New York Times: Ideas for Fixing Health Care

From The New York Times: President Barack Obama said in his speech to Congress that the nation must address “the crushing cost of health care,” with premiums having grown four times faster than wages in the past eight years and one million more Americans having lost health insurance each of those years. Reform won’t be easy, he said, but it cannot wait another year.

We asked some health care experts, who have seen attempts at comprehensive reform founder over the years, what might make a difference this time.

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Set a Cost-Cutting Target
Karen Ignagni

Karen Ignagni is president and chief executive of America’s Health Insurance Plans, a national association representing nearly 1,300 companies providing health insurance.

For the past hundred years, the country has tried and failed to reform health care. Ever since the false start on reform fifteen years ago, political insiders have cautioned against trying it again. But circumstances have changed and now, rather than mobilizing to oppose reform, a wide group of diverse stakeholders — employers, health plans, consumers, doctors and hospitals — is working together to help the nation get to yes.

We’ve learned that we can work together on important issues, like children’s health care, safety net improvement, privacy protection, mental health parity, and genetic nondiscrimination.

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