Tuesday, January 22, 2008

In the News: Recession Could Lead to Healthcare Overhaul

A report today from Congressional Quarterly states that an economic downturn in the United States could threaten access to medical care and serve as the catalyst for comprehensive health care overhaul.

A recession in the economically sensitive American health care system, with market-based treatment costs and employer-provided insurance, would raise the stakes for national overhaul, said Brian Biles, a George Washington University health policy professor and former assistant secretary of Health and Human Services under President Clinton. Biles spoke as part of the forum held Friday by the non-partisan Alliance for Health Reform and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Experts also warned that a comprehensive overhaul would require robust public support and delicate political conditions ... but the overhaul would have to top the congressional agenda and require a singular dedication from the president.

This information was taken from a January 22 CQ.com update.

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