The Health Reform We Need & Are Not Getting - The New York Review of Books

The Health Reform We Need & Are Not Getting - The New York Review of Books: "President Obama has placed health care reform high on his domestic agenda. He believes that a better health care system is essential for the nation's economic recovery, so health reform 'will not wait another year.' However, he has made only general proposals for reform, leaving Congress to work out the details of the legislation. The Democratic-led Congress has already passed some limited health legislation and its leaders say that they will put a comprehensive reform bill on the President's desk before the end of this year.

Despite wide popular support for major reform, there will be powerful opposition. Most Republicans in Congress, allied with a small band of fiscally conservative 'Blue Dog' Democrats, and most people in the for-profit health care industry will resist significant change. Many others with ideological objections to 'big government' pay lip service to reform, but will balk at proposals that threaten private insurance. Compromises will be necessary, so it remains to be seen what legislation emerges and how effectively it addresses the basic problems of the US health system.[1]"