Forging Health Reform Consensus - The Commonwealth Fund

By Karen Davis

Cooler weather has arrived and, with it, cooler heads are moving forward with health reform. Despite the summer demonstrations against congressional health care legislation, there is widescale recognition that the U.S. health system cannot continue on its current course. Ever-rising numbers of uninsured, insurance premiums that are out of reach of even middle-income families, and the strain on businesses and government budgets from a health sector consuming a greater and greater share of the nation’s economic resources make the status quo untenable.

Still, most Americans remain perplexed by the different versions of health reform presented in legislation from three committees in the House of Representatives and two committees in the Senate. The daily headlines highlighting differences in opinion on specific provisions suggest bipartisan and even Democratic Party agreement is elusive. Yet, even though the Senate Finance Committee is still considering legislation and the final bills going to the House and Senate floors have yet to be formed, there is, in fact, significant consensus on the framework for reform across all the bills moving through Congress. It includes: affordable health insurance coverage for all; increased choices; incentives for accountability; greater transparency; shared responsibility; redirected resources; and opportunities for learning and acting as reform is implemented.

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