Benemax

A little known Republican state senator from Massachusetts has won election to the U.S. Senate seat held for 47 years by Ted Kennedy. Scott Brown becomes the 41st Republican senator, denying Democrats their filibuster-proof 60 vote “super majority”.

But Brown’s victory isn’t just about numbers; it is a dramatic message to everyone in Washington that voters (even in dark blue states like Massachusetts) are VERY unhappy with the course of events in this country and will do almost anything to turn things around. And there’s already evidence that politicians are getting the message:

Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) made it clear this morning that he would not support any effort to rush health care reform through Congress prior to Scott Brown’s official seating. And none other than ultra-liberal congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) stated that Congress needs to “re-think” the direction of that reform. 

Today, there are three possible paths: (1) The Democrat leadership could still try to push the current bill(s) through Congress, ignoring the express will of the voters or (2) Congress could abandon health care reform legislation entirely or(3) Congress could come together on compromise, bi-partisan health care reform package that would increase the number of insureds, improve the health of all Americans, and bend the heath care cost curve.

Such a compromise might include the following:

(1) Insurance reform: no more medical underwriting, no more pre-exisiting condition limitations.

(2) Catastrophic mandate: All Americans would need to show that they had protection against the cost of hospitalization, surgery and diagnositc testing over $5,000/year.

(3) Subsidy: Expansion of Medicaid to help low income Americans afford the cost of health insurance.

(4) Incentive: Tax breaks for employers who invest in their employees’ health.