Heller presents ideas

Rep. Dean Heller, R-Nev., on Tuesday described what he thinks would make a good health reform bill, although as a member of the minority party he's not sure it will even matter.

Heller has introduced five amendments to proposed health reform legislation only to have all of them shot down in committee. One amendment, however, which would have required members of Congress to participate in a proposed "public option" plan, was supported by Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev.

Another amendment proposed requiring people using government insurance programs to verify their status as legal citizens.

Heller also sought to forgive education loans for doctors and nurses who agree to work in under-served areas and to give doctors a tax break for serving indigent patients in their offices, as opposed to treating them in emergency rooms where costs are much higher.

Heller also called for limiting any new public insurance programs to people who are currently uninsured.

"If the purpose of this legislation is that all people have access to health care, that is a good policy, I agree with that," he said.

But the rejection of his amendments, he says, suggests reforms will go beyond providing access to health care for people who can't currently afford insurance.

"Let's just use this public option, if that is what we are going to do, and cap it at the number of uninsured," he said.

Proposed reforms have received support from the American Medical Association and the AARP.

And it is possible reform could go through without support from Republicans.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., "has the votes to do that," Heller said during an interview with the Review-Journal's editorial board. "The question we have is what is going to come out of the Senate. That is going to determine at the end of the day what this health care program is going to look like."

Contact reporter Benjamin Spillman at bspillman@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3861.