Healthy debate

In this holiday season of raising a glass and toasting one’s health, it would be lovely to know whether the federal government actually has the collective well-being of its people in mind or is just trying to look busy on the home front.

But the problem — and this is even before raising the glass enough times to make the holiday season even more jolly — is that the health care reform plan currently being proposed, rejected, pulled apart and put back together has left me with a big question: Huh?

Insurance coverage can be confusing enough. HMOS, PPOs, co-payments, premiums, caps, deductibles. Just as there are no one-size-fits-all patient, there is no one-size-fits-all insurance. There are charts and graphs and handbooks and customer service representatives but half the time it still isn’t clear what the heck medication and procedures are covered.

Why expect the current proposal to be any different? Oh, that’s right; that silly word "reform.” Yet, despite inches of newsprint and hours of political media roundtables, the answers are still about clear as mud.

At first, abortion was in. Then abortion was out. Then it was in but with caveats and restrictions. Then leaders did the Hokey Pokey and turned themselves around and the rest of us were left wonder if that’s what it’s all about.

Death panels? Did they exist? Were they included? It’s hard to remember anymore.

The public option was also in. Then it was out. The public remains feeling out of the loop.

The Medicare buy-in is out. The Medicaid expansion is in. But Nebraska doesn’t have to foot the bill.

The bill also provides $100 million for some unnamed medical center at some unnamed university somewhere in the United States. And that lowers co-payments how?

Americans who don’t participate will be taxed, which seems a great thing to do to somebody who might not be able to afford coverage to begin with. Those with religious objections get a pass. Does "God, no!” count for an exemption?

Christian Scientists and others who believe in the healing power of prayer want that included as a form of medical treatment in the legislation. But it’s been stripped from the bills because of concern that it could violate the separation of church and state. But maybe it will be reinserted.

Scorecard, anyone?

The only thing some divergent groups appear in agreement on is that the plan is flawed — and even those overlaps are based on different reasons. Republicans and liberal MoveOn.org in the same bed? Strange but true.

Is it any surprise a vast amount of the public — me included — would rather pore through the latest extramarital tallies of Tiger-gate than stress over every nuance and last-minute change of the health care plan? The driest summaries of adultery, a good swing with a golf club and even Gloria Allred are a lot easier to digest than juicy explanations of Cadillac insurance plans and the oh-so-sexy sounding Stupak Amendment. Even the fights over climate change seems more clear-cut, and that isn’t even in our own backyard.

Like any illness or complaint, though, ignoring the convoluted health reform efforts won’t make them go away. Even the most unenthused, like myself, must knuckle down and ferret out what it means even if all gives in return is a headache.

Let’s hope aspirin is still covered.

Michelle Durand’s column "Off the Beat” runs every Tuesday and Thursday. She can be reached by e-mail: michelle@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 102. What do you think of this column? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.