Many Americans have an unhelpful habit of viewing the health reform debate as a morality play where those who treat us, usually doctors and hospitals, are viewed as the good guys and those who pay for those services, generally insurance companies or government programs like Medicare, are seen as villains.
When a physician suggests another test, we assume that they’re trying to be helpful rather than merely increase their income. When an insurer refuses to pay for a test proven unreliable or has a less expensive alternative, we assume that the decision comes from heartless profit-maximizing bean counters.
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Obamacare Prescription: Keep Calm and Carry On
The basic premise of the complaint, as I understand it, is that the infrastructure is not as far along as some would like, which may lead to confusion when major elements become effective next year, that Americans remain ambivalent about the bill because they don’t know what it does for them and that this lack of enthusiasm – coupled with continued GOP opposition – will yield a bad result in Congressional elections next year.
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