The Best Bill Is a Done Bill

The best Senate Finance Committee bill is a done bill. In order to move forward, we needed to get it out of committee.

I'm not satisifed with this version of health-care reform, but everyone needs to
remember: the final health-care reform bill will not be a Xerox of the Baucus bill. When the Senate HELP bill, the Senate Finance Committee (Baucus) bill and the House
legislation merge, provisions from all of the bills will make their way into the final
health-care reform bill.

Will the Baucus bill trump the others? Much depends on whether the White House exerts its weight in those final discussions. The House bill, endorsed by three House committees, is much closer to the administration's vision of heatlh-care reform. It includes a public sector insurance plan that would set a high benchmark for affordable, high quality, comprehensive care.

According to the Commonwealth Fund, savings from administrative costs alone would mean that a public sector plan would cost a family at least $2000 less than a private sector plan.

Under health-care reform, medical care does not have to be more expensive. If it's done right, it will be less expensive and our health-care system will be better, both for patients and for doctors. Physicians will be paid more for delivering better care, which is what the vast majority of doctors want to do.

By Maggie Mahar  |  October 13, 2009; 7:14 PM ET  | Category:  Health Care Reform , Health costs , Insurance
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