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Universal Coverage, Health Inequalities, and the American Health Care System in Crisis (Again)
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38 RICK
MAYES APSA
2004
VII.
C
ONCLUSION
In conclusion, it does not seem likely that universal coverage, the Mount
Everest of public policy in the United States, will be conquered any time soon. Maybe individual states, such as Maine and Oregon, will lead the way in innovative policymaking. Maybe it will take a Republican president, willing to risk political martyrdom, to reach across the political aisle and work with Democrats in Congress for comprehensive health care reform to ever pass. Maybe politics will change substantially when the majority of Baby Boomers have retired in the next twenty years and demand the best that modern medicine has to offer. Maybe health care costs, insurance premiums, and the number of uninsured will eventually increase to some critical point (yet to be reached) where sufficient numbers of middle class voters will finally demand that government do something on their behalf. There is no way, however, to accurately predict what straw will finally break the system’s back. But the history of health reform is clear about one thing: despite its numerous shortcomings and failures, which cause immense amounts of suffering for millions of people, our health care system has shown an extraordinary ability to muddle through one crisis after another. In the process, it has successfully repelled every attempt at comprehensive reform. Invariably, then, we are left with King David’s memorable lament: “But thou, O Lord, how long?”
202
202. Psalm 6:3.
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38 RICK
MAYES APSA
2004
VII.
C
ONCLUSION
In conclusion, it does not seem likely that universal coverage, the Mount
Everest of public policy in the United States, will be conquered any time soon.
Maybe individual states, such as Maine and Oregon, will lead the way in
innovative policymaking. Maybe it will take a Republican president, willing to risk
political martyrdom, to reach across the political aisle and work with Democrats in
Congress for comprehensive health care reform to ever pass. Maybe politics will
change substantially when the majority of Baby Boomers have retired in the next
twenty years and demand the best that modern medicine has to offer. Maybe health
care costs, insurance premiums, and the number of uninsured will eventually
increase to some critical point (yet to be reached) where sufficient numbers of
middle class voters will finally demand that government do something on their
behalf. There is no way, however, to accurately predict what straw will finally
break the system’s back. But the history of health reform is clear about one thing:
despite its numerous shortcomings and failures, which cause immense amounts of
suffering for millions of people, our health care system has shown an extraordinary
ability to muddle through one crisis after another. In the process, it has successfully
repelled every attempt at comprehensive reform. Invariably, then, we are left with
King David’s memorable lament: “But thou, O Lord, how long?”
202. Psalm 6:3.
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