Reactions to healthcare reform bill
After this weekend’s historic healthcare reform, opinions have been understandably mixed and numerous. Below are some voices in the healthcare industry giving their view of the bill and the future of healthcare:
- Dr. Mandy Krauthamer Cohen, Executive Director of Doctors for America, says, “While no bill is perfect, I am hopeful today for the future of medicine because of the many ways this bill will improve healthcare in America. Physicians should be proud their activism made a mark on what will now become law.”
- Regina E. Herzlinger, the Nancy R. McPherson professor of business administration at Harvard Business School says, “The healthcare legislation laudably expands coverage but its costs, more than $900 billion, will put another nail in the coffin of the U.S. economy and open the door to a U.S. government-controlled healthcare system that gravely injures the sick along the way.
“The problem is the absence of control of costs that already cripple U.S. global competitiveness. As a percentage of gross domestic product, the U.S. spends roughly 70% more on healthcare than other universal coverage nations, yet we cannot point to commensurate superiority in value,” Herzlinger says.
- A statement released by the Physicians for a National Health Program says, “As much as we would like to join the celebration of the House’s passage of the health bill last night, in good conscience we cannot. We take no comfort in seeing aspirin dispensed for the treatment of cancer.
“Instead of eliminating the root of the problem—the profit-driven, private health insurance industry—this costly new legislation will enrich and further entrench these firms. The bill would require millions of Americans to buy private insurers’ defective products, and turn over to them vast amounts of public money.”
- Associated Builders and Contractors President and CEO Kirk Pickerel released a statement that says, “While many are calling this bill ‘historic,’ the only thing historic about the healthcare reform bill is the record level of new taxes and federal government mandates placed on America’s construction industry.
“Not only does this legislation ignore the clear objections of the majority of Americans, but it fails to bend down the cost curve and increases the tax burden on businesses, particularly construction contractors, at a time of record high unemployment.”
- A statement from VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki says, “As Secretary of Veterans Affairs, I accepted the solemn responsibility to uphold our sacred trust with our nation’s Veterans. Fears that Veterans healthcare and TRICARE will be undermined by the health reform legislation are unfounded. I am confident that the legislation being voted on today will provide the protections afforded our nation’s Veterans and the health care they have earned through their service. The President and I stand firm in our commitment to those who serve and have served in our armed forces. We pledge to continue to provide the men and women in uniform and our Veterans the high quality health care they have earned.”
We want to know your thoughts on how this will affect the healthcare design community and get the discussion started in our field.