In anticipation of Tuesday's results, I was asked to participate in a virtual round-table, the purpose of which was to formulate a response to this thought question:
"You have only one elevator ride with John Boehner: What single thing would you urge him to do about health care in America?"
Kaiser Health News reporter Jenny Gold invited me to participate, along with such luminaries as Rep Henry "Also Hank" Waxman, Alan Murray (Deputy managing editor at the WSJ), Len Nichols (whom we've met before), and Dr. Elena Rios (President and CEO, National Hispanic Medical Association) among others.
I noticed that I was not only the sole blogger in the crowd, but also the lone insurance agent (the Executive VP of the misnomered National Association of Health Underwriters doesn't appear to have ever actually been an agent). That's a shame, because those of us in the trenches, who see the damage being wrought by ObamaCare© at the personal level, have a lot to add. Yet we are rarely invited to the table; instead, Beltway insiders are invited to speak for us, as if they actually had some first-hand experience helping a family wend its way through the underwriting process, or knew an HSA from a co-pay. So I'm very grateful for this opportunity.
On the one hand, it is heady indeed to represent the entire medblogosphere. On the other, it was to some extent "punching down:" that brilliant health care policy wonk, Rose Ann DeMoro (Executive director, California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee) made this incisive, yet gratuitously vacuous contribution:
"If you're so committed to states’ "innovation," enable them to do real health care reform by allowing state single-payer. Or, feel free to exit between floors."
Way to elevate the conversation, Rosie.
On the gripping hand, there were some actual, intelligent contributions, too (I especially recommend that made by State Rep Charles Scott of Wyoming).
Enjoy.
"You have only one elevator ride with John Boehner: What single thing would you urge him to do about health care in America?"
Kaiser Health News reporter Jenny Gold invited me to participate, along with such luminaries as Rep Henry "Also Hank" Waxman, Alan Murray (Deputy managing editor at the WSJ), Len Nichols (whom we've met before), and Dr. Elena Rios (President and CEO, National Hispanic Medical Association) among others.
I noticed that I was not only the sole blogger in the crowd, but also the lone insurance agent (the Executive VP of the misnomered National Association of Health Underwriters doesn't appear to have ever actually been an agent). That's a shame, because those of us in the trenches, who see the damage being wrought by ObamaCare© at the personal level, have a lot to add. Yet we are rarely invited to the table; instead, Beltway insiders are invited to speak for us, as if they actually had some first-hand experience helping a family wend its way through the underwriting process, or knew an HSA from a co-pay. So I'm very grateful for this opportunity.
On the one hand, it is heady indeed to represent the entire medblogosphere. On the other, it was to some extent "punching down:" that brilliant health care policy wonk, Rose Ann DeMoro (Executive director, California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee) made this incisive, yet gratuitously vacuous contribution:
"If you're so committed to states’ "innovation," enable them to do real health care reform by allowing state single-payer. Or, feel free to exit between floors."
Way to elevate the conversation, Rosie.
On the gripping hand, there were some actual, intelligent contributions, too (I especially recommend that made by State Rep Charles Scott of Wyoming).
Enjoy.
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