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UPDATED: Health reform draws Sen. Keiser, Rep. Williams to D.C.

• Published October 13, 2009

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What a state lawmaker can hope to accomplish in pushing for national health-care reform remains to be seen. But Democratic state Sen. Karen Keiser of Kent put out word yesterday that she, Rep. Brendan Williams of Olympia and Rep. Steve Conway of Tacoma are heading back to Washington, D.C., today and Wednesday to see what they can do to help along the reforms.

UPDATE: Sen. Keiser’s staff says she and Rep. Conway also are meeting Wednesday with President Obama on the health-reform issue. ...

Keiser, who chairs the state Senate's healthcare committee, has been bullish for months on seeing federal action this year, and she's made three previous trips to talk to administration and congressional members.

In a blog post yesterday Tuesday, state Senate Democrats had this about the trip and Keiser's hope for reform by Thanksgiving.

Keiser expects to meet today Tuesday with House and Senate leaders as well as Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Seattle, and U.S. Rep. Adam Smith, D-Tacoma. They'll visit tomorrow Wednesday with U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Bainbridge Island, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Seattle, and White House officials.

The Senate Finance Committee is expected to vote today on the legislation crafted by Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Cantwell can be counted on to push for a public option and changes to Medicaid benefiting this state in any final version that moves. Cantwell also is pushing for financing that could help programs like Washington's beleaguered Basic Health Plan, which state legislators might be forced to kill off next year to bridge a yawning budget gap.

While back east, Keiser expects to talk with Cantwell about solutions to the BHP funding crisis, the blog piece says.

Today's vote comes as insurers have ganged up against the reform plan, and new reports show experts think the reforms won't adequately rein in costs of health-care insurance. The need to rein in those costs, putting emphasis on quality care instead of quantity, has been a focus for Rep. Smith in the House and could be the price of a vote from him and other Democrats when weighing in on the three variants of H.R. 3200 in that chamber.