Government official discusses health care

It seems as if the health care debate is not dead yet. In an informative and frequently humorous speech yesterday, Robert Reischauer, the director of the U.S. Congressional Budget Office (CBO), said "the political leaders of tomorrow will have to deal with [health care reform]. It will come back?within the next decade." Thursday's lecture, entitled "What Have We Learned From the Health Care Reform Effort?" was part of the Wharton School's Public Policy Forum Series. In his speech, Reischauer reflected on the faults of President Clinton's attempt to pass systemic health care reform. He also discussed the role of the CBO in government. He said there were five major lessons to be learned from the health care effort. "[These lessons] apply to any large scale effort to shift domestic policy," he added. First, Reischauer said he disagreed with Clinton's attempt to pass health care reform and the Deficit Reduction Package simultaneously. "No administration?should attempt to advance two king-sized issues at the same time," he said. Secondly, Reischauer said Congress and the public need to be well-informed about a proposed issue. He detailed many of the public's misconceptions concerning health care. "Large and complex changes need to be introduced to Congress and the public gradually," Reischauer said. He added that the public was overwhelmed by the large number of changes to the system. The CBO director also said Clinton mistook the temporary public focus on health care for long-term dissatisfaction. According to Reischauer, by the time the plan died in Congress, only 10 percent of the public felt health care was an important issue. Reischauer's final suggestion for future proposals was that the executive branch should take the lead in systemic policy changes, but Congress should be informed of all the facts as soon as possible. Following Reischauer's lecture, there was a question-and-answer period. Reischauer fielded questions ranging from the structure of the CBO to his feelings on the future of health care in this country. The Public Policy Forum Series is organized by Janet Rothenberg Pack, chairperson and professor of Public Policy and Management. The series is funded by a $1 million grant from Martin Gruss, a 1964 Wharton graduate.