Editorials | Opinion

Editorial: Snowe, give us the health care we need

Posted on Sept. 24, 2009, at 1:06 a.m.

Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., introduced his version of health care reform Sept. 16, to tepid response by both parties. Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe, long seen as one of the few Republicans willing to negotiate a bipartisan plan, has hemmed and hawed over the proposed plan, and while we all support thoughtful examination, Snowe’s reticence points to a larger problem in the health care reform process.

It’s too bad Democrats are losing their spines on a public option, but any advance is a step in the right direction. To be honest, it is probably better to ease into health care reform than to try and do it all at once, but we all know there are people who can’t wait. That’s why serious reform is needed right now.

Snowe should immediately and wholeheartedly embrace a strong health care reform bill. It’s important in her capacity as Maine’s senator — a recent Daily Kos/Research 2000 poll shows that 58 percent of Mainers support a “government-administered health insurance option,” with only 29 percent opposed to such a plan — but it’s also a universally recognized fact that our health insurance system needs major changes. Why simply add on to an already broken program?

As Mainers, we are all used to seeing dilapidated old farmhouses, many of which have suffered serious structural damage. Sometimes, these are expanded with an adjoining addition or barn. No matter how hard you try, when you add on to an already unsound foundation, the entire structure will quickly degrade. If we try to just add on to our current health care system, the old, dilapidated parts will quickly drag down the newer parts. The best way to ensure long-term stability is to tear the whole thing down and start over.