|
"I see our members at the bargaining table having to choose between salary increases to keep up with the cost of living or picking up a greater portion of health care costs," Wagner said.
Universal health supporters Oregon State Public Interest Research Group and Oregonians for Health Security are taking more conservative approaches because they say Oregonians aren't ready to toss out the current system.
"We're looking for smaller steps along the way and they're looking for a leap," said Rob Manning, spokesman for Oregonians for Health Security. "But if it were to pass, we would definitely be in support of it."
The reason: more than 400,000 Oregonians don't have health insurance. One in five lack prescription coverage.
Oregonians aren't alone in their frustration with sharply rising premiums, lower reimbursements and reduced access. Fourteen states, including California and most recently Texas, are pursuing a single-payer system, according to the Universal Health Care Action Network in Cleveland, Ohio. Oregon could become the testing ground for a health care overhaul.
The problem isn't new; the Clinton administration tried, but failed to expand health care coverage.
And Gov. John Kitzhaber's promise of a more expansive system than the Oregon Health Plan to be financed in part by a business tax never materialized.
Critics say the current system provides too few services, costs too much, makes money off the young and healthy and dumps the sick and old.
Dr. Don McCanne, president of Physicians for a National Health Program, said the measure allows more efficient use of health care funds and establishes equity in finance and access.
"It provides more comprehensive services at a cost that is no greater than what Oregon is spending," McCanne said.
But Dr. Colin Cave, OMA president-elect, said while the organization favors universal health care -- it supported the Oregon Health Plan -- it won't back the measure because its approach is unreasonable.
Measure 23 has no limits on what type of health care is necessary, no incentive to coordinate access and no residency requirement.
There's also no guarantee that 15 people have the necessary sophistication to deal with complex health care issues and manage a budget at least double that of Oregon's general fund. Getting a federal waiver also is very unlikely.
"It's very lopsided," Cave said. "This is not the way to do it."
But Hanteng Dai of Salem, a 38-year-old state employee, said he supports the measure despite its flaws because it's the first step toward improving health care for society in the long run.
"Accept the concept first, improve the procedure later," Dai said. "Don't kill an idea in its infancy."
|
|
