The New York Times is calling passage of health care reform legislation "A Big Win for Obama, but at What Cost?" Lost was the promise of a "postpartisan" Washington. Actually, I see this as a win. Obama's bipartisanship verged on being naive. The Republican party as it is now configured will never embrace bipartisanship and health care reform was substantially weakened trying to attract Republican votes. Bipartisanship is a nice idea but it is also import to get things done and there's lots remaining to get done: financial reform, climate legislation, immigration reform, repairing international relationships, ending two wars, etc. The Democrats now realize that they can get something done. It's difficult. Maybe they don't have the energy for the struggle. My advice would be to ram through as much legislation as possible before the mid-term elections and run on accomplishments.
Back to health care, a lot remains to be done to strengthen reform. The current bill is a "Boon for Hospitals and Drug Makers." Here's another lesson for the Democratic party. You've picked off one of the interest groups, the Health Insurance Lobby. Now take on each of the other interest groups one at a time: hospitals, drug companies and physicians. The physicians could be easy. Congress must reauthorize increases in Medicare physician payments, the "Doc Fix," or physicians will face a 21 percent pay cut. Twenty-one percent is close to the right number for required reductions in physician payments (the actual number is 32 percent). Forget the "Doc Fix," pass legislation that requires physicians to accept Medicare payments and move on to the other interest groups.
