At 12:30 PM Next Wednesday, March 14, 2007, I’ll be on the Capitol steps in Salem for a rally and press conference. This event launches the campaign for Senate Bill 27, The Oregon Better Health Act. I hope you will join me.
The Archimedes Movement reached a major milestone last Monday when the Oregon Better Health Act was formally introduced for consideration by 2007 legislature as Senate Bill 27. We are indebted to Senator Betsy Johnson of Scappoose who introduced the bill at the request of the Archimedes Movement.
Among those joining Senator Johnson as co-sponsors of the bill are Senate President Peter Courtney and Senators Burdick, Deckert, Gordly, Kruse, Metsger, Morrisette, Morse, Prozanski, Schrader and Winters. House co-sponsors include Representatives Greenlick, Cannon, Komp, Bonamici, Boone, Clem, Kotek, Tomei and Jensen.
We will keep you posted with news of public hearings, citizen lobby days and other opportunities for you to participate in the political process as our bill makes its way through the 2007 legislature. Please continue to spread the word about the Oregon Better Health Act. We can do better!
Medicare and the Oregon Better Health Act During the past week, as we worked to gather co-sponsors for this important legislation, questions were raised by some legislators about why the Medicare program is included in the Oregon Better Health Act. The answer is simple: it would be irresponsible not to include a discussion of Medicare in light of the growing number of people who depend on this program. There are two reasons for this. First, the current structure of Medicare may not be economically sustainable for much longer; and, second, the program does not provide for some very important needs faced by an aging population.
Medicare has been and continues to be an incredibly important program. It has benefited millions of Americans since it was created in 1965. Today most older Oregonians depend on Medicare, as do many Oregonians who are living with disabilities. The thought of having to survive without Medicare is a frightening prospect. Yet because of the aging of the population and the escalating cost of health care this program will come under enormous fiscal pressure in the years ahead, raising the sobering question of whether Medicare can be financially sustainable over time.
Today there are 41 million people on Medicare, but there are 78 million people in the Baby Boom generation who will start becoming eligible for the program in 2011 – just five years from now. Today, Medicare accounts for about 9 percent of all federal income taxes, a number which is expected to rise to 19 percent by 2015 and 32 percent by 2025. And Medicare’s total unfunded liability is estimated at over $65 trillion, with the new prescription drug benefit accounting for $18 trillion. So the question we must confront is not whether we should dismantle or abandon Medicare but rather how can we sustain it into the future. And that is exactly what the Oregon Better Health Act proposes to do.
Section 2 of Senate Bill 27 clearly lays out the intent of the legislation in this regard: to look at the current structure of Medicare in light of the demographic trends and advances in medical technology that have taken place since it was created in 1965; to identify the medical and health needs of an aging population; and to ensure that those needs are met in a timely and cost-effective manner with treatments that produce quality outcomes.
The second reason it would be irresponsible to leave Medicare out of the discussion is that the program – as it is currently structured – fails to meet many of the needs of an aging population. For example, almost all older Oregonians need supplemental policies because Medicare by itself is not adequate. Furthermore, Medicare does not cover the long term care services often associated with chronic conditions. As a consequence, seniors who need these services must often liquate the assets they worked a life to acquire, spending themselves into poverty in order to become eligible for the state Medicaid program which does cover long term care. Not only is this unfair to older Oregonians it pits their health care needs directly against those of poor women and children who also depend on Medicaid. Surely we can do better.
Finally, AARP Oregon asked members “Which issue should the 2007 Oregon Legislature have as its top priority?” By a wide margin, older Oregonians listed reforming our health care system. For senior citizens that means ensuring that Medicare is less expensive, more inclusive of the real needs of an aging population and economically sustainable into the future.
Endorsing the Oregon Better Health Act does not entail endorsing a new system, granting any federal waivers or making any changes to Medicare. It simply means endorsing a process, an open discussion, an honest effort to ask – and try to answer – a number of central questions, which, at this time, are not a part of the national debate. I believe that Oregon is still a place where we can come together as a community to discuss important questions which affect us all, even if they do not have clear-cut, easy answers. I urge all Oregonians to support the Oregon Better Health Act and to participate in this process. Together we can do better. Together we can take steps to shape our own future.
Thank you again for your hard work over this past year. I look forward to even greater accomplishments during 2007.
John Kitzhaber
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