The healthcare reform we need
Alexander McDowell
Issue date: 11/2/09 Section: Opinion
Health care was one of the pivotal issues that President Obama was elected on. The health care in this country is riddled with problems - most notably that more money is spent per person on health care than any other country in the world. These massively excessive costs are representative of a larger and larger percentage of our country's economy each year, but still leave about 45 million Americans, or 15 percent of the population, without any health coverage.
Health care reform has been the objective of more than one Democratic president, but for various reasons none have seemed to succeed. Clinton came close, but the aggressive nature in which the White House undertook the complexities of health care reform made Congress feel alienated from the legislating process. And as a result they killed it. In 2008, Obama campaigned on bringing much needed health care reform to the country. Obama's administration is attempting a different tactic than Clinton did in the '90s.
The Obama administration left the bill drafting to Congress. The idea was to let Congress put together the ideas, and then the administration would choose the best one. But, when the health care debate really started rolling this past summer, it looked as though this tactic might fail.
The debate centered on illogical arguments and scare tactics instead of actual solutions to the problem. Rumors of death panels and socialism dominated town hall meetings, and even when Obama directly addressed Congress on the issue of health care reform he was met with the shout of "You lie!" by a Republican congressman.
It truly looked as though the founding fathers intention that all voices in a debate be heard so that the best ideas will surface was failing. This is because the good ideas, by either party, were being drowned out by the loud and ludicrous shouts of those who did not wish to see any health care reform at all (something that all health and economic experts will agree is not an option for our country). However, after months of scare tactics and intense lobbying by the opposition, it seems that the health care reform we desperately need is finally taking shape.
Health care reform has been the objective of more than one Democratic president, but for various reasons none have seemed to succeed. Clinton came close, but the aggressive nature in which the White House undertook the complexities of health care reform made Congress feel alienated from the legislating process. And as a result they killed it. In 2008, Obama campaigned on bringing much needed health care reform to the country. Obama's administration is attempting a different tactic than Clinton did in the '90s.
The Obama administration left the bill drafting to Congress. The idea was to let Congress put together the ideas, and then the administration would choose the best one. But, when the health care debate really started rolling this past summer, it looked as though this tactic might fail.
The debate centered on illogical arguments and scare tactics instead of actual solutions to the problem. Rumors of death panels and socialism dominated town hall meetings, and even when Obama directly addressed Congress on the issue of health care reform he was met with the shout of "You lie!" by a Republican congressman.
It truly looked as though the founding fathers intention that all voices in a debate be heard so that the best ideas will surface was failing. This is because the good ideas, by either party, were being drowned out by the loud and ludicrous shouts of those who did not wish to see any health care reform at all (something that all health and economic experts will agree is not an option for our country). However, after months of scare tactics and intense lobbying by the opposition, it seems that the health care reform we desperately need is finally taking shape.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 3
Mike Esteve
posted 11/03/09 @ 12:44 PM EST
First, I would recommend you read this week?s article ?The Bottom Line?. Dan Clements addresses most of the numbers you bring up (45 million uninsured? Come on, now. (Continued…)
Gadema K. Quoquoi
posted 11/03/09 @ 2:04 PM EST
We need Heallthcare Reform, to Contained our Unsustainable Healthcare Costs.
Propper Deployment of Health Information Technology (HIT) Solutions and Training can Increased Pprooductivity (i, e, medical data mining/warehousing, risks treatment, service delivery), Efficiency (i, e, medical errors, redundant and inappropriate care), and have Costs Savings 0f around 20-30% of our Annual National Healthcare Expenditures ($2. (Continued…)
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