Manning the phones for health reform

by: KayStreet

Tue Sep 15, 2009 at 14:50:28 PM EDT

First I asked each if they believed access to health to be a right of all Americans.

From Rep. Michaud's office: I spoke to a nice young man named Josh, who was the congressman's intern.

He gave me a fairly long-winded answer that was non-responsive to the actual question. I asked if he had political aspirations, and he said yes. I told him he was a making a good start. He agreed to ask the congressman to get back to me on that question.

From Sen. Susan Collins' Office: I spoke to a young woman named Alex, who when I asked about her job, said "I answer phones and stuff." I asked if she had a job title and she said no. So I asked to speak to someone who could answer questions regarding health care reform. She said she could help me. I was less than confident in veracity of that claim, but chose to keep that fact to myself.

So I asked my first question: is health care access a right? The response was that the senator "has no official stance on that issue." Suddenly, I had much more faith that Alex could answer all my questions - as long as I didn't expect any actual substance and/or relevance in the answers.

From Rep. Michaud's office: Josh said the congressman did not support HR 676, and agreed to ask the congressman for me why he didn't support such a plan.

From Sen. Collins' office: Alex said that the senator "had no official stance on this issue." Thus, you see the source of my new found faith in Alex's ability to answer my questions.

Next I asked each about their stance on a public option.

From Rep. Michaud's Office: Josh pretty much restated what's in the congressman's position paper on this issue. Generally supportive, but has some caveats on the details - mainly he is concerned about reimbursement rates.

From Sen. Collins' Office: She is against a public option. That she actually has an official position on something almost seemed like a breakthrough. Perhaps there is more method than madness afoot in their reluctance to answer any and all questions.

Next I asked about mandates, both for individuals and small businesses.

From Rep. Michaud's office: Josh was not aware of the congressman's position on mandates, and agreed to ask the congressman for me.

From Sen. Susan Collins' office: Alex said that the senator "had no official stance on this issue." Here, I paused to summon the restraint to refrain from asking if the senator even had legs since she seems to have little need for them.  Past experience has taught me that such inquiries inevitably put the person on the defensive, and generally makes them much harder to deal with.

Next I asked about each about their stance on the for-profit business model.

From Rep. Michaud's office: Josh, and others I have spoke to in the congressman's office, seem to hold the industry in general contempt. They seemed genuinely sympathetic to the wasteful spending represented by the so called "medical loss ratio" insurance model. They are less forthcoming about solutions, however. When I pointed out the a single payer is the best cure, Josh agreed, but Rep. Michaud didn't change his mind, I'm sure.

From Sen. Collins' office: Alex said that the senator "had no official stance on this issue."