Professor Grant Reeher answers questions about Obama care

 

Interview conducted by Jaime Ortega.

 

Grant_Reeher

Grant Reeher

Professor, Political Science

Political theory, health-care policy, citizenship and democracy, public engagement

 

1) Without Obama Care, how does U.S. healthcare compare with other wealthy westernized countries?

Comparatively, the U.S. health care system is more private sector-oriented, more corporately-organized, more expensive overall and less inclusive. Note that this is still truth with Obama care as well.

2) For many conservatives representing the Tea Party and GOP, Obama’s health care program sounds to much like socialism. But is it fair to call Obama care, a socialist program?

Like a lot of large-scale western public policies, this program is a mix of “socialism” and “capitalism.” The U.S. approach on public policy often tends to tilt more toward the capitalistic, corporate, and privately-oriented end of the axis.

That’s certainly the case when it comes to American health care, in comparison with other western nations, and Obama care doesn’t change that basic fact about the U.S. system. It arguably nudges it a little toward socialism than it previously-largely because of the expansion in Medicaid– But it doesn’t change the essential equation.

3) How will the FDA, Pharma, Medicare and Medicaid be affected by the new health-care law?

This is a huge set of questions beyond the scope of a brief interview briefly, Medicare is getting a slight reworking around the edges, and Medicaid is getting a significant national expansion– But that expansion is up to individual states, and some are not going forward with it at this point. More people, and in some areas more money, are going into the system, and that may help Pharma.

4) Its seems fair for the wealthy sector who can afford private health to think of Obama Care as a  disaster program because it will result into a “waiting list” as observed in other socialist countries where people get treated according to the severity of their problem. The sickest get  first priority, creating a waiting waiting list for those who need also attention but are not as severely bad.  But is it fair for those whom cannot afford private Insurance premiums and not get benefits based on a system where paying more money  gets you better health care ? Is Obama Care really more beneficial for some and not for others?

The premise of the question exaggerates the effects of Obama care on the overall system. It is not going to create a single payer, socialized system. It is adding, at last count, about 10 million people into the insurance system, in addition of 300 million. Most of those are going to have private insurance plans. They will be as entitled to health care as any other person in a similar system. It doesn’t change the way that insured patients will be treated, in any dramatic fashion. The wealthy will be largely unaffected by this, in terms of the way they receive their health care. Also bear in mind that the overall system in the U.S. prior to Obama Care, had about a 50-50 split between private and public funding. Medicare and Medicaid are huge programs. So the system was not wholly private beforehand. A I said previously, it is a blend o the private-corporate, and public-socialistic.

In terms of who it helps, if it improves the overall health of the nation, everyone benefits. In the short term, it provides more help to the middle class and the poor, because they now have more access to health insurance. It also helps those who work in the health care system who will benefit from having more people with access to health insurance.

5) If the private sector already rules the health system, aren’t they also the ones lobbying hard to take Obama Care out of our system for their own interest rather than for the overall  public health? Would the private health sector lose money if Obama Care gets very big? 

That’s not necessarily the case, and the Obama administration worked hard early on to get “buy in” by the insurance industry for this new program. The industry stands to benefit by having more customers, more patients also mean more demand for the health care professionals. On the other hand, the regulatory effort to create a more efficient and less costly system could put some downward pressure on insurance companies, and could put some additional constraints on health care professionals. Some from their perspective, It’s a mixed bag.

6) How will Obama Care play with doctors pay rate? Will it possibly lower it?

It’s possible to see how it might serve to lower rates in the long term, relative to what they would have been otherwise. This would be due to have been otherwise. This would be sue to having more large-scale buyers of their services in the system, with more power over rates. But that’s not clear at this point.

7) Will Obama Care improve or lower the health care system? ‘

It’s really impossible to answer that question, without a prior statement about the values that one uses to judge whether something has been improved. I believe it’s fair to say that the consensus among health care researchers is that this program will bring more good than harm, on balance. And It’s also fair to say that this program will result in more people having some king of mainstream health care coverage.

Some worry, that this new program is a stop on a long journey toward a single-payer system that more closely resembles a European model, and others hope that this is the case. In the short-term, I think that neither the worry nor the hope is justified.

Many believe , that Pharma should be regulated during the health reform because prescription drugs have very bad side effects that affect thousands of peoples each year. Natural private health companies blame Pharma for lobbying against natural products and giving natural remedies a bad name, so they can sell new prescriptions.  These companies see Obama as health reformist that will push for more natural care. If Obama Care pushes forward, will the Government promote more health products and regulate prescription medications?

8) Many believe , that Pharma should be regulated during the health reform because prescription drugs have very bad side effects that affect thousands of peoples each year. Natural private health companies blame Pharma for lobbying against natural products and giving natural remedies a bad name, so they can sell new prescriptions.  These companies see Obama as health reformist that will push for more natural care. If Obama Care pushes forward, will the Government promote more health products and regulate prescription medications?    

 I am unaware that a major toward alternative therapies and natural remedies is part of Obama Care. I do not think this is an issue, regarding Obama care per say.

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