Healthcare Reform and The Pressing Need to "Explain" the Proposed Legislation to the Average Joe

I have posted a number of of notes about healthcare reform but not lately (see: The Link Between Healthcare Reform and Post-Graduate Medical Training). For my money, the current draft of the legislation is primarily about health insurance reform and pork than anything else. My current malaise about this topic relates more to my chagrin aboout the political logrolling and lobbying rather than a lack of interest in reform (see: Health Insurers Emerge as Major Foes of Healthcare Reform; American Attitude toward Reform Through the Eyes of David Brooks). We are proceeding to the next "political" chapter because of the recent senatorial upset in Massachusetts with the election of a Republican to the slot and the new political calculations (see: After Massachusetts Senate defeat, Obama will need to adjust). However, I could feel my pulse racing yesterday when I read a quote from Ed Rendell, Governor of Pennsylvania, who said the following (see: Brown Win Forces Congress to Get 'Back to Basics'):

.... Americans oppose the health insurance changes because "the administration and its supporters, myself included, haven't done a good enough job explaining to people what's in this bill."

This is a perfect example of political gibberish and double-talk. Here's what I think Rendell is trying to say: There is nothing wrong with our political process. There is nothing wrong with all of the political lobbying that has distorted the original goals of this legislation. There is nothing wrong with the abilities of our elected politicians. There is nothing wrong with the draft of the legislation as it now stands. However, we politicians need to redouble our efforts to "explain" why the current legislation is optimal to the [stupid] electorate, many of whom have trouble with complex ideas and language.

Comments

[bariatric surgery]

By your own estimate, the Doc Fix adds an additional $371 billion to the cost of health care reform.People in this country have gone off the deep end.It is true that there is nothing wrong when only people are not aware where they are leading this country to and where they themselves don't know are they going to do fir the country.

[L. Needham]

Mr. Friedman -
your thoughts and ire are well placed. Moreover, as is your style, you admirably refrained from the perilous fields of overt political opinion (highlighted here by the fact that you seemingly elected to avoid putting a '-D, or -R' next to the names).

The irony of this 'situation' is thick; so is the comedy. The proposed legislation may likely be brought down by it's grandfather champion's state (the late Mr. Kennedy); these statements regarding a need of a better explanation to the public about the bills contents are 'now' what some proponents are calling for (despite our President's previous promises about transparent C-SPAN broadcasts that never materialized and that his administration refused to comment on when questioned), etc.

However, the guise of 'back-to-basics' is horrifying in its intent. What it says to me is similar to your own expressed views: that without the majority 'bully' leverage, Washington will now how to revert to 'previous' 'basic' practices of exponential back-scratching, steroid-enhanced pork enrichment, and 5-digit pages of legislative bargaining contents...simply to strive to create a legislation that might pass.

My greater fear - and what Washington has done a poor job of 'explaining' is that these proposed steps / changes are permanent. If passed, in this incarnation or its progeny, will alter the structure of things in an irrevocable manner - and a costly one.

The issues related to healthcare are so layered, so wide-reaching, that the last thing needed in its discussion is having to make promises across the board in hopes of creating something complex enough that everyone thinks that they're ok with the bill...and no one being able to assess its true meaning.

Reform is needed, in many ways, from many different viewpoints - but I for one am now hopeful that this Trojan Horse is pushed back through the nation's gates before it's too late.

[Duke Briscoe]

I think there has been more than one problem with the process: 1) the politicians and most of the media have done a poor job of explaining the bill, and 2) the corporate lobbying has worked against the broad public interest.