August 21, 2009 in City

Murray says health reform will advance

Public-option protesters greet her downtown

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Krista Woodruff, right, a retired nurse, debates the proposed health care plan with Amy Biviano, chairwoman of the Spokane County Democrats, outside the Spokane Club, where Sen. Patty Murray was speaking to a Rotary Club group.
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Despite vocal opposition, health care reform likely will move forward this year, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray said Thursday after giving a speech in downtown Spokane.

“I think we will pass something. I do,” she said in an interview after her talk to the Spokane Rotary Club. “I can’t tell you what it’s going to look like today, but I can tell you we are all working hard to try to reach that goal.”

A Gallup Poll released last week showed that about 35 percent of Americans would advise their congressional representative to vote for health care reform, while 36 percent would advise against it. The rest of respondents were undecided or didn’t have an opinion.

In her speech, Murray alluded to the images from town hall meetings across the country.

“I think it’s pretty hot rhetoric right now, and that’s not surprising,” Murray said. “This is an issue that affects every single person.”

Murray doesn’t plan to hold a town hall forum during Congress’ summer recess.

“I can’t just turn around in the middle of August and set up a town hall format without changing a lot of people’s schedules as well,” Murray said in the interview. “I’ve got a lot of other ways I’m working to make sure I get input.”

After her speech, Murray attended a “roundtable” discussion at Revival Lighting, a downtown store. That event was closed to the public. She noted she has a health care Web page on which the public can comment.

Murray stressed that health care proposals don’t eliminate private insurance.

“What we are trying to do is create a competitive pool of insurance options, including a public option,” Murray told the Rotary audience. “Providing a number of options for people, the competitive nature of that, will bring down the cost of health insurance for everyone.”

Last weekend, some officials in President Barack Obama’s administration hinted that he might be willing to drop a government-run insurance option from a national health care plan. Murray said that she couldn’t rule out voting for any plan until she sees a final bill but that she supports offering a public option.

About two dozen demonstrators lined the sidewalk outside the Spokane Club, where Murray spoke, to let her they oppose health care that includes a public option.

“The system is not broken,” said Dann Selle, a member of the Tea Party of Spokane, which organized the protest. “It’s the greatest system in the world.” Selle, 67, said he was satisfied with his insurance – a combination of Medicare and a private insurance plan. Government control of health care will only make things worse, he said.

Tea Party spokesman Kirk Smith also advocated keeping government out of health care, except Medicare, the government-run health insurance for people 65 and older, and Medicaid, government-run insurance for the poor.

Demonstrator Krista Woodruff, a retired nurse who is married to a physician, acknowledged problems with the U.S. health care system. She cited the need for tort reform and giving people more choice in health insurance policies.

But “nationalizing” the system, she said, is not the answer. She said the $3 billion cash for clunkers program was just a “drop in the bucket” compared with the cost of government-run health care.

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Four comments on this story so far. Add yours!

• 

  philipgregory on August 21 at 7:36 a.m.

  Term limits…

  We need short term limits again!!

  Tim Eyman where are you?

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  Michael McCarrey on August 21 at 9:04 a.m.

  Yes philipgregory, term limits would be good, but better than that, we need to repeal the 17th Amendment.

  As for Murry, she doesn't want to hold a “town hall” because she knows that here in the West, snakeoil salesmen have in the past been tarred, feathered, and run out of town on a rail.

  The people resisting doesn't fit into her life experience bubble because, as a Progressive, she's one of the avant-garde, you know, and we should be worshipping the ground she walks upon, grateful to her for condescending to become one of the class that rules over us; making all the difficult decisions that we proletarians just don't have the mental ability, genetically, to decide what's best for ourselves.

  We should also be thankful to Obama, for his Progressive single-payercare, Cap & Trade, the “stimulus', and “Cash for Clunkers”. We should rejoice when we hear that his little “citizen Army, ” ACORN, has bullied yet another bank into “donating” to their cause, or when SEIU thugs beat people who commit thoughtcrimes by passing out Gadston flags and copies of the U.S., Constitution. Just because those unconstitutional programs will enslave our children and grandchildren to the debt created thereby should not bother us - after all, we have the likes of Murry and Cantwell, who will watch out for us; take care of us, and keep us in line, just like we were their children.

  If only people had forced Obama to reveal the nature of the “change” he would bring to this country …

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• 

  93bird on August 21 at 9:20 a.m.

  Shouldn't something as important as health care reform be better executed? Murray actually said “I think we will pass something. I do, I can’t tell you what it’s going to look like today, but I can tell you we are all working hard to try to reach that goal.”? Is she also really naive enough to believe that creating a public option will create competition? After the newly “insured” overwhelm our health care providers and facilities, the market will create a cash-only system of health care for those with the ability to pay. Prices will come down for those with cash because services provided to the indigent will no longer need to be subsidized. Additionally, cash will flow to foreign health care providers where the cost is already lower. Those people without the ability to pay for health care services still won't have the ability under any proposed reform plan. Instead of being admitted to an emergency room because they're in distress, as is currently the case, they'll be forced to wait on the sidelines while the thousands of others wait as well.

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• 

  wyoboy on August 21 at 11:48 a.m.

  Snake oil? Sounds like some of the health insurance adds I see on the TV now.

  I hope they come up with the a better system than the current one of medicare, and parts a through z. Congress created this mess now they can fix it.

  Many primary care physicians will not accept medicare anymore because of the paper nightmare they are faced with.

  Tort reform needs to be in the mix. This was the aim of Workers Compensation programs years ago. Some legislative limits are needed.

  Tax hike? Go to the hospital, you are already paying for it. It is built into the bill that you get to pay for the indigent uninsured care they are mandated to give out.

  Competition? Play a game and use the internet to shop for health insurance. Pick a generic policy and change the address around and see how the quotes come up . Heath insurance will be significantly cheaper in LA than Spokane and way cheaper than all rural addresses.Why, it is competition and many HMOs to pick from.

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