Harkin aide: Health reform bill intended to save Americans money

(Sentinel photo by Amy Erickson) Nathan Vanderplaats, aide to Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) talked with a group of locals Wednesday at Floyd Valley Hospital about Harkin's goals for a new health reform bill being discussed in the Senate. [Click to enlarge]

Nathan Vanderplaats, aide to Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), presented Harkin's views on a health reform bill currently being discussed in the Senate.

Vanderplaats answered questions from about a dozen Plymouth County health professionals and residents gathered Wednesday at Floyd Valley Hospital.

Vanderplaats began by sharing statistics relating to the current state of health care.

"In the United States we now spend a staggering $2.3 trillion a year on health care," Vanderplaats said. "Without reform, over the next 10 years Americans will spend $33 trillion on health care."

Despite those numbers the U.S. is ranked just 37th among 191 nations by the world health care organization, Vanderplaats said.

"We spend twice as much per capita on health care as European countries, but we're twice as sick with chronic disease," he said. "In spite of all this spending, nearly 50 million Americans are uninsured."

But, Vanderplaats said, Harkin intends to combat those "staggering" numbers by fighting to obtain four key principles in the health care reform bill.

Following is a summation of those objectives.

1. Building on what already works.

"Any individual who is satisfied with their existing coverage will be able to keep it," Vanderplaats said.

2. Make health insurance work for everyone, not just healthy and wealthy people.

"We must extend coverage to all," Vanderplaats said. "We must make sure insurance plans cover basic needs."

3. Improve the quality of care.

"We must strengthen the workforce and tie reimbursement to quality," Vanderplaats said. "Currently our payment systems encourage the delivery of more care rather than better care."

4. Renew emphasis on wellness and disease prevention.

"We have a huge opportunity," Vanderplaats said. "We can not only save hundreds of billions of dollars we can also dramatically improve the health of the American people."

After sharing Harkin's principles, Vanderplaats opened up the floor to answer questions.

A doctor from Medical Associates asked if the wellness and prevention part of the bill was intended to be a savings.

"Yes. The care they will need is less because they will be healthier," Vanderplaats said.

For example, if someone quit smoking today there wouldn't be an immediate savings but 40 years later there may be because that individual would likely require much less health care during those years, Vanderplaats said.

Julie Sitzmann, Medical Associates administrator, asked if there would be incentives to encourage participation in wellness and prevention programs.

"We can't force people to take better care of themselves," Vanderplaats said. "But there are ways to encourage people to participate."

He also assured Patrick Schmitz, Plains Area Mental Health Center executive director, there would be equal coverage for mental health and substance abuse in the new legislation.

But he couldn't answer what will happen if premiums aren't enough to keep a reformed health system self-sufficient.

"What if it isn't self sustaining?" Schmitz asked. "Will we throw in more tax dollars?"

On another avenue, several at the meeting said the government should take more time with a health reform bill to make sure all the kinks are out before approving it.

President Barack Obama said he wants a bill on his desk ready for his signature by October.

"I'm afraid it's moving too fast," Schmitz said. "Maybe we're standing on two or three legs when we maybe need four or five."

Mike Donlin, Floyd Valley Hospital administrator, said previous government attempts at reforming health care have failed and he hoped this one wouldn't follow the same path.

"I really hope the moment is not lost," Donlin said. "If the financing part is not lined up, this is not going to work. It can't."

A Le Mars doctor in the audience said it seems like the open option in health care reform protects individuals from hard decisions, but it doesn't protect the system.

"It's more of a bottom-up thing than a top-down thing," he said.

Vanderplaats said if someone needs care they get it and the system will survive if people's mindset can be changed concerning doctor visits.

"We focus on illness right now. We reward sick care," Vanderplaats said. "We don't reward health care. We don't focus on preventative."