Days earlier, Democratic Senator Pat Moynihan said pretty much the same on Meet the Press.
Yet the public continued to demand changes. The changes they eventually got are still to be seen, as to their level of effectiveness. Changes that many see as temporary and not far reaching enough, such as when any sort of national health care plan was squashed by the stakeholders, fearing loss of revenue and convincing the public of the potential loss of availability for lifesaving care and difficult decisions that would bar many from demanding it the system instead created such things as a highly complicated and entirely privatized Medicare D. drug benefit, more than ten years after the debate had begun. The collective agenda of the stakeholders, was first to defend the system as it stood, which was not allowed by the public or the media, and then to make small changes that kept the system intact and reacted to the defensive stances of the stakeholders, such as their continual need to press the point that the system is good because it is based on the capitalism that founded our nation. This is why the rather small strides that have been made, thus far are limited to programs that are privatized, with literally hundreds of insurers buying in to the program and being allowed to limit its usage and benefits, as thy always have.
Which group has been most successful in influencing this issue and why?
Probably the group that has been most successful in influencing this issue are those moderates who wish to demand system change only within the systems that currently drive the health care dollar. The insurers and providers have been able to not only maintain a status quo but have also been able to keep growing prices and keep limiting services and availability.
References
Cauchi, R. (2004, July/August). What's the Benefit? A New Federal Medicare Drug Plan Stimulates Independent Actions and New Ideas, but What's the Future Role for States?. State Legislatures, 30, 28.
The Health Care Crisis. (2007, March 18). The Washington Times, p. B04.
Mckenzie, N.F. (1994, February 28). The Real Health Care Crisis. The Nation, 258, 266+.
Nancy F. Mckenzie, "The Real Health Care Crisis," the Nation, 28 February 1994.
Richard Cauchi, "What's the Benefit? A New Federal Medicare Drug Plan Stimulates Independent Actions and New Ideas, but What's the Future Role for States?," State Legislatures, July-August 2004, 28.
The Health Care Crisis," the Washington Times, 18 March 2007, B04.
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