Push the Reset Button

Michael Franc / September 11, 2009

The debate over health care reform need not be an all-or-nothing affair. Lawmakers should take a deep breath and remind themselves that there’s a great deal of agreement on the major goals of reform. Both sides of the aisle want to restrain spiraling costs, give consumers more choices and improve quality of care.

Yes, liberals and conservatives disagree greatly over which policies would best achieve these objectives. But that doesn’t mean they must slug it out until one side wins at the other’s expense or—worse—everyone walks away without making any improvements at all.

There is another way. Congress must hit the re-set button.

That means abandoning the top-down effort to fix our health system should be viewed. That needn’t be a set back. Rather, it should be an opportunity to move forward.

The key to success: The president and members from both parties should reconsider the federal role in reaching agreed-upon policy goals. That role need not be all-encompassing and prescriptive. (more…)