Health-care reform is a topic of debate and discussion by a joint interim committee of the West Virginia Legislature as well as by a statewide task force involving the public. For many West Virginians, particularly employers who are struggling with rising health-care costs, this issue is one of the highest concerns here in the Mountain State.
Here are 10 pragmatic recommendations on areas where the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce thinks there are opportunities for consensus and advancement:
1. Health insurance. We must come up with ways to provide greater availability of health insurance, especially for small groups and entrepreneurs. These must be created through tax incentives, changes in state and federal laws to allow small group coverage and innovative creation of insurance pools of people with mutual interests. We also must find ways to provide greater insurance coverage options, without high costs or severe restrictions, for individuals and entrepreneurs.
Who is going to pay for all of this?
Take #8, the Oral health initiative for example.
Dental care is too expensive: Most folks can't afford it. Their employeers can't afford it and/or don't provide it. The coverage you get is very limited for what you pay.
The best way to address this is through gainful employment. We need to find a way to boost our industrial and technological base enough to create tens of millions of of new, good paying jobs.
Just don't ask me how.