public option

How some Democrats are putting Obama’s health reform at risk

Progressive Democrats seemed happy with Nevada Senator and Majority Leader Harry Reid’s decision to include a public option in the Senate’s health care reform bill. Coupled with a House of Representatives’ bill that will no doubt also include a public option, it seems to indicate Barack Obama stands a good chance of passing a meaningful reform package before the end of his first year in power. And while it is hard to predict the final outcome, it seems reasonable to assume that a public option will be in the final bill Obama will sign.

As Canadians, it is easy to be astonished by the health care debate in the United States. It can seem surreal at times when viewed from a country like ours, where the principles of universality and accessibility are a given and no one is threatened with bankruptcy when faced with health issues. After a summer of mounting protests, boisterous town halls, and radical polarization, we are left with the impression that Barack Obama’s reform package may be in trouble and that, if he does end up with a bill, it will bring less change than was expected.

In avoiding Clinton’s errors in health care, has Obama made the opposite mistake?