Health care reform Act One, circa 1993: In the battle over Clinton’s Health Security Act we witnessed the formation of an extraordinary number of special interest groups. Many of these groups were advocating for the inclusion of a variety of medical providers under the act, or coverage for specific medical conditions, tests, drugs or technologies. These groups also began building strong roots to local organizations to push their political agendas through state legislatures in light of the failure of national reform. The result of this amazing health care reform political formation was a proposed standard benefit package that was extremely rich, comprehensive and, of course, economically unsustainable.
Health care reform Act Two, present day: To all of the above, add the Internet or gasoline to a smoldering fire.
