At a health care conference in Florida in May or June, 1998, Senator George Mitchell was the key note speaker.  After his remarks, I raised my hand and asked him to characterize the difference between the Peace Accords in Northern Ireland and American Health Care Reform.  Without skipping a heartbeat, he said:  "The inability to compromise."
 
We face that same challenge here and now.  To get to meaningful reform, we need to change the language of reform.   And we need to stop leading with solutions that produce divisive debates.  There is no silver bullet solution.  The problem, however, is that the groups with the solution-whether it is single payer, vouchers or health savings accounts-have decided on their solution, as the solution.  They persist regardless of the data presented to them that their solution is not what the majority of Americans would support. 

Health care reform has failed in this country since 1932 report of the Committee on the Cost of Medical Care.  Roosevelt removed health care reform from the Social Security legislation, because he thought it would take down Social Security.  Reform failed under Truman, Kennedy, Nixon and Clinton.

I would argue it has failed because the debate has always been an ideological one, which pretty much reflects the more liberal and more conservative ends of each of the political parties.  Government-run health care vs. health care as a personal responsibility (health savings accounts/vouchers).

What has changed in this election, is the entry of a significant group of 'independents' who do not completely support the platforms of either party.  The problem, however, is that there are no Independent Senators or Representatives.  So while their voices were heard in the election, they have no champion except the President.

So, what the majority of Americans would support-a health care system with shared responsibility of individuals, employers and government, gets trapped between those advocating for single payer and those advocating for personal responsibility, without a clear moderate vision for a new system. 

Ironically, all the current proposals:   single payer, voucher and tax reform based health savings account, all take the employer out of the picture.  

 

We think the architecture of a new system should start with blueprints of principles.  Watch next week for our ABCs of Reform.
 

Sincerely,