The 208 commission
Dear Editor: The back pedaling by the 208 Commission on Health Care, recently supported by the editorial staff of the Denver dailies is suspicious in that it came only days after Hillary Clinton announced her plan to reform health care. Within hours the blue ribbon commission chair pleaded for more time and a bigger budget, followed by a reduction in expectations about what is being accomplished. Now there is the suggestion that whatever the State of Colorado does will be eclipsed by the federal government anyway.
Could it be that the upcoming Democratic Convention is making the partisans uneasy?
Health care is a local market and an issue within the purvue of state’s rights and responsibilities. Federal laws including Medicare, Medicaid and ERISA were all empowering legislation and gave the states financial subsidies and enough discretion over eligibility for entitlements and the regulation of group health insurance to solve the problem of the uninsured. To now suggest that we cannot deal with this problem until the federal government acts is a cop-out. The Commissioners took on the job and knew upfront what they were getting into. They set the agenda and were in control of their own process. There are enough PhD and Masters degrees on the Commission to start a university.
I would suggest Bill Lindsey either admit his insurance broker credentials inadequately prepared him to lead the Commission and he turn command over or that he suck it up and get the job done. This is no time to make a hasty retreat. And, regards the newspapers, either have your cub reporters just report the events or get someone with real expertise to comment on the proceedings. It has been thin gruel for breakfast so far.
This letter has not been edited.