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The United States spent close to $2.2 trillion on health care in 2007, or $7,421 per person -- nearly twice the average of other developed nations. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that, if current policies continue, $1 out of every $4 in the national economy will be tied up in the health system by 2025, and legislators say that if the current health care system remains intact, many more people will join the roughly 47 million Americans who lack health insurance.
The Obama administration has made reforming health care reform one of its top priorities. "Fixing what's wrong with our health care system is no longer just a moral imperative, but a fiscal imperative," President Barack Obama said at a White House summit about health care overhaul, emphasizing that reform is expected to help bolster the economy. He has asked Congress to earmark $634 billion from the federal budget to fund health care reform over the next 10 years. Experts estimate that over that same time period, health care overhaul could cost taxpayers about $1 trillion.
To find more money for health care reform, lawmakers are scrambling to reshuffle government programs, especially Medicare and Medicaid, and cut whatever wasteful spending is identified. They have also proposed various measures, such as taxing employer-sponsored health benefits, to generate more funds. Beyond finding resources to pay for health reform is the issue of what shape such a plan would take. Members of the Senate and House of Representatives are drafting their respective versions of a health bill, and proposals range from a government-sponsored health system, in which people would have the option of getting coverage from a government plan that would compete with private insurers, to "cooperatives," under which states, regions, counties and other groupings could function together to expand coverage with taxpayer money, but without direct governmental control.
Health care reform efforts have developed into an intense debate, with the insurance industry, health care industry, businesses and other interest groups all lobbying for a plan that would be best suited to their own interests. No official consenus has been reached by lawmakers so far, but a recent New York Times/CBS News poll of the public found that 85 percent of respondents said the U.S. health care system needs to be fundamentally changed or completely rebuilt.
To learn more about what's being discussed and who's playing the biggest roles, check out the links below.
- HealthReform.gov
Official health reform Web site of the Obama administration.
- White House on Health Reform
Overview of the administration's stance on health reform.
- Commonwealth Fund
Reports, news, podcasts and more from this private foundation that supports independent research into health care issues, practice and policy.
- Change.gov
Read the Obama-Biden agenda for health care reform as stated right after the campaign.
- Kaiser Family Foundation
Polls, research reports, headlines, audio/video, interactive maps and a history of health reform from this nonprofit, private foundation.
- Alliance for Health Reform
A non-partisan, nonprofit group offering objective information on reform.
- Campaign for an American Solution
Non-partisan, educational and grassroots initiative of America's Health Insurance Plans, which represents the insurance industry.
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PBS Online Newshour
Profiles of the individuals who are majorly contributing to reform efforts.
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Chicago Tribune
Brief outline of the health care reform debate's key players, from individuals to organizations.
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NYTimes
Slideshow and brief description of individuals playing a key role in reform.
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Congressional Budget Office
The government agency that will calculate the costs of reform and must approve the final spending plan.
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The New York Times
Health care reform updates as they unfold, and daily blog.
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NYTimes: Key Challenges in the Health Care Debate
Outline of key proposals and their critics and supporters. Also tracks legislative proposals making their way through Congress.
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Kaiser Health News
Health reform news, updated throughout the day.
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The Five Big Health-Care Dilemmas
Time magazine's Karen Tumulty dissects five questions at the heart of health reform, with the help of Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., "the Senate's point man on health care."
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5 Truths About Health Care in America
Time breaks it down simply with this chart that compares U.S. health spending to that of other nations. 2008 data show that in the top spot, the U.S. spent $7,026 per capita on health care, while Russia came in last at just $369 per person.
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Reuters
Q&A: Where does health care reform stand in U.S. Congress?
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Children's Health Insurance Reauthorization Act (pdf)
Passed on Feb. 4, 2009, this bill expands the CHIP progam already in place to provide health care to 11 million kids.
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American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (pdf)
Signed into law on Feb. 17, 2009, this act protects health coverage for 7 million Americans who lose their jobs through a 65 percent COBRA subsidy to make coverage affordable. It also invests $19 billion in computerized medical records that are intended to help to reduce costs and improve quality while ensuring patients' privacy.
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Healthy Americans Act (pdf)
U.S. Senate. Feb. 2, 2009.
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Key Features of the Tri-Committee Health Reform Draft Proposal in the U.S. House of Representatives (pdf)
Released June 9, 2009.
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U.S. House of Representatives (pdf)
852-page draft bill. Released June 19, 2009.
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Affordable Health Choices Act (pdf)
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Released June 9, 2009.
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Health Care Reform: Draft Proposal (pdf)
U.S. Senate Committee on Finance. Released June 18, 2009.
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Affordable Health Care for America Act (pdf)
U.S. House of Representatives. Released Oct. 29, 2009.
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Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (pdf)
U.S. Senate. Released Nov. 18, 2009. 2,074 pages.
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--- Jennifer Cendrowski
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