Moderate senators, including Maine’s Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, have urged the White House to back off from its ambitious goal of passing health care reform bills in the House and Senate by the end of summer.

President Barack Obama, who speaks highly of bipartisanship, should seriously consider this advice. Struggling to push bills through before the summer recess could disrupt the alliances that will be needed to establish a new health care system

As the president notes, the current system is failing many Americans, including some who are paying insurance premiums. The cost of insurance is staggeringly high to individuals and businesses, and yet even those who are insured can’t count on full coverage when serious illness strikes. The right kind of reform will bring us peace of mind, and will enable us to tap huge sums that are now misdirected or wasted.

Many still doubt that the plans now on the table can accomplish this transformation. The director of the Congressional Budget Office warned last week that the current legislative proposals would not slow the growth of health spending.

Paying for health care reform through savings must be possible. Many nations are able to provide excellent care for their citizens, while paying less than the U.S. However, actually achieving these savings will be difficult to accomplish.

In his radio address last week, the president addressed concerns about cost straight-on. He said: “I want to be very clear: I will not sign on to any health plan that adds to our deficits over the next decade. And by helping improve quality and efficiency, the reforms we make will help bring our deficits under control in the long-term.”

Before passing a bill this big and wide-ranging, it is not unreasonable to ask the president for more than a promise. The kind of savings that are needed will mean more careful allocation of care ”“ which some inaccurately characterize as rationing ”“ and stronger limits on payments to doctors, hospitals and other providers. Other controversial elements, like the proposal for a public Medicare-style option, also need further discussion.

A system that covers everyone and keeps costs  under control will look a lot different than what we have today. Devising the right approach will take time, arm-twisting and compromise.

We agree with the president’s inclination to keep moving forward, but that does not necessarily mean we must make haste. As Olympia Snowe pointed out recently, it took President Lyndon Johnson nearly a year and a half to create Medicare ”“ a much smaller program than Obama has in mind.

— Questions? Comments? Contact Kristen Schulze Muszynski or Nick Cowenhoven at 282-1535 or kristenm@journaltribune.com or nickc@journaltribune.com.