No Gain Without Some (actually considerable) Pain: More Bad News

Earlier today I wrote an entry emphasizing the simple fact that we cannot hope to come up with a satisfactory plan to make major improvements in the U.S. health care system without first addressing the costs.  This afternoon as I was surfing the net, I saw a” hot off the press” post in the online New York Times.  It was an article written by Derrick Henry entitled “Obama may lack votes on health, Democrat says.”  Henry quotes Senator Dianne Finestein from California who apparently has made clear that she does not intend to vote for the health care overhaul bill as it stands because of the cost provisions.  Henry also quotes a number of other important senators who will not support a bill that is now estimated to cost up to 3 trillion dollars.  So, maybe I’m not alone in my concern that we are not on a path to pass legislation that will actually improve our ailing health care system?  People, I will repeat: we can control costs and get universal coverage but we will need to feel some pain along the way.  It is the only way forward.

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