Hitting the restart button makes sense in the health care reform debate
David Magee Commentary
Online: Hear David Magee discuss health care reform. Read his blogs. Comment. U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn., made a good point regarding the debate in Washington, D.C., over national health care reform, suggesting that President Barack Obama needed to hit “the restart button.” No matter how you feel about the different components under discussion, it’s clear that the first attempt from Washington was a quagmire of confusion. Mixed signals came from many directions, and neither Republicans nor Democrats found accord within their own parties, leaving the public puzzled. Few people disagree that America’s health care system needs reform. Too many Americans are uninsured, and too much money is wasted on inefficiencies. But polls have shown Americans are fearful of drastic health care change. That fear has manifested itself at nasty town hall meetings and through political polarization. That’s not to say the president’s efforts have been in vain. His agenda has forced dialogue on the issue to the point that the country and its political leaders are committed to getting something done. The question is, what are they going to get done? U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, RTenn., suggests that reform need not be over-reaching, with plenty of room for improvement at a later date. He’s got a good point. America’s health care mess, which wastes billions annually and leaves many with inadequate care, evolved over the course of many years. Solving it all at once would not be easy. In addition, some people fear that government involvement would make a bad situation worse, adding more waste and inefficiency. The recent cash for clunkers program is an example of how a single government effort simultaneously can succeed and falter. From one perspective, the program served as an effective economic stimulus. From another, the mounds of paperwork and backlog in processing claims and paying dealers showed Uncle Sam is not always an efficient administrator. America can’t afford for health care reform to be a clunker. Yet something needs to be done, and there’s no better time than now, with Washington and the nation focused on the subject. One click of the restart button, combined with a measured but meaningful approach, and the country should be well on its way to necessary but manageable health care reform. E-mail David Magee at dmagee@timesfreepress.com.
