RSS FeedHealth Reform in ICU – Can It Be Revived?
28 January 2010Health reform has been a hotly debated topic, and was in very stable condition - until the Massachusetts Senate election. Since then, all bets are off, and the health reform movement has declined into a critical state. The nation anxiously awaited the State of the Union address last night to determine the current condition of health reform – has it flatlined? Can it be resuscitated? Would the President even attempt to revive health reform?
Interestingly, President Obama did not address health reform at all until over a half hour into the speech. Many observers and pundits are saying that the timing in the speech is a reflection that Obama is giving up on health reform – that it’s not a priority for him. However, perhaps he delayed mentioning the issue because he knows it’s an unpopular topic right now for many, not because he feels any less determined to pass health reform. I still think that Obama feels that health reform is what the country wants and needs, and that only a (relatively) few vocal opponents derailed his plans for health reform. I think he finally realizes that there are some other very pressing issues with the economy and unemployment, but I just cannot see that he is abandoning the health reform issue. What the President did say about health reform was strongly worded, urging people not to walk away, that we’re too close not to implement health reform. However, skeptics point to the fact that Obama provided no specifics as to how he plans to pass and implement health reform, as an indication he has given up on it altogether. And when does President Obama ever provide preceise details as to how he plans to achieve something? His speeches are often about the “big picture” as opposed to the finer details.
Obama also claims in his speech that medical professionals, including doctors and nurses, overwhelmingly feel that the current 2,000 plus page proposals are a “vast improvement” over the current system. The President has proclaimed this support repeatedly over the past year, yet there seems to be no evidence that the majority of medical professionals feel that way. Yes, the majority of medical professionals probably do support the idea of some type of health reform, but not necessarily the current proposed legislation, especially based on a recent physician survey conducted by The Medicus Firm which showed that many physicians oppose health reform in its current form.
Many reporters and other media outlets seem so sure Obama has all but dropped the health reform issue. However, if you consider the language Obama used in his speech regarding health reform, combined with the time, effort and campaigning that has been devoted to the issue, plus all that Obama has riding on health reform in terms of his reputation, it seems premature to presume that the President is ready to lay this issue to rest.
More on Health Reform:
- TMF Physician Survey – “What if Half of America’s Physicians Quit Medicine?”
- FierceHealthcare - “Health Reform No Longer Top Priority”
- HealthLeaders – “What Stays, What Goes, in Health Reform?”
–Andrea
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