Michael Brewer

Medical Disparity In Miami: Obama Visit Renews Hope For Reform



Posted: Monday, February 01, 2010

by
Communicatia, Inc.

South Florida has the notorious distinction as home to some of the least uninsured people on the planet. A double-blow to medical disparity in the Sunshine State, Florida also leads the nation in health care costs. So it was certainly no surprise to legislators on both sides of the Congressional aisle that President Barack Obama chose to visit the state a mere one day after his first State of the Union address --- a ninety minute speech with barely a mention about the health care reform battle waging on Capitol Hill.

In its coverage of the presidential visit, the Miami Herald provided some startling statistics about how bad things are for those without insurance in Florida. Combined, about 52 percent of the entire metropolitan areas of Ft. Lauderdale/Broward County and Miami/Dade County (two of the most populous areas in the state) do not currently have health insurance. Maybe that's why Obama decided to adjust a very important semantic in his cries for health care reform. The context and actual meaning may have been missed on many in the crowd and watching on television, but it certainly was a major change in tone for health care analysts based in the state.

"Here's what I ask Congress...Don't walk away from reform," said Obama the night before his Tampa visit. "Not now. Not when we are so close. Let us find a way to come together and finish the job for the American people."

Now, Obama's speech writers are very careful to use the word "care" as a conjunction to the prior word "health" whenever he is scheduled to discuss the debate. This time, health insurance plans the target.

University of Miami health policy specialist Steven Ullman noted in the Herald story that during his visit to Tampa, Obama did away with the word "care" and inserted the word "insurance." As in the Obama Administration has subtly, but very intentionally fired off the next salvo in the debate for health reform. This time, health insurance companies are the target.

Trouble with this Hail Mary Pass is he is likely to have a much higher mountain of opposition to climb before he can piece together a bill that all the players at the table approve of.

"It will be more limited, something acceptable to both parties," predicted Brian Keely, head of Baptist Health South Florida, one of the largest for-profit health care providers in the state. "Or it could be dead on arrival, a possibility that everybody's so chagrined about that they don't want to mention."

Alberto Casaretto, president of the Broward County Medical Association, noted that although he is optimistic, he doesn't think the worst of the debate is over. After all, none of the key players in the proposal to change health care delivery in the United States are willing to own up to the undeniable increase in the nation's already ballooning deficit would bring.

"I like the fact that the president said he isn't quitting (on reform) and he said the Congress shouldn't either. Something needs to get done."

Only a day before Obama called out his next target by name, the CEO of one of the nation's biggest employer-based health insurance companies warned the President against making health insurance companies pay up.

"The cost of premiums will rise if Democrats force plans to cover people with pre-existing conditions," said Wellpoint CEO, Angela Braly. "Insurers went along with their practice of refusing coverage based on pre-existing conditions because the legislation also required 30 million more Americans to get coverage."

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