Cost of health care reform

The government reports roughly 46 million Americans have no health insurance.

Their costs often become a burden to others in the system through higher insurance premiums and medical rates. The intent of the health care reform plan aims to change that by promoting wellness, prevention and competition, and overall stabilizing costs. But at what cost?

"It's a big budget buster," said U.S. Rep. Tom Petri, R-6th Dist. He points out the Government Budget Office estimates the cost of the House Bill under consideration at nearly $1 trillion over 10 years.

"It can't be that we're all going to send the bill to Uncle Sam because there is no Uncle Sam at the end of the day, we're all behind the other side of that curtain and we've got to pay it back," said Petri.

U.S. Rep. Steve Kagen, D-8th Dist., acknowledges the cost to implement reform, but says 'savings' through better efficiencies and preventing waste, fraud and abuse of the system will offset that amount.

"I think we can drive down the cost of insurance premiums by creating a larger purchasing pool for small businesses," Kagen said. "I want insurance companies to begin to sell a standard insurance policy an insurance benefit policy that becomes a federal standard."

The plan also calls for a surtax on the wealthy, those making over $350-thousand a year, to bring in hundreds of billions more.

"If there are efficiencies to be achieved maybe what we should do is let’s realize the efficiencies first and then use those dollars to expand coverage and so on," asked Petri.

Both congressmen point to ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value in Appleton which has been successful in rewarding providers for delivering quality care at lower costs for its patients. Kagen says it's a model the reform plan should embrace to lower costs.

"Some estimates are that the insurance premiums might come down by 20-22 percent over a ten year period," said Kagen.

While Petri says ThedaCare proves major government reform is not needed.

"That's how the market works in a lot of other areas and we really need to be moving in the direction of making that work more effectively in the health care area," said Petri.

Petri admits some government involvement may be needed to get care for a few, but he feels government spending overall on health care could be reduced with better efficiencies in place. Kagen says reform standards need to be put into place to make it work effectively.