If you want to compare and contrast the competing approaches and results in tackling health care reform between the Democrat and Republican parties, look no further than what is going on in Louisiana. Over the past few years, the health care system in the United States and here in the state of Louisiana has begun undergoing historic changes. However, the approach taken by the federal government and the state of Louisiana is markedly different. The federal government took a top-down, one size fits all, mandated approach to reforming health care, while Governor Jindal achieved reforms through a conservative market and consumer friendly approach. The two approaches provide a stark contrast and an important lesson for the future. On the federal level, President Obama, Senator Mary Landrieu and their fellow Democrats in Congress crafted a health care reform law (ObamaCare) with little to no Republican input and passed it on a pure party line vote in March 2010. Since then, ObamaCare is fundamentally changing health care options, cost, and delivery of care for a great number of Americans and it hasn’t even been fully implemented yet. Senator Landrieu stated when the bill was about to pass that it, “struck an appropriate balance between private and public approaches to reduce cost, expand coverage and increase choice for Louisiana families and small businesses. And we have done so without a government takeover of health care.” Unfortunately, ObamaCare has failed to live up to the hopes and promises of President Obama and Senator Landrieu. Implementation of the law has been nothing short of a disaster. The cost of the law of $2.6 trillion is far greater than was predicted. The law is packed with over $800 billion in taxes and fines. ObamaCare’s top-down mandates and taxes are forcing individuals into health plans they do not want, and forcing businesses to lay-off or cut workers’ hours. Despite Senator Landrieu’s and President Obama’s promise that Americans would be able to keep their health plan if they liked it, an estimated 7 million Americans are now expected to lose their employer sponsored coverage. Worst of all, insurance premiums are skyrocketing, and in Louisiana, some individuals will see increases of over 200%. These are just a few examples of the endless failures and false promises of ObamaCare so far. Despite the disastrous launch of the ObamaCare exchanges and impending harm to Louisiana’s small businesses and families, Senator Landrieu still adamantly defends the law. In fact, in a Senate floor speech last week, Landrieu declared her upcoming reelection to be a referendum on her support of ObamaCare: “If they do not like it, they can unelect us. Believe me, they will have a great chance because I am up for reelection right now,” Senator Landrieu proudly stated. In Louisiana, Governor Jindal has faced his own challenges with health care reform and has implemented a number of changes that will affect the face of health care in the state for years to come. Governor Jindal was forced to rethink the way the state delivered care after a $1.8 billion Medicaid cut was handed down to the state budget from the federal government. Without those available funds, the antiquated state-run charity hospital system in Louisiana was in dire straits and faced closures and cutbacks in services. Instead of allowing these cuts to devastate the charity hospital system, Governor Jindal pushed to save the hospitals through public-private partnerships. The results of the partnerships so far have been remarkable. Governor Jindal has recently been on a state tour and has joined with local legislators from both sides of the aisle to highlight some of these successes. The partnerships will generate more than $140 million in savings for the state this year, and $20 million of these savings are being put back into the hospitals to improve patient care. Most importantly, the partnerships are increasing quality and access to health care services in Louisiana. Because of the partnerships: Our Lady of the Lake in Baton Rouge has received an upgraded trauma center, Lafayette General has reintroduced orthopedic service, Chabert Medical Center in Houma has added mammography machines, wait times for critical prescriptions have been cut dramatically in many locations, and there are now more training opportunities for medical students which will help keep good doctors practicing in Louisiana. These are just a few examples of the many positive impacts of Governor Jindal’s approach to saving the charity hospital system. Additionally, what Governor Jindal has accomplished with the public-private partnerships stands in contrast to Senator Landrieu and President Obama’s plan to expand Medicaid in Louisiana under ObamaCare, an idea that Governor Jindal wisely rejected. ObamaCare’s Medicaid expansion would have drastically expanded the size of government health care and cost Louisiana taxpayers $1.7 billion over 10 years and moved over 170,000 Louisianians from private insurance to government run health care. ObamaCare’s expansion of Medicaid would have meant that 41 percent of Louisiana’s population would eventually be enrolled in a Medicaid program that delivers one-size-fits all, government run care. Governor Jindal’s public private partnerships prove that state, local, and market based control of health care delivers far better results than ObamaCare’s insistence on a top-down federally mandated approach, which drastically expanded government. Louisiana has a unique set of health care challenges, and Governor Jindal has gone about solving them in a way that makes most sense for Louisiana taxpayers and patients. The damage of ObamaCare is frightening, and there will likely be more problems in the future unless the law is repealed. But in Louisiana, because of Governor Jindal’s reforms it is a new era of health care for our citizens and our health care providers and the future is very bright. The difference in approach to reforming health care between Governor Jindal and Senator Landrieu could not be clearer. Senator Landrieu believes in drastically expanding the size of the federal government and putting Louisiana taxpayers on the hook in future years for a massive increase of health care costs and increased taxes. Governor Jindal believes in state and local control, and that consumers should be provided more choices to help decrease costs. He believes that when state government partners with the health care provider community much can be accomplished. Republicans question why the government has a role in health care at all. Our plans move towards the day when all healthcare is between a patient and his or her doctor. The Democrats are moving us towards total government control. These are two polar opposite directions. It is becoming clear which one works and which one is compatible with a free society. The difference in results between the two approaches is also clear. Obamacare is increasing the cost of health care for both the government and individual, while the partnerships will be lowering the cost of health care to state government while providing better health services to our vulnerable population. Obamacare is forcing individuals and businesses to conform to rigid mandates, while the partnerships are expanding options for Louisianians. Obamacare is expanding the size of government while the partnerships are empowering the consumer and the market. The private market reforms of the Louisiana health care system will be remembered as a turning point in the quality of health care for all of Louisiana. Landrieu’s deciding vote and unabashed support for ObamaCare will certainly be remembered by voters as they head to the polls in November 2014. lapolitics/2013/10/dore-the-political-aftermath-of-obamacare/
Posted on: Tue, 22 Oct 2013 22:37:07 +0000
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