Full article reprinted from The RPM Report July 28, 2009
A common theme for reform advocates in 2009 is avoiding the mistakes that doomed the Clinton health care reform effort 15 years ago. The biggest lesson of all is that the consequences of failure would be critical to the Obama Administration. Read more...
Full article reprinted from The RPM Report July 28, 2009
Everyone knows that the 1993 "HillaryCare" experience was a complete disaster, a case study in how not to tackle an ambitious domestic policy objective.
Based on the historical image of failed reform in 1993, it's easy to forget that Hillary Clinton a popular political figure. While certainly not universally admired, Clinton was taking an unprecedented role for a First Lady, and her testimony on health reform before five major Congressional committees in the House and Senate earned her respect that ultimately paved the way for her successful Senatorial campaign and now her appointment as Secretary of State.
But health reform failed, and that's all anyone remembers about that debate.
"The history is defined by the winners," Ian Spatz, principal with the Rock Creek Policy Group, said during Elsevier Business Intelligence's Pharmaceutical Strategic Outlook conference in April. "The winners in [1993-1994] were not President Clinton and Hillary Clinton," and that is why HillaryCare is remembered negatively.
"ObamaCare will be defined by what happens at the end of the day," Spatz notes. "Whether it's seen as a success, whether it does happen, if it falls apart or is delayed, it will be defined by those who succeeded in delaying it."
No wonder President Obama has been ratcheting up the pressure on reform over the spring and early summer months. The White House hosted two major announcements—one that health care stakeholders had pledged $2 trillion in savings over 10 years in order to bend the health cost curve and the other to announce an $80 bil. deal to deliver more concrete savings over the same period of time with the pharmaceutical industry.
During Obama's June 23 press conference, health care reform was given equal importance to the US' response to the controversial election in Iran.
Obama made it clear every option was on the negotiating table—but that he would soon be impressing his opinion upon key lawmakers:
"We have not drawn lines in the sand other than that reform has to control costs and that it has to provide relief to people who don't have health insurance or are underinsured. Those are the broad parameters that we've discussed. There are a whole host of other issues where ultimately I may have a strong opinion, and I will express those to members of Congress as this is shaping up. It's too early to say that."
He followed the press conference with an evening town hall meeting at the White House where he fielded questions on health care reform for an hour-and-a-half from invited guests.
That's an incredible level of hand's on engagement from the President on one issue. But, given the experience with HillaryCare, it's not a surprise. Obama's entire presidency may hinge on whether ObamaCare is defined as a success or a failure.
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