he said.

He said insurance companies aren’t making “the huge profits” alleged by some of the critics.

“I agree there needs to be reform, improvements and efficiencies; I don’t think a government option would be the best thing,” he said. “But I really hope Congress will work on a bipartisan basis for what’s best for the country.”

The Associated Press contributed to this article.



What’s in it for me?

“Health Care Reform: What’s in it For Me” is set for 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 28, in the auditorium of the Plaster Free Enterprise Center at Missouri Southern State University.