Mark Trahant is a Kaiser Media Fellow examining the Indian Health Service and its relevance to the national health care reform debate. He is a member of Idaho’s Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and writes from Fort Hall, Idaho. Comment at www.marktrahant.com

As we talk about health care: Substitute “either, or” for “if … then”

What’s the most important element missing from our national conversation about health care reform? I’ll boil it down to one word, governance.

Consider the story so far. We’ve known for decades that our health system is unsustainable; there is no question that it cannot continue on its present course. So Congress finally rounds up enough votes to pass the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and what happens? The debate starts over as if there’s a magic wand out there somewhere that will let us have everything we want in health care without any cost.

There is no magic wand. What’s more, this whole discussion is a test of our ability to govern ourselves. How can we govern when we’re so divided over complex and philosophical questions? How can we govern ourselves when we don’t even agree on the basic facts?

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: buffalo post, Center for Economic and Policy Researc, CEPR, Concord Coalition, Gwen Florio, Health care reform, Mark Trahant, Medicaid, Medicare, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obama, Rep. Eric Cantor