WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- With the AMA acting as an unlikely matchmaker, senators from both sides of the aisle predicted today that Congress would pass a bipartisan healthcare reform bill next year.
"I think 2008 has seen the emergence of a philosophy we've never had," said Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) at an AMA-sponsored forum. "Many Senate Republicans say they support giving everyone insurance as long as there is a significant role of the private sector."
In past years, Wyden said Republicans often dismissed universal coverage as "socialized medicine," but after speaking with many of his colleagues he said there is a growing consensus that every single person should have health insurance.
This tied right in with the AMA's "Voice for the Uninsured Campaign," which is urging Congress to put aside partisan politics and vote to expand coverage in January.
"We urge all members of congress and the next president to stand with us in our commitment to get all Americans covered," said AMA president Nancy Nielsen, M.D., a Buffalo, N.Y., internist. Dr. Nielsen said the AMA has shared its proposal with congress in hopes it will help to shape legislation next year.
Wyden and Sen. Robert Bennett (R-Utah) already have a bill in mind as the vehicle for a healthcare overhaul. They are co-sponsors of the Healthy Americans Act, which they are calling the first "bipartisan, cover all" bill, Wyden said. So far, it has the backing of nine Republicans, six Democrats, and one independent (Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut).
The bill would provide some aspects of what the plan of Barack Obama has promised -- expanded coverage, a reduction in out-of-pocket costs, and a guarantee that every person has a plan as least as generous as those offered to employees of the federal government. It would also focus heavily on private insurance plans, which John McCain has pushed for with his healthcare plan.
The bill would give income-related subsidies on insurance premiums, and cover the entire premium of those living below the poverty line. Obama's plan would provide subsidies, but he has yet to define them. McCain's plan would provide a flat-rate rebate for individuals and families to purchase insurance on the private market.
If employees choose to opt out of their employers' plans, employers would have to transfer the money normally spent on that coverage into higher wages. In that way, employees could take the cash and use it to purchase a private plan from a regional clearinghouse that the bill would establish.