Experts discuss health care at philosophy panel

"This is the most important thing that's going to happen in your lifetime," Bill Darling, a partner at the Strasburger law firm, told the audience attending the recent Landscape of Health Care Reform Politics, Ethics and Law panel.

Hosted by the Department of Philosophy, Religion, and Humanities, the panel featured guest speakers Bill Darling, Archie Alexander, a physician and attorney, and ACC Philosophy Professor Don Becker.

The event was organized by Matthew Daude Laurents, the department's chair.

During his introduction Laurents said that the event was aimed at the ACC community because the college should engage the community in larger social problems that touch all of our lives. The speakers drew from their expertise to talk about different aspects of the debate at the Dec. 2 panel.

The importance of the discussion was demonstrated by the fact that students and faculty filled every chair in the auditorium, and some attendees stood at the back of the room.

"The idea that you're here - well I'm impressed. I thought seven, maybe eight people [would show up] on a cold, rainy night," Darling said.

Darling works in both Austin and Washington D.C., and his presentation covered the political challenges in passing any type of health care reform bill. He detailed the political process in debating and negotiating the bills, some possible outcomes, the votes of some key senators, and threats of a filibuster.

Representing the conflict are two bills. HR 3962 Affordable Health Care for America Act was passed 220 to 215 by the House on Nov. 7. Eleven Texas Representatives voted for and 21 voted against. On Nov. 21, the Senate voted in favor of bringing HR 3590 The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act up for debate.

Darling said he believes this debate is likely to last into January or February Even if a combined House and Senate bill could be passed immediately full implementation of the bill wouldn't happen until 2018.

"It's such a confusing mess that there might be things to occur that cause it to go even further," Darling said.

Becker presented on the ethical and moral issues governing health care. Through his presentation he addressed the questions of government's role in taking on this challenge, the role of the individual as a part of society, health care as a right given to individuals, the measurable extent given to each individual, and how this fits into the goal of maximizing average happiness.

Becker ended with the resolution that humans are, by nature, moral individuals part of a whole. As a result, if an individual saw another in need or in trouble, the first individual would try to help the second and that this idea is the basis for health care reform.

"I agree with this because I think government is just a mirror of the community, a reflection of the individual," student Joel Mize, a Spanish major said.

The morality of whether people are willing to help each other without benefit to themselves was illustrated with a specific example by Alexander following the presentations. At the current time, the only form of guaranteed health care is provided through the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA).

EMTALA was created in 1986 in reaction to "dumping" instances of the 1970's when hospitals and emergency personnel would often "dump" a patient without health insurance on another hospital. As a result, many went without treatment and some died. Alexander added that this statute would be a key piece of past legislation affecting future health care reform.

Alexander's main presentation discussed the constantly rising cost of health care while citizens are receiving less coverage. He detailed some of the changes that will have to happen in the medical system, including the way patients pay and the way physicians provide medical care.

While Alexander acknowledged the complexities in passing this bill and declared that even he didn't know how to fix this system, he also said that what he wanted everyone to leave with was that doing nothing wasn't an option.

However, all attendees did not agree with this declaration.

"I'm not a math or science type of person, so I don't think I got much from Alexander's [speech] except that he doesn't know what we are going to do, and it's going to be more expensive," said Joel Mize, and added that "if he doesn't know, I certainly don't. Anything I'd say would be a guess."

While many want to know what the solution is to this very complex problem that has people from all professions debating, Laurent said that his goal in having the presentations wasn't to provide any specific solutions, but to get the different issues on the table in order to equip people to think critically about the challenges.

"I loved it," student Scott May, an education major said. "It was very informative, but I'm even more confused now on the issue. It made the decision on whether I'm for or against more it difficult, but it brought up a lot of good points."