Commentary: Unifying state health care only way to cure its ills

The United Health Foundation ranked Louisiana the least healthy state in 2006 after being No. 49 ahead of only Mississippi in years past. Louisiana also ranked last among states in Forbes Magazine's "Best States for Business."

What these rankings don't tell you is the rest of the story,

Unfortunately, most businesses don't make it this far when looking for places to locate and invest their resources.

Louisiana is the only state in the nation with a two-tier charity health care system and that's not a good thing. This system leads to worse health outcomes, higher rates of uninsured and impedes the state's efforts to bring economic development to the region.

The ongoing debate in Louisiana on how to reform our health care system is a key barometer of the state's internal health and ability to address issues and deficiencies.

The country is eagerly watching to see whether Louisiana takes a step back into our old segregated two-tier system of health care or takes this opportunity to move to a single-tier system similar to policies being enacted in other states.

A vital component of how attractive the state may be to potential investors who bring jobs and economic development is our ability to provide affordable access to health care.

With real health reform, the state can give small employers access to group health insurance pools and subsidize premiums for those with low-incomes and disabilities.

Health insurance provides access to a network of providers that provide primary, preventive and acute care. If we could just give a health insurance policy to people under 200 percent of the federal poverty level, with annual incomes less than about $19,000 for individuals, we could cover 75 percent of the state's uninsured.

That's a huge step toward universal health insurance.

This week, the state of Louisiana will hopefully move a step closer to reforming the health care system so every Louisiana citizen has affordable access to basic health care. Although the Louisiana Healthcare Redesign Collaborative submitted its recommendations Oct. 20, many details of the plan were left out because of the need for additional information.

Since then, data has been made available to federal officials and the hard work of defining the possibilities is finally underway.

Federal and state officials met last week to finalize details of a plan that could fundamentally change Louisiana's health system for the better.

Real health care reform will be impossible if Louisiana chooses to support buildings instead of people. Federal officials have made it abundantly clear that for health care reform to become a reality, the state must combine all of its resources to finance a new system, along with substantial federal assistance.

There is no room for the state to finance the operation of unsustainable facilities.

Charity facilities can certainly continue to provide care, and they would be assured a fair payment from private insurance. But they would have to compete on a level playing field and should no longer rely on direct state funding.

Once there is consensus to eliminate the two-tier system, Louisiana can begin transitioning to insurance plans and forming medical homes, as proposed by the collaborative. Health reform will help businesses struggling to keep their doors open, will attract potential business investors who bring jobs and, most of all, will help all Louisianans get high quality health care from their choice of providers instead of trapping them in a system designed in the 1930s.-

Former Sen. John Breaux, D-Crowley, heads the bipartisan Ceasefire on Health Care campaign to promote dialogue among politicians on health care reform.