Healthcare Reform -- Where Is It Going?

The Huffington Post—January 25, 2010

by Helene Pavlov, M.D., FACR, Radiologist-in-Chief at Hospital for Special Surgery

Continuing the discussion on the Healthcare reform process, over the last few months I have heard various sides of the debate, from my physician colleagues in radiology and other subspecialties to scores of testimonials from patients, friends and family. I have also read numerous articles on the potential effects of the proposed plans and listened to the "experts" on TV and radio panel discussions.

Despite this, however, the healthcare reform proposals are still not clear to me and seem to be swayed by political posturing from every side of this extremely complex issue. Healthcare reform, if and how it is enacted, will touch our sense of well-being. It will affect how we deal with the inevitable questions of life including quality of life, morbidity and death. It will ultimately touch everyone.

That being said, when I listen to the direction of the proposed policies, the special interest groups and their lobbyists and the "deals" being formulated to get the task accomplished, I cannot help but think that the reform bill is forgetting the underlying problem and the need for reform.

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