Boston Globe: James Roosevelt - Healthcare: Let's Build on What We Know

From the Boston Globe: An Article in The New Yorker earlier this year by Dr. Atul Gawande explained the rationale for creating a national healthcare system based upon the fundamentals of existing programs. Gawande provided a terrific overview of the origins of healthcare systems in other parts of the world, and it is instructive for us as we embark upon our own journey toward universal healthcare. His premise is that every nation that has a successful national health plan has built it upon what existed in its own borders - imperfect and patchworked, but foundational nonetheless. I agree with him that that is what America must do rather than create a government-run health plan, or any system that reproduces what is done in Canada or Great Britain, or elsewhere. Building upon employer-based, private health insurance has proven merit.

The advocates of a government-run plan claim that it will control costs. I am not convinced. The allure of a government-run health plan is distracting and unproven, and brings a high risk of unintended consequences such as reducing competition and consumer choice. Moreover, even if a government-run plan could be designed in a way that preserves choice for most Americans, it would delay the start of universal coverage for years. As a nation, we simply cannot afford to wait for the kind of accessible, portable, universal healthcare coverage that we have available to us today in Massachusetts, or to employees eligible for coverage through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan, which was touted during President Obama's campaign.

Our experience offers a real-time example of what can be achieved when there is a successful public/private partnership. The Commonwealth's citizens have long enjoyed the promise that healthcare won't be denied due to a prior health condition. We haven't had to make the choice between bankruptcy and treatment for serious disease; endure waiting periods before receiving healthcare coverage; or pay hospitals upfront for life-or-death care. The lack of this protection elsewhere contributes to the sense of urgency felt in most of the country.

To read the entire article, click here.