MISSOURI DOES NOT NEED FLAWED HEALTH CARE REFORM

In these final days before the adjournment of the Missouri General Assembly, it is becoming more and more evident that it's time to set aside the health care debate for 1994.

Health care reform is a top priority of Gov. Mel Carnahan, and his plan is included in HB-1622, sponsored by House Speaker Bob Griffin. But even with the sponsorship of its most powerful member and intense lobbying from the Democratic governor, the bill has mustered little support in the Democratic-controlled House. Indeed, it became so controversial the bill number was changed to HB-2000.

Even a scaled down version of the bill, which eliminated many of the controversial provisions and focused on insurance reforms, came up 19 votes short of passage last week after it was loaded up with amendments.

The fear of going too far is what is making passage of the bill difficult in the House. This fear is well-placed.

Carnahan and Griffin insist they are not ready to give up on this session; they plan another push. But while their commitment to improving access to quality health care for all Missourians is commendable, the time has come to yield to political reality. The reality is, a vast majority of state legislators have heard concerns from their constituents and they want no part of the Carnahan-Griffin health care reform bill in 1994. There are too many cloudy issues and far too many questions without clear answers.

Among the dozens of questions Missourians are asking:

-- With health care reform being talked about at the federal level, why should Missouri pass a major bill that could be circumvented by federal action?

-- Won't this bill lead to greater governmental intervention in health care, with increased bureaucracy and a reduced quality of care? What will the program cost the state?

-- If a community rating system is imposed for setting health insurance rates, what will the impact be on younger people who currently are paying low premiums because of lower risk? Won't their rates skyrocket?

-- And, if community rating is such a good idea, why does the House bill exempt employers with 500 or more employees from it -- including state agencies?

The questions go on and on. The answers are complex and only lead to more questions and uncertainty, which only naturally makes legislators uneasy about moving forward.

If legislators spend too much time wrestling on a bill with no chance for passage, many other issues of importance to Missourians will be lost in the shuffle. That would be unfortunate.

Forcing a bill through the General Assembly this year on health care will not serve the people of this state. Remember the last time Carnahan and Democratic leaders forced sweeping legislation through the General Assembly at the last minute? The result last year was SB-380. It passed under the guise of court-ordered school reform, but it turned out to be a poorly drafted law, filled with flaws and higher taxes for many Missourians. A year later, the state is still trying to figure out all the implications and costs.

The last thing we need in 1994 is a health care version of SB-380.