It has been my good fortune to have participated in a few discussions on the topic of Health Care and Health Care reform over the past two months.

I was asked to sit on a panel discussion at the California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (CAHCC) Annual Convention in San Diego. Concern from the attendees clearly focused on how the current system and potential future changes might impact and affect the Latino community in general and Latino business owners in particular. My comments touched on some of the shortcomings in the system as well as its actual advantages. It was most important to point out that there are solutions in place that benefit the Latino community and Latino business owners. Some of the other panel members touched on services that are available today that people can take advantage of.

As it relates to insuring (financing) their health care, we spoke of public programs already in place that are often not utilized. Over 1/3 of the uninsured population is actually covered; they are eligible for pulic programs like Medi-Cal and Healthy Families. They are just not enrolled. So we coud alleviate much of our problem simply with outreach programs to the community. We also spoke of products and programs that can be utilized for much lower premiums than traditional PPO plans. Many HMO plans can be a great fit for the Latino population, particularly those that targtet the Latino community. Business owners and their families should consider strongly the benefits of High Deductible Health Plans (HDHP’s) alongside Health Savings Accounts (HSA’s). Premiums can be as much as half the cost of traditional PPO plans and the savings can be sued to fund the HSA’s.

Earlier this month, I participated in another panel discussion,….this time alongside eight practicing physicians. The program was produced by the Conejo Coalition for Responsible Government. I was again honored to sit among such an esteemed panel. One physician was a proponent of a single payor system and the others were largely fearful of the effects of even greater government intervention. The audience (based on the submitted questions and the level of response to the presenters) seemed to share that concern. My points were largely aling the lines of :

Our current system, while flawed in some aspects, produces the best level of health care in the world.

This is a really big issue: 20% of our GDP. We need to take our time and get it right. Beware the law of unintended consequences.

While our friends in DC are debating the macro issues, those of us on Main St need to find solutions to our micro issues. HDHP’s and HSA’s are an extremely viable alternative for many of us.

Both forums were extremely civil, even allowing for some varied opinions. This is a very important and intimate topic for all of us. The discussions should continue and we should all make our voices heard.