When Tom Daschle sat down for a lengthy Senate confirmation hearing last Thursday, the nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services made a strong case for restructuring and rejuvenating the U.S. healthcare system. Often called the “health czar” of the President-elect’s cabinet, Daschle has been assigned to do what some consider impossible: provide universal healthcare to all Americans.
Daschle is all too familiar with the kind of ideological backlash that can ensue from the mere suggestion of universal coverage. The Clinton proposal of 1994, which raised eyebrows among libertarians and conservatives, suffered a humiliating blow from heavy Republican opposition, Democratic infighting, and the health insurance industry. The right-wing opposition campaign, with its clever television ads, helped to foment public distrust of government-led programs. The Republican takeover of Congress in 1994 was the final nail in the coffin. Now, with a Democratic majority and a public pleading for reform, Daschle has the formidable task of delivering Obama’s campaign promises, despite the country’s staggering $10 trillion deficit.
The key to successfully carrying out legislation is garnering early support for the initiative. This will require a grassroots-level strategy, similar to the kind of broad, cooperative social networks Obama established during his presidential run. The corporate backroom-style planning that Clinton’s Task Force engaged in suggested exclusion and secrecy, unlike Obama’s visionary campaign. Already, the president-elect’s team has used YouTube webcasts featuring Daschle and online blog posts to spur public discourse.
Taking the plan to the masses will require a sophisticated spokesperson. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s medical correspondent and potential Surgeon General, has the right combination of medical expertise, charm, and name recognition to revitalize the post and act as chief promoter for the administration’s plans. One main component of Obama’s campaign healthcare platform was an emphasis on disease prevention prior to treatment. Dr. Gupta has been quite outspoken on issues relating to food safety, obesity, and health education.
Support will also need to come from within Washington. Daschle must seek steady input from Democratic lawmakers if he hopes to craft legislation effectively and pass it through swiftly. Last Thursday he outlined a thorough plan to fix the system, pledging to broaden healthcare access to rural areas, increase Medicare and Medicaid payments, and ease the cost of prescription drugs and insurance premiums, thus reining in wild profiteering from an insurance industry drunk with power. The toughest obstacle will come from Congressional Republicans, who have already begun to voice concern over the long-term costs. Republicans—guided by an anti-government philosophy, except where finance is concerned—have warned of ballooning budgets and a deepening recession if healthcare spending goes too far.
But the last thing Obama’s administration needs to do right now is curb spending. It is imperative that his proposed economic stimulus package go hand in hand with healthcare reform. With a lack of basic coverage comes increased illness, poorer general health, and shortened life spans—all of which threaten economic stability and workforce productivity. If the administration takes advantage of its solid majority and rejects discredited conservative dogma, Americans’ desire for comprehensive healthcare may finally be fulfilled.
