So When Do We Reform Health Care?

David Leonhardt of the Times has a Business Section front-pager denouncing the Pelosi attempt at health care "reform":

Reduce the growth of health care costs. Bend the curve. Find the game changers. Reform the delivery system.

Yawn.

Health care reform has always had two main goals. The first — insuring the uninsured — carries grand overtones of social justice. The second — making the health care system more efficient — can seem abstract, technocratic and a bit nerdy.

My goodness - what about providing health care security to the many millions who currently have employer sponsored insurance but are one pink slip away from losing it?  Maybe Pelosi lost sight of that objective, but what about Leonhardt?  But on to the denunciations:

But I think it’s important to step back and understand precisely what health experts mean when they argue for reforming the delivery system.

It is not simply about bending the curve, or slowing the growth, of Medicare’s projected spending. It’s also about preventing thousands of needless deaths from hospital infections. It’s about making sure you get the best cancer treatment, even when that treatment is not the most profitable one. It’s about keeping health costs from denying most families a decent pay increase, as has happened in recent years.

Making the medical system more efficient is, in short, about saving lives and giving Americans a long overdue raise. It is arguably the single most important step that the federal government could take to improve people’s lives.

And the bill that the House of Representatives passed last weekend simply does not get it done.

After assuring us that the Senate bill at least takes a stab at cost control we are provided a political road to guide us through the upcoming debate.  Tort reform is simply not mentioned; the piece would be stronger if it were placed on the map somewhere, perhaps with a "Here There Be Dragons (and trial lawyers)" warning.

Comments

[Charlie (Colorado)]

The amount of mis-and dis-information in that piece is just prodigious. Someone call the Guinness folks.

[Captain Hate]

1. PelosiGaloreCare
2. ??????
3. Less Hospital Infections !!!11leventy!!

[Tom Bowler]

Health care reform has always had two main goals. The first — insuring the uninsured — carries grand overtones of social justice. The second — making the health care system more efficient — can seem abstract, technocratic and a bit nerdy.

I think there is only one goal - an enduring progressive majority in congress. They'll get by wxpanding the pool of Americans who vote for a living. (Thank you Porchlight.)

[Tom Bowler]

"they'll get that by expanding"

Sorry 'bout the typo.

[Dave (in MA)]

"The reason the tea-baggers are so inflamed is because we are winning."

(file photo)
Former President Bill Clinton, at a lunch with Senate Democrats on Tuesday

[Then again, more likely during.]

This must have been a before shot, Dave; note the even level of the socks on the calves.
===========================

[megapotamus]

These were the public goals. The stated goals. We may fairly say, the fake goals; the diversion, the fraud. It is astounding to me that at this late date there are people even on the Left that think this monstrosity or indeed any of its extant competitors can have any beneficial effect on costs except for straight, coerced reductions. Some of the more honest or tactically green Leftards are admitting this as an argument for a yet more stringent regime for HC pros. Yeah, that will work. It always comes down to a gun to the head with this crowd. Some only realize that when they feel the cold steel.

[Rick Ballard]

Pssst - wanna read what a real, live capitalist thinks about the government?

“Washington is doing everything in their manpower, capability, to destroy U.S. manufacturing,” Farr said today in Chicago at a Baird Industrial Outlook conference. “Cap and trade, medical reform, labor rules.”

Emerson must not need any "help" from Uncle Ben and Turbo Timmy.

“What do you think I am going to do?” Farr asked. “I’m not going to hire anybody in the United States. I’m moving. They are doing everything possible to destroy jobs.”

Gosh, that's not too green shootish.

[Strawman Cometh]

Oh carp, Cao is coming up on Travis Smiley

[Michael Kirsch, M.D.]

Tort reform is not only off the map, it's out of the galaxy. Shame on Pelosi and her minions. Get ready for years more of defensive medicine, exposing patients to unnecessary medical care and risks of complications. Isn't there a better place we could spend these health care dollars?
See www.MDWhistleblower.blogspot.com

[clarice]

Posting this on both live threads:
Big news--a recanvassing in NY-23 shows that Hoffman may have been the real winner.
Pelosi was informed that the vote totals wer unofficial and the Secretary of State of NY never certified those results. If Hoffman does prove to be the winner, Pelosi got the health bill monstrosity passed only with the vote of a man not qualified to vote,

She rushed this thru without waiting for the official tally.

LUN

[cathyf]

I thought that the houses of congress had absolute power over deciding who to certify and swear in. Which would mean that he was validly sworn in, even if he were to be removed later.

Also, I'm not so sure about the absentee ballots, since Scozzafava would have still been on all of those ballots, and most of them would have been cast when she was still in the race. Especially overseas military -- they might be busy enough that they are not keeping up with the news, and so just vote for the (R) or the (D). And in the case of military, probably the (R).

[clarice]

I don't think that's quite correct. I think for elections the candidate needs to be certified by the designated state officer as having won the election, cathy.

You may be right about the absentee ballots and Hoffman's aide, Ryan , blowing smoke but he insists that his candidate was far ahead in a three way contest.

[Barbara]

So, that's why Pelosi needed Rep. Cao's vote. One extra vote for the destruction of health care just in case Owens is found to have lost the race to Hoffman.