Several stories in today’s papers make it clear that the atmosphere for health reform today truly is different than when the Clinton Administration took over in the 1990s.
Here’s the bullet points in support of that thesis:
- Obama selected veteran policymaker Tom Daschle to head up the Department of Health and Human Services, signaling he wants the former South Dakota Senator to head up reform efforts.
- The Washington Post quoted Sen. Ron Wyden
(D-Ore.) saying, "Tom Daschle sees this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. On the premier domestic issue of our time, the
president-elect sees Tom Daschle with the skills and abilities to bring
people together and get this over the finish line." - Marking a clear deviation from the past, the Association of Health Insurance Plans announced
it would be willing to accept guarantee issue and community rating in
exchange for a mandate requiring all people to buy insurance.
- Seven Senators promised to work together on health care to accomplish something next year. They are: Max Baucus of Montana, Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut, Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts and John D. Rockefeller IV of West Virginia, all Democrats, and Michael B. Enzi of Wyoming, Charles E. Grassley of Iowa and Orrin G. Hatch of Utah, Republicans.
- But Bob Laszewski provides WSJ readers with a reality check, "Talk is cheap on the front end of this thing," he told the Journal. "The
rubber hits the road when that 1,000-page document comes out with
specifics."
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