Today Kevin Sack of the New York Times discussed Obama’s health care plan. The Blogosphere responded with renewed disgust towards the politicians’ suggestions. My thought about the article is this: we still do not have politicians talking intelligently about health care. Health care is just a box that needs to be checked on the politicians’ To-Do lists. Where is the real dedication to solve a real problem?
My strong belief is that health care will remain a mess while we leave it to the whims of a politician’s sound bite.
It is clear that the politicians’ focus is on votes, not on solutions. Obama focuses on the popular sentiment of universal coverage for cheap. McCain reassures conservatives that he will preserve the sentiment of individual responsibility. The need for election dampens every candidate’s desire to make tough calls. And why should they make those tough calls? Their political competition is not challenging them to do so. In fact, the first one to be honest will be shot on site.
I do not think America will ever have the “political will” to enact meaningful change. Political Will means that you will make some segment of the population unhappy. Rather than do this, politicians will get better at devising strategies to pass along the problem to the next generation while hoping someone else figures it out.
The gauntlet has been thrown down: Fix healthcare. Cost containment, quality, and coverage are the lynchpins. The fix must be set in the context of a heterogeneous American culture that does not demonstrate the European sensibility of “solidarity.”
Our efforts should not be wasted only on dissecting Obama’s savings calculations. Being able to intelligently criticize others is important but should not represent the only exercise we do. It alone does not advance the cause. I would love for those who think about these issues (in academia, the Blogosphere, patient advocacy groups, etc.) to propose a solution. Put up a straw man or two and modify it. Why not start a site where a real solution is fashioned?
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