EDITORIAL: Fix America’s health care

Walla Walla Union-Bulletin (WA)

July 20--Nerves are getting rawer in the halls of Congress as well as the White House. Blame it (in part) on health care.

The Republicans who run the Senate look to be tossing in the towel on repealing and replacing Obamacare, although that changes by the hour. The only thing clear is the GOP is feeling public pressure.

Minority Democrats aren't adding much to the debate aside from a few chortles. Some Democrats see this as an opportunity to wrest control of Congress away from Republicans at the 2018 elections.

Meanwhile, President Trump, who claims Obamacare is doomed to fail, has talked of doing nothing to correct problems and allowing Obamacare to implode.

Sadly, we've all become so accustomed to the histrionics in the nation's capital that all we do is roll our eyes. It feels like the dysfunction in Washington driven by extreme partisanship has gotten to the point that nothing is going to get done.

While opinions differ on whether Obamacare is good, bad and everything in between, most folks concede that at least some reform is needed to reduce premium costs and ensure quality care.

And troves of data regularly point out that in the U.S. we spend the most on health care, yet our health-care outcomes are no better than those in other counties that spend less. That's a problem needing a real solution.

We all deserve better. Republicans and Democrats should be working together to fix what's broken about America's expensive health-care system.

Just look at what's going on in Washington state this week.

The Seattle Times reported Regence Blue Shield is seeking rate increases in the state averaging 30 percent next year while the company is sitting on a $1.1 billion -- yes, with a B -- surplus.

And Regence is not alone, according to filings with the state Office of the Insurance Commissioner. Premera Blue Cross has proposed 28 percent increases, on average, and reported a surplus of $1.5 billion at the end of 2016. Kaiser Permanente is asking for rate increases averaging 13 percent and had a $917 million surplus.

These increases cannot be blamed simply on Obamacare -- they've been this way before Obamacare existed.

The Times reports insurers say they need deep reserves in the event of unforeseen disaster.

Wow!

Is it any wonder that the rest of us feel like schlubs as each year we pay more and more for insurance that covers less, despite the mandates to cover more imposed by the government?

Given the volatility in the health-care insurance industry, the humongous reserves might be justified, although it still feels like unbridled greed.

Why does this continue? Isn't it the role of government to take action to help the people it serves, rather than continue to stir the pot to make the situation worse?

One would think.

It now appears things could be getting worse before they get better. Trump might well be correct that it will take an outright disaster to get the members of Congress to work together to fix the problems.

But should it really have to come to that?

Editorials are the opinion of the Union-Bulletin's Editorial Board. The board is composed of Brian Hunt, Rick Eskil, James Blethen and Alasdair Stewart

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