Of all the major legislative initiatives that Gov. Timothy M. Kaine touted in his State of the Commonwealth speech last night, the best was his health care package. For the most part, his proposals would do no harm. Indeed, they could actually do some good.
First and foremost, Kaine understands that people need to assume responsibility for their own health. Kaine’s remarks deserve to be quoted at length (even moreso, as the MSM totally ignored them in their coverage of the speech):
We do an outstanding job of treating people when they are sick. But, we don’t do very well at keeping our people healthy. While there are a growing number of exceptions, our health care system does not consistently encourage healthy living in a meaningful way.
I applaud the many Virginians — including those in this chamber—who have taken personal responsibility for improving their health. I want to set that same kind of example for Virginians, and you’ll see me out there — getting my weight and blood pressure checked, getting my flu shot, walking, hiking, and riding my bike. I hope to see you there with me.
As one of Virginia’s largest employers, the Commonwealth can also set an example for others by implementing policies that support employee health. We are encouraging our employees to make better health choices, by expanding the Healthy Virginians initiative. Healthy Virginians offers state employees a variety of tools to exercise more, eat better and stop smoking.
I have also proposed changes to the state health insurance policy to promote good health, not just cover treatments after the fact. And our Medicaid program recently announced changes to do the same with the state’s nearly 700,000 Medicaid recipients. …
I have tasked my Secretary of Health and Human Resources and my Secretary of Education to work together to improve health education in our schools and improve the food that is available to our students every day.
Consistent with his idea that Virginians need to take more responsibility for their own health, Kaine wants to help them become better consumers of health care services. Said Kaine:
Late last year, I was the first governor to join with U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Mike Leavitt to partner in making our health care system more transparent and more focused on quality and safety. If we work with our health care providers to make these changes, we will enhance the quality and consistency of care we receive for our medical dollar, encourage a more cost-effective use of the system, and increase patient safety.
I applaud the Governor for not adopting the intellectually slovenly approach of tackling Virginia’s health care crisis by throwing money at it. He is absolutely right. Virginians need to take more responsibility for their own health, both by adopting healthier lifestyles and by becoming more demanding consumers of health care. The path to a better, more affordable health care system is not to encumber hospitals, physicians and other providers with more regulations. It’s to empower Virginians to act in the marketplace to demand more value, more productivity and better outcomes.
