Obama and health care

Barack Obama recently laid out the plans for his universal health care coverage. It seems like in many ways he is going the right direction with it. The trouble is not in his plan, but the opposition he is likely to face. Even if he is elected, history has time and time again shown how difficult this type of legislation is to enact. Even in favorable political climates, politicians must contend with the non-trivial issue of lobbyists who represents the interests of those who have something at stake in health care. This represents a huge proportion of the U.S. economy, and one that has historically carried a lot of weight as well.

Obama is right that the U.S. spends more money per person than any other developed nation and that should translate into good coverage, but the challenge he faces is the cost of medical care. While many proponents of federal cost containment strategies advocate the reduction of eligible recipients or suggest lowering the benefits for those who already receive government health care benefits, the real mechanism of cost containment would be to control the skyrocketing cost of health care.

Part of the reason the U.S. is in the health care debacle that it is today is that in the past when coverages have been increased there have not been simultaneously occurring limits to the increases of health care costs. While beneficiaries are often fingered as the abusers of the national health care system, it really seems like the finger should be pointed at the providers and companies that systematically exploit state and national insurance programs. This is something that needs to be aggressively addressed in any national health care plan, but also something that has opponents with very deep pockets waiting in the wings.