IF IT WADDLES LIKE A TAX, QUACKS LIKE A TAX, IT'S A TAX

Today's leadership is playing a word game -- both at the state and federal level. Sweeping health reform programs will be funded through a series of "fees, provisions, and cost shifting" as opposed to "taxes".

For example, Gov. Mel Carnahan has pledged his health reform package won't increase taxes. And yet, he would require medical provider groups to hand over 3 percent of their gross receipts to finance a "quasi-governmental" agency to administer and fund part of the plan. This 3 percent levy would generate a whopping $300 million each year.

Insurers across the state are calling this 3 percent fee nothing less than a "stealth tax." It may be cloaked, but the bomb will drop all the same.

But those who helped craft the bill say it's not a tax at all -- "merely a provision within the bill."

Well, in the words of Jim Floyd of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Missouri, "If it waddles like a tax and quacks like a tax, it's a tax."

We agree.

This semantics game is demeaning and tiresome. It's not politically correct to raise taxes these days, but perfectly all right to impose user fees, so the sentiment seems to be among the ruling politicians. Well it's not a user fee if the users aren't paying for it.

This 3 percent "provision" won't be borne silently by the health providers. It will be passed along to consumers -- that means you and us.

Moreover, the fact it's going to cost $300 million for just this portion of the care is ominous. If businesses will be mandated to pay employee insurance for all -- just add that to the increasing consumer costs. Under President Clinton's plan, employers will pay about 80 percent of the premiums -- a concept which has drawn fire from several major business groups.

In fact, almost no one is signing onto the President's plan. Most recently the American Association of Retired Persons, even after extensive lobbying by the President and First Lady, decided not to endorse it. We think the message should be heeded in Washington and Jefferson City.

Simply put: the costs from both the state and federal plans will be staggering, and we don't believe Missourians want to foot the bill for results that appear to be more problematic than helpful.

Maybe we're wrong. If so, the song and dance routines sure don't reassure us.