By Moe Wosepka, Executive Director
Montana Catholic Conference

If a survey were conducted, seeking the most difficult and polarizing issues facing Americans today, you would expect those issues to include abortion, immigration, end of life, taxes, tort reform, conscience protection and welfare. Many of them defy a solution.

Health care reform encapsulates all of those issues, and more, in the same package. Is it any wonder that solutions are so elusive? Is it any wonder that health care reform has become so contentious?

Republican pollster Whit Ayres notes that health care is “a highly complex issue with lots of moving parts, that even people who are paying close attention to the debate have difficulty fully understanding.”

Additionally, none of the bills under discussion have been written. As of this writing, only the Senate Finance bill has gone through a markup and the final version is not written.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is closely watching the progress of the bills. The USCCB priorities in health care reform are affordability; no expansion of abortion or abortion funding; and fair treatment of legal immigrants.

While some people are concerned that the focus on a broader range of issues distracts us from our opposition to abortion, we need to remember that Catholic teaching in social justice tells us we must respect the life and dignity of all persons. The USCCB position on abortion is clear, and the bishops will not compromise on that issue. They will not sanction mandated or public funding of abortion. They will continue working to cover the millions with no health insurance, as should we.

The USCCB supports health care that is accessible and affordable to all. A recent Harvard study stated the annual cost of health insurance for a family of four in 2008 averaged $12,990. If medical costs continue rising at their current rate, premiums could more than double in 10 years, making it much harder for Montana families to afford insurance.

Another Harvard study reported that 60 percent of bankruptcies in 2008 resulted from inability to pay medical expenses. The study further noted that since most insurance is part of an employment package, a disabling illness causes a spiraling event that starts with loss of a job, then loss of health coverage at a time of high medical costs and little or no income. Bankruptcy is the result.

We also should consider the true cost of health care for the uninsured. They receive care in emergency rooms at a cost many times that of preventive services. They are not cured, but merely bandaged and sent out until health concerns flare again. Then they return to the emergency room.

Their treatment is paid for indirectly by those with insurance. A friend in the insurance industry told me that those with insurance pay full cost for their health treatment plus they overpay to compensate for those without insurance, those with inadequate insurance and those on Medicaid and Medicare. If we consider these additional costs, we may find the overall cost for covering the uninsured much lower than we imagine.

Providing health care is a justice issue. I believe that in the near future, health care will be the No.1 economic issue facing our families. It’s time to work together to find solutions.

Moe Wosepka is executive director of the Montana Catholic Conference. He may be reached by phone at 442-5761. His e-mail address is director@montanacc.org.


Published in The Montana Catholic, Vol. 25, No. 10, October 16, 2009.