Many believe healthcare issues will remain dead in the water despite the change in power ushered in by the 2006 midterm elections.
“The short answer is – nothing major will happen,” said Ezekiel Emanuel, MD, chair of the Department of Clinical Bioethics, National Institutes of Health.
Some even say the lack of resolve to tackle healthcare issues could last until the next presidential election in 2008.
Michael Zamore, senior advisor to Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) does not expect any systemic change of any magnitude “because the next two years are going to be mostly about politics and setting the table for the next presidential election.” He also doesn’t see any massive changes because the Democrats gained the majority in Congress.
“Looking toward next year, we are still going to see a pretty restricted ability to meet healthcare needs,” Zamore said.
Some change in the membership of Congress may bode well for reconsideration of healthcare reform, said Ryan O'Donnell, spokesperson for FairVote.
“Polls often show a statistically higher concern over healthcare issues among women, and so the fact that we may see as many as 21 new women to the House, and two to the Senate could be a factor,” O’Donnell said. “But by and large, the direction of healthcare will probably be just as murky as it ever was.”
O’Donnell said that anger may have fueled some voter decision-making in the polling booth. “The `doughnut hole’ in Medicare's drug benefit is certainly an example of a healthcare issue that angered a lot of people,” O’Donnell said. “Because they were in charge, the Republicans bore the brunt of voter's ire on that one, and there may be some pressure to reform afterwards, especially as America's population ages.”
George L. Askew, MD, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, a non-partisan progressive think tank, said he predicts little will be done to move healthcare issues forward, “if much remains the same in the halls of Congress after the election.” Healthcare reform is badly needed and should be addressed by both parties, he added.
“I hope those who ran with health reform as part of their platform stand by their words and work to deliver a system that provides affordable care for all Americans, controls costs, and makes prevention a national priority, while maintaining choice in selection of health plans and doctors,” Askew said.
In the meantime, little is expected to come out of the “lame duck” session of the 209th Congress, which will run from after the election until before the Christmas holidays.
Pat Smith, senior vice president, government affairs, for the Medical Group Management Association said even key players on healthcare issues won’t be able to accomplish much because “they have a full plate and are battling with conflicting agendas.” Nonetheless, MGMA plans to wage “a significant push from the grass roots level,” on its priority healthcare issues.