Berkley on health care: ‘We need to change our paradigm’

By Marshall Allen

Tuesday, June 30, 2009 | 2 a.m.

Editor’s note: Two members of Nevada’s congressional delegation — Republican Dean Heller and Democrat Shelley Berkley — sit on the U.S. House of Representatives’ Ways and Means Committee, which is examining major changes to the nation’s health care system. Heller declined to be interviewed for this story.

Perhaps no proposed legislation would affect more Americans than health care reform.

Congressional proposals promise to provide needed health coverage for about 47 million uninsured Americans. But they would come at a price — some say more than a trillion dollars over 10 years — and it’s uncertain who would foot the bill.

Rep. Shelley Berkley, whose husband is a physician, speaks on the subject with passion. She advocates health insurance for everyone, funded by an investment in prevention to save money down the road. And those who fear a tax increase should consider that insured patients are already paying for others’ health care — through increased costs that cover the expenses of the uninsured, she said.

Do you consider health care to be a fundamental human right?

No matter what age you are, what income level, what ethnicity, what religion, what party affiliation, what part of the country you come from — everyone in this country needs good, affordable health care. It’s a fundamental basic right that contributes to wellness, quality of life, longevity and your ability to participate in a meaningful way in society.

Why do you think health care reform is necessary?

The United States has the highest health care costs in the world but we are not getting the benefit of those dollars spent. The current system is collapsing under its own weight.

The way we deliver health care in this country is bassackwards. The majority of health care dollars are spent in a patient’s last six months of life. We need to change our paradigm and put more money into prevention and detection. Changing the paradigm will keep Americans healthier. We’ll live longer and ultimately we’ll save billions of taxpayer dollars.

Should individuals be required to have health insurance?

We require people to have auto insurance and fire insurance. Health care insurance is at least as important as those two. If everyone has insurance then everybody shares in the cost. Those with health insurance are paying an average of $1,000 more on their policies to subsidize the nearly 50 million Americans who do not have health insurance.

Should there be a government-run health insurance plan for people who can’t obtain coverage at work?

About 150 million Americans are covered by employers. The president has been clear, and the recurring theme in our hearings is: “If you like your current health care plan, keep it.” There should be no attempt by the government to force anybody to change a plan they like. However, there are about 47 million Americans who have no access to private insurance. A public insurance plan might be one way of providing coverage to those that cannot access private health care.

Do you favor the government-run insurance option?

We are taking a very good look at it. A lot of this has to do with the cost. How many people will ultimately be covered by insurance, and how will they be provided that coverage? If we subsidize the current system, it’s a Band-Aid. A public plan would provide competition, lower the cost of health coverage and cover the 47 million who can’t get health care coverage now.

How would you propose funding health care reform? Some estimates are that it could cost more than a trillion dollars.

If we could change the paradigm and do early detection and prevention of disease you will save a fortune. Statistics show that 70 percent of the chronic illnesses in this country, which are costing a fortune to treat, are caused by smoking, obesity and lack of exercise. If we can help educate the American people about what they need to help keep their own bodies healthy, we will save billions.

My own experience is a perfect example of how prevention can save money in the long term. In 1998, when I was dating my husband, he performed a $200 bone density test on me that showed I had osteoporosis. Because of that test, I got on medication, supplements and hormones that have improved my bone density. I’ll never have a straight back, but I’ll never break bones like both my grandmothers did.

It costs Medicare $19 billion a year in osteoporosis-related bone fractures. We know if we provide these bone density tests to Medicare patients that it will ultimately save us billions of dollars. That’s the way you cut spending, so that this is affordable. We spend more efficiently.

Should taxes be considered to pay for health care reform?

It’s too early to tell because we don’t know the cost. But remember this: We’re paying a hidden tax now. You and I, if we have health insurance, are paying an extra $1,000 a year for our coverage that goes to paying for those who don’t have any insurance. Look at University Medical Center. It has extraordinary debt because people aren’t covered. Others subsidize that cost. That’s a tax. We’re paying it now.

Do you support the option of taxing health insurance premiums?

No. Obama campaigned on not increasing middle class taxes, and this might be an increase. That proposal would be taxing people on a benefit they already receive now.