Cody, chairwoman of the state Health Care and Wellness Committee and a nurse, said she’s never heard a patient who was diagnosed with cancer or involved in a serious accident say, “Can you send me to the cheapest doctor?”

“There’s nobody that asks for the Volkswagen,” compared with the Cadillac, she said.

Paul Guppy, vice president for research at the Washington Policy Center in Seattle, sees it differently. He said that the market for health care needs to be more consumer-driven and that if employers were responsible for dispensing cars like they do health care, a lot of people would be without their own transportation.

More options

At a luncheon forum presented by the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, Guppy outlined ways he believes health care could be more affordable for small-business owners. About 140 people attended the luncheon.

He said Washington needs to be opened up to national markets for coverage. Only a handful of companies are authorized to insure state residents, he said. Competition should exist like it does in the auto insurance market, he continued, because it would reduce costs.

“We think there should be dozens, hundreds of insurers,” he said.

Guppy said auto insurance companies also offer “safe-driver benefits” that give breaks based on performance. He said that should also exist with health plans, with individuals receiving benefits for eating right or quitting smoking, for example.

“The consumer is not in the driver’s seat,” he said.

Cody said that more wellness applications are being offered through insurance programs. She said preventive measures are important, but added that it’s difficult politically to advocate for more preventive care if it’s at the cost of covering people who are already sick.

Cody said everyone should be entitled to basic health coverage, just as everyone can get a basic education. She said such coverage would keep people out of the emergency rooms for treatment of ordinary problems, which costs more and can contribute to rising health care costs overall.

Political divide

The legislative goal is to cover all Washington adults by 2012, but Cody called that “very optimistic.” She said Democrats focus on access when it comes to health care and Republicans focus on cost. She said neither party can get focused on change until they address that divide. “They both have to move forward,” she said.

Guppy advocates for less governmental involvement and said bank customers, for example, find out what services they will receive and at what cost before joining. Once they find one they like, they then receive a card that can be used around the country or the world for banking services.

“Our view is health coverage should be provided that way,” he said.

Neither side backed the idea of socialized health care, but Cody conceded that even if there was a plan that all sides compromised on, she would probably say it didn’t have enough government involvement and Guppy would say there was too much.

Paul Craig covers business for The Columbian. He can be reached at 360-735-4520 or via e-mail at  paul.craig@columbian.com.