Don’t let critics derail an imperfect coronavirus relief bill that still has a lot of good in it

Teddy Roosevelt famously said it’s “not the critic who counts,” but “the man in the arena.”

But in today’s Washington, the critics get the most attention.

So it’s been with the COVID-19 relief bill, which just passed Congress with overwhelming bipartisan majorities. A week ago, everyone on both sides of the aisle seemed to agree how desperately we needed to pass this bill to provide a lifeline to struggling businesses and families to help them get through this difficult pandemic winter ahead. Now, suddenly, critics are digging into the fine print to find this or that provision they find wanting. That’s inevitable and even welcome. Tough scrutiny of every bill is a good thing.

But many critics are being unfair and missing the bigger picture.

First, they are missing so much about what’s right in this bill. The COVID-19 relief proposal is focused on meeting the most immediate needs for struggling families, businesses and communities. There are direct relief payments to individuals, expanded unemployment insurance and more funds for the critical PPP small business program, rental assistance to prevent evictions, protective equipment for hospitals, schools and for COVID-19 vaccine distribution.

There are also other provisions in this bill that are hugely consequential and yet aren’t getting the attention they deserve.

A perfect example: Surprise medical billing, which has been a scourge for so many American families. For those who aren’t familiar, “surprise medical billing” is a term that refers to patients getting a bill they did not expect from a medical provider after they received care from an out of network physician. It’s very common during emergency room visits, where as you might imagine, patients aren’t really focused on whether the physician who may be trying to save their life accepts the right insurance plan. According to a 2019 Journal of the American Medical Association study, as many as 43 percent of ER visits result in surprise medical bills.

That’s history now thanks to the work of a bipartisan group of senators — most notably Sens. Bill Cassidy and Todd Young — who have been working this issue for a year and who finally were able to get their surprise medical billing proposal included in this bill. The details are complex but the upshot of their proposal is that in the vast majority of cases, American patients will only be responsible for paying in network rates for emergencies and certain other treatments where patients don’t have the ability to choose an in-network provider.

This probably represents the most consequential — and positive — reform of the American health care system in a decade. If it passed in a standalone bill at a moment when America wasn’t navigating a pandemic and a uniquely chaotic post-election period, this would be headline news.

It’s a credit to Sens. Cassidy, Young and their colleagues for pushing to include surprise medical billing and it’s yet another reason there is a lot more good than bad in this bipartisan COVID-19 proposal, which should be signed into law immediately.

Is this bill perfect? No. If members had more time to negotiate, they certainly could have kept improving it. In addition, to avoid an imminent government shutdown, members unfortunately had to vote on a single mega bill that included the COVID-19 relief measures alongside all the appropriations that fund the government for the next fiscal year.

No one is particularly happy about this and no thinks this is the most efficient way to spend taxpayer money but we’re in a crisis, and frankly members had to accept several provisions they did not want to get the provisions their constituents and the country needs.

As Ronald Reagan once said, “If I can get 70 or 80 percent of what it is I’m trying to get, yes I’ll take that and then continue to try to get the rest in the future.”

That’s the thinking that surely led most members of Congress to vote for this imperfect and yet essential COVID-19 relief package. President Trump would do a great service to the country by signing into law before the new year.

Nancy Jacobson is CEO and founder No Labels, a group that seeks to move Washington beyond partisan gridlock and toward solutions to challenges faced by the country.