Tuesday, January 11, 2005
More of the same
["Governor urges action on health care, education," text of Governor Kathleen Sebelius's state-of-the state speech, The Wichita Eagle, 10 January 2005.]
Governor Sebelius presented her annual state of the state address yesterday and her budget today. Unfortunately, while her rhetoric emphasized the importance of education and health care reform, little in the way of content supported all of the talk.
What she did propose is revealing. The emphasis of the discussion on health care centered on rising costs. The emphasis of her solutions were on rising costs in the private sector, even though public costs are what a politician preparing a budget should be focused on, especially considering the dramatic rise in public spending through Medicaid.
In fact, upon further examination of the text of her address, aside from a single mention of consolidating state purchasing power, every proposal involves what she deems a failure of the private sector or private individuals. As she tells legislators, "it's time for us to do something about it."
The reality is, though, that it is the public sector that is to blame for many of the problems facing health care. More of the same will only make things worse. Whether it is the uninsured, prescription drug costs, administrative costs or tobacco use, the public sector should remove the planks from its own eye before working on splinters elsewhere.
Medicaid is a broken program that is projected to overtake the entire budget of Kansas in the next few years, and yet the only mention it receives in her address was to point out that she would fight any cuts from Washington. Bold moves in the budget? Nada.
Governor Sebelius may try to play the part of a strong leader forcing the legislature to act, but the truth is she's merely passing the buck.
[Matthew Hisrich, "A Backgrounder on Kansas Medicaid," The Flint Hills Center, 19 July 2004.]
["Governor urges action on health care, education," text of Governor Kathleen Sebelius's state-of-the state speech, The Wichita Eagle, 10 January 2005.]
Governor Sebelius presented her annual state of the state address yesterday and her budget today. Unfortunately, while her rhetoric emphasized the importance of education and health care reform, little in the way of content supported all of the talk.
What she did propose is revealing. The emphasis of the discussion on health care centered on rising costs. The emphasis of her solutions were on rising costs in the private sector, even though public costs are what a politician preparing a budget should be focused on, especially considering the dramatic rise in public spending through Medicaid.
In fact, upon further examination of the text of her address, aside from a single mention of consolidating state purchasing power, every proposal involves what she deems a failure of the private sector or private individuals. As she tells legislators, "it's time for us to do something about it."
The reality is, though, that it is the public sector that is to blame for many of the problems facing health care. More of the same will only make things worse. Whether it is the uninsured, prescription drug costs, administrative costs or tobacco use, the public sector should remove the planks from its own eye before working on splinters elsewhere.
Medicaid is a broken program that is projected to overtake the entire budget of Kansas in the next few years, and yet the only mention it receives in her address was to point out that she would fight any cuts from Washington. Bold moves in the budget? Nada.
Governor Sebelius may try to play the part of a strong leader forcing the legislature to act, but the truth is she's merely passing the buck.
[Matthew Hisrich, "A Backgrounder on Kansas Medicaid," The Flint Hills Center, 19 July 2004.]
Comments:
Post a Comment
