VA's healthcare reform - Take Shelter

It was bound to happen.

Thank you governor

Oct. 1 was HC-day, the day millions of Americans and Virginians could log onto the government’s healthcare portal, HealthCare.gov, and begin their search for affordable coverage. Alas, many were denied that opportunity.  People were confronted were error messages and crashes. The Wall Street Journal, NPR and other major media tracked the glitches on the first day that that the Affordable Care Act went live.

Some columnists scoffed at the attempts by the federal government to plunge into this very controversial and complex societal issue. 

But this really isn’t the crux of the issue.

The government portal is for Americans whose states refused to set up a healthcare exchange for their residents. States with their own exchanges aren’t experiencing the same difficulties.

But this column isn’t about the costs and benefits of healthcare reform; such debates have brought Congress to a standstill.

No, this column is about the Gov. McDonnell’s decision not to set up a state exchange for Virginia and his refusal to embrace an expansion of the state’s Medicaid program. It also about the weak-kneed legislators who acquiesced to the rigid dogma of our governor, who was probably too busy catering to donors and meddling in the lives of individuals (mostly women) with archaic laws.

Nearly 1 million Virginians are uninsured. The new law is also giving Virginians with expensive healthcare insurance a chance to lower their monthly costs and perhaps get better care.

Instead of accessing their own state exchange, they have to compete with other Americans to get the information on the federal government’s portal. 

It is a shame and a disappointment that we have been led down this path by a state administration that has abrogated its responsibility.

But they will be gone in three months.

So what do our esteemed legislators do?

Establish a commission, called the Medicaid Innovation and Reform Commission, a  rather grave sounding name. And our hope is that the next administration will establish a state exchange, although by then, it may be too late.

This is what they are supposed to do.

A. The Medicaid Innovation and Reform Commission (the Commission) is established as a commission in the legislative branch of state government. The purpose of the Commission shall be to review, recommend and approve innovation and reform proposals affecting the implementation of Title XIX and Title XXI of the Social Security Act, including eligibility and financing for proposals set out in Item 307 of this act. Specifically, the Commission shall review (i) the development of reform proposals; (ii) progress in obtaining federal approval for reforms such as benefit design, service delivery, payment reform, and quality and cost containment outcomes; and (iii) implementation of reform measures.

Someone once said that commissions are a way to evade responsibility. It certainly appears as such, since 12-members, all legislators, sit on the commission. Representatives from the community are absent. 

And here are the esteemed members of this panel, composed of mostly Republican legislators. 

Senate

Walter A. Stosch, Republican, D-12

Janet D. Howell, Democrat, D-32

Emmett W. Hanger, Jr., Chairman, Republican, D-24

John C. Watkins, Republican, D-10

L. Louise Lucas, Democrat, D-18

House

R. Steven Landes, Vice-Chairman, Republican, D-25

Beverly J. Sherwood, Republican, D-29

John M. O'Bannon, III, Republican, D-23

James P. Massie, III, Republican, D-77

Johnny S. Joannou, Democrat, D-79