Tri-City Herald Logo

Gregoire says push needed to approve health care reform | Tri-City Herald

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Customer Service
    • Archives
    • Buy Photos and Pages
    • Contact Us
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Newsletters
    • Subscribe
    • Subscriber Services

    • News
    • Local News
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Hanford
    • Northwest
    • Nation & World
    • Obituary Listings
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • Health
    • Weird
    • Photos
    • Weather
    • Videos
    • Sports
    • Local Sports
    • Preps
    • Prep Countdown
    • Seattle Seahawks
    • Seattle Mariners
    • Tri-City Americans
    • Tri-City Dust Devils
    • Tri-Cities Fever
    • Hydros
    • Photos
    • Outdoors
    • Blogs
    • College
    • NFL
    • MLB
    • NBA
    • NHL
    • MLS
    • Golf
    • Politics
    • Business
    • Public Records
    • National Business
    • Technology
    • Entertainment
    • Local Arts
    • Celebrity
    • Mr. Movie
    • Movie Times
    • Movie News
    • Music News
    • Calendar
    • Submit Event
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Contests
    • Living
    • Food & Wine
    • Wine Press NW
    • Antique Appraisals
    • Health & Science
    • Home & Garden
    • Light Notes
    • Religion
    • Spiritual Life
    • Births
    • Engagements
    • Weddings
    • Anniversaries
    • Opinion
    • Letters
    • Editorials
    • National
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Submit Letter
    • Guest Columnists
  • Obituaries

  • Classifieds
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Place An Ad

  • About Us
  • Mobile & Apps

Health & Science

Gregoire says push needed to approve health care reform

By Les Blumenthal, Herald Washington, D.C., bureau

    ORDER REPRINT →

July 22, 2009 12:00 AM

WASHINGTON - President Obama needs to keep the pressure on Congress to quickly approve health care reform, Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire said Tuesday, adding that if Congress doesn't act it could be years before there is another chance.

In the nation's Capitol to testify before a congressional committee on climate change and green jobs, Gregoire said in a brief interview, "We need comprehensive (health care) reform this year. I agree with the president. He should push Congress and set deadlines."

Obama has been pushing the House and the Senate to approve bills before their August recesses in a couple of weeks, then iron out the differences when they return in September. Republicans, however, insist there is no rush and that reforms need to be thoroughly discussed.

Gregoire said Republicans are just trying to kill a reform bill through delay and Obama and the Democrats need to persist or they will lose momentum. The governor also said health care reforms have been talked about and studied since the Clinton health care plan fell apart 15 years ago.

SIGN UP

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to the Tri-City Herald

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

If Congress doesn't act before the end of this year, it won't next year because of the election, she said.

"If it doesn't happen this year, then we have lost the opportunity," she said. "I mean that literally."

Gregoire said, however, she has several problems with the bill that emerged from committees in the House that she thinks need to be fixed.

One provision would expand Medicaid eligibility, which provides health care to low-income people. The states pick up a share of Medicaid costs, and expanding eligibility would expand states' costs when they are all facing budget problems, Gregoire said.

The proposed House bill also fails to change a reimbursement formula for Medicare funding that punishes Washington because it has long had a more effective health care system than other states, Gregoire said.

While the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee has finished work on a bill, a more crucial bill from the Senate Finance Committee is still a work in progress.

In a later conference call with reporters, Gregoire acknowledged the difficulty in finding a way to pay for health care reforms.

Gregoire said she and other governors told Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., that a proposal that would require states to issue $100 billion in bonds to help pay for the reforms is a nonstarter. Some states are barred from issuing bonds for operating expenses by their constitutions, and in others it would be politically difficult, she said.

At the request of Baucus and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Gregoire and a small group of governors are putting together a paper on a reform that could save an estimated $60 billion.

Currently, some people receive medical care through Medicare as well as Medicaid. Ending this overlap could result in major savings, Gregoire said.

But Gregoire emphasized the quickest way to hold down health care costs would be by creating a better health care delivery system. She suggested one possibility would be to do away with doctors' fee-for-service system and replace it with one that emphasizes quality care over volume.

  Comments  

Videos

How to recognize the signs of physical child abuse

What is the Juul e-cigarette?

View More Video

Trending Stories

ATM bandit steals $30,000 from credit union accounts in the Tri-Cities

February 20, 2019 11:50 AM

They tried to drive away after a Richland gunfight. Their SUV got stuck in the snow

February 20, 2019 08:24 PM

Richland school offering counseling after student’s death

February 21, 2019 12:02 PM

Scott Servais announces pitchers for spring training opener vs. the Oakland Athletics on Thursday

February 20, 2019 12:57 PM

Richland man left shoeless in the snow after kidnapping and robbery

February 21, 2019 10:14 AM

Read Next

Environmental justice issues focus of town hall

Health & Science

Environmental justice issues focus of town hall

By KIM CHANDLER Associated Press

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 21, 2019 05:03 PM

Gore, Barber hold town hall on environmental justice issues in Alabama.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to the Tri-City Herald

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE HEALTH & SCIENCE

The Latest: Colorado ‘red flag’ gun bill gets 1st hearing

Health & Science

The Latest: Colorado ‘red flag’ gun bill gets 1st hearing

February 21, 2019 04:53 PM

Health & Science

Arizona lawmakers consider religious exemption for vaccines

February 21, 2019 04:35 PM

Health & Science

Oklahoma GOP leaders to push ‘triggered’ abortion ban

February 21, 2019 04:16 PM

Health & Science

Denial letters: Thousands could lose La. Medicaid coverage

February 21, 2019 04:10 PM

Health & Science

House passes measure to create long-term care program

February 21, 2019 03:52 PM

Health & Science

Florida gets closer to repealing smokable medical pot ban

February 21, 2019 03:11 PM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Tri-City Herald App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
Advertising
  • Digital Solutions
  • Place a Classified
  • Local Deals
  • Contact Us
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story