Multiple Choice: Name that Politician
Recently I came across a quote that I thought I would post and see if you can guess who made it (I marked XX to specific names so not to give identity away).
“I ran against XX, a sitting president from my own party, in large part because of this disagreement. Health reform became central to my 19XX presidential campaign: I argued then that the issue wasn’t just coverage but also out-of-control costs that would ultimately break both family and federal budgets, and increasingly burden the national economy.”
Who made the statement above?
- Ronald Reagan
- Dwight Eisenhower
- Ted Kennedy
- Barrack Obama
- None of the above
- All of the above
Have you selected an answer? If you selected 5 or 6, you are way off base. Try again … Okay time's up. The answer is Ted Kennedy.
When I saw this quote from the late Senator Kennedy that appeared in the July 18th, 2009 issue of Newsweek, it was referring to his presidential run against Jimmy Carter in 1980 and how healthcare was a central focus for him.
It made me think that he had it right (well almost right). You can’t just provide coverage to everyone and believe the problem is solved. You must also address the out-of-control costs that are in our system today. Targeting insurance companies and condemning them for ongoing rate increases is an easy thing to do, but keep in mind when a provider submits astronomical charges for a procedure, who is confronting the provider? Who is asking the tough question of what is a rational payment for care?