In terms of controlling costs, do the plans being discussed need more emphasis placed on preventative care?
That’s always a thorny issue. There are slow changes underway in that direction. One important step taken by the Obama administration that has flown under most people’s radar is talk about reinstating the physician payment commission. Under Medicare, physicians are being paid for certain procedures. But the commission could add incentives for more preventive medicine. In Medicare, that’s already happening. But it should become more widespread. Toyota is moving its US manufacturing plant overseas. It turns out overseas is really Ontario, Canada, where they don’t have to cover health insurance for their workers. Is there any way to separate the discussion of health-care coverage from the economy? No, absolutely not. America has dug itself into a major hole. It’s made itself much less competitive because it has added health care to the cost of production. It’s part of our labor costs. We’ve known for years that the economy and employment are being driven by small businesses, and now we’re
