1. Growing Consensus on Health Care Reform? What’s In the Wind and What Lies Ahead Washington Association of Health Underwriters March 4 and 5, 2009 Kathleen O’Connor, CodeBlueNow! www.codebluenow.org

2. History of Ideological and political failure Committee on the Cost of Medical Care: 1932 Roosevelt dropped it from Social Security WW II: Employers offer health insurance in lieu of wages Johnson passes Medicare and Medicaid: 1960s True Bipartisan Failure: Truman, Kennedy, Nixon and Clinton

3. CodeBlueNow! National, nonpartisan, coalition building organization—501©3 Uses consensus building approach to health care reform We asked the people what they want vs leading with specific solutions.

4. Our History Formed in 2003 from a National Contest 2004 and 2005 Built Infrastructure 2006 Pilot Project in Oregon 2007 Market Research in Iowa and WA 2008: Pulse Partners; Spreading Results 2009: Bipartisan Voters’ Health Care Platform Funding from individual private citizens and foundations

5. Our Data Online survey Market research in WA and IA (600 phone interviews per state: statistically valid data) Other nonpartisan nonprofits US Women’s Chamber of Commerce; WA State Grange; Faithful Reform in Health Care; National Coalition on Health Care; Artist Trust; Cancer Lifeline, et. al.

6. Consensus, Common Ground Exist Accountability: Public Reporting/Outcomes Equity: Universal Coverage/Core Benefits Choice: Any licensed provider (CAM) Affordability: New financial incentives Information: Costs, benefits, outcomes Prevention over high tech cures Shared responsibility: Employer, individuals, government Efficiency: Enough money if well managed

7. Universal Coverage

8. Basic set of Health Benefits

9. Transparency

10. Any Licensed Health Care Professional

11. Prevention

12. Uniform Standards

13. Shared Responsibility

14. Public Reporting like Utilities

15. Public’s Role

16. Who Would You Trust?

17. Employer Should Continue Major Role

18. One Overseeing Organization

19. Paid by Tax Dollars

20. Personal Responsibility

21. Enough Money to Cover All

22. What Does This Mean? More consensus exists than pundits, parties, and press indicate Public wants neither government run tax- based health care (single payer) nor individual voucher (personal responsibility) These two approaches have dominated the discussion for 80 years Neither side willing to compromise

23. What Does This Mean? No unified vision for middle of the road reform Kennedy/Obama proposals will be blasted from the left and the right Without a compelling, positive vision, health care reform could be dead on arrival Need to lead with the people’s voice

24. Voters’ Health Care Platform Enables us to use the ingenuity of the American public to solve problems Takes ideas from all sides of the aisle Builds on Common Ground and Consensus Uses problem solving approach outside of the parties to work on areas where there is not consensus Partner with other nonpartisan nonprofits

25. What’s In the Works? Conyers Single Payer bill Opponents; advocates; winners and losers Wyden-Bennett Voucher proposal Opponents; advocates; winners and losers Baucus White Paper Daschle/Obama Plan Kennedy Plan Massachusetts Model Economic stimulus provisions

26. Critical Issues for Reform Delivery System Changes: New payment incentives Cost Containment measures Shared responsibility Accountability Clearly bi-partisan

27. Range of Options Government run, tax based Single payer; eliminates employer and insurer and for profit insurers Individual Voucher Paid by employer, employee and government; eliminates employer over time Massachusetts, Obama, Daschle and Kennedy Keeps employer and insurers

28. Opportunity Strong consensus on key elements Build on existing system vs. clean sweep Almost everyone hurting Key groups advocate universal coverage American Health Insurance Plans; AMA; Re vamp Medicare and Medicaid

29. Challenge Making the case for reform that resonates with public Getting beyond politics as usual Actually listening to the proposals vs. knee- jerk party lines “To present policies factually and accurately, providing all information necessary for the issuance of sound insurance coverage to the public I serve.” NAHU Code of Ethics