Despite any divisiveness we saw throughout the heated 2004
election season, millions of Americans polled agreed upon one thing
— that this would be an election of monumental consequence.
And to prove their fervor, voters turned out in record numbers, the
likes of which we have not seen since 1968. Newly re-elected
President Bush described the election as one that earned him
“political capital.” Taking his notion as a point of
departure, it is time for us to evaluate what net political capital
we in the home care industry have and focus on using it as best we
can as we face new challenges in 2005 and beyond.
The sharp divides we see in today's society on various
“wedge” issues and ideologies have led to the emergence
of a new kind of politician. This new breed is the progressive
centrist who understands that there must be room in the middle of
the widening gap between political poles. Furthermore, coming to
the center should not mean only reaching watered-down, bipartisan
compromises.
Instead, it should entail developing innovative solutions for
modern dilemmas such as America's health crisis. One political
advocacy organization espouses these principles and projects that
whichever side can capture the center and build an “idea
majority” will dominate today's political and public policy
debates.
The New Political Climate
The balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives stands
at 201 Democrats to 231 Republicans (with two elections outstanding
in Louisiana), and the Republican majority in the U.S. Senate was
expanded to 55 to 44 Democrats.
We are fortunate that many of our “home care congressional
champions” will be returning to work with us further. These
include Sen. Michael Crapo, R-Idaho, founder and chair of the
Congressional COPD Caucus, as well as co-chairs Sen. Blanche
Lincoln, D-Ark., and Reps. John Lewis, D-Ga., and Cliff Stearns,
R-Fla. Home care champion Richard Burr, R-N.C., has moved from the
House to the Senate this year. Home care provider and advocate Rep.
Mike Ross, D-Ark., keeps his seat in the House, as do H.R. 4491
co-sponsors Reps. David Hobson, R-Ohio, and Harold Ford, Jr.,
D-Tenn. Finally, we are fortunate to be able to continue our work
with Sens. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., Rick Santorum, R-Pa., Susan
Collins, R-Maine, George Voinovich, R-Ohio, and many others.
The Republican-Democrat split among the states' governors will
be about the same as it was before the election (at this writing,
either 28-22 or 29-21 in the GOP's favor, depending on final
election outcomes). We will continue working with the National
Governors Association and state-level policymakers. It is critical
for us to continue nurturing current ties with our state and
national leaders and to work toward building and strengthening new
relationships.
Projections
President Bush plans to use the “political capital”
he gained from his victory on Nov. 2 to push an aggressive domestic
agenda in a second term. Where health care issues are concerned, we
can expect Republicans to encourage private health care plans for
our seniors, tax incentives for health care savings accounts and
implementation of the prescription drug benefit of the 2003
Medicare Modernization Act (MMA). They will also advocate capping
medical-malpractice court awards and allowing small businesses to
form groups to buy insurance.
Democrats will continue to fight for the importation of drugs
from Canada and other countries and, with HHS, will continue to
negotiate with drug companies for lower prices. Reducing the number
of uninsured (currently an estimated 45 million) will be a high
priority for Democrats, who will likely focus on expansion of
existing government health care programs.
Going into 2005, AAHomecare will continue to fight for patient
access and fair reimbursement policies on all fronts. Working
together, with progressive and innovative strategies, we can and
will make a difference for those in the home care community.
Kay Cox is president and CEO of the American Association for
Homecare, Alexandria, Va. For more information about AAHomecare,
visit www.aahomecare.org, or call 703/836-6263.
