HEDIR, for Health Educators

Healthcare Reform at Last?

When the “Hillarycare” healthcare reform proposal of 1993 went down in flames, there were many prognosticators who speculated that it would take 20-25 years before another serious healthcare reform proposal would be offered by a presidential administration. Based on Mr. Obama’s address to Congress on Tuesday, February 24, 2009, and the forecast published by major media on Wednesday, February 25, 2009, which forecasts the impending budget proposal will call for $634 billion for healthcare reform, we are getting that healthcare reform proposal a few years earlier than predicted.

How about a president calling for a serious investment in preventive care and appearing to know something about what he is proposing? I had often wondered whether I would hear the words spoken by Mr. Obama coming from a seated president in my lifetime.  Public health professionals and health educators employed in all settings should be thrilled with the commitment of President Obama to improve the health of American citizens and gain control of the escalating costs of healthcare insurance. Based on an opinion piece published in The Wall Street Journal on September 16, 2008, David J, Cutler, J. Bradford DeLong, and Ms. Marciarille state that health insurance premiums doubled during the period of 2000-2007.

No wonder the support for Mr. Obama’s performance jumped from 63% approval to 80% approval following his speech on Tuesady evening. He plans to take action in areas that have been greatly neglected for far too long. I suspect that approval of Mr. Obama’s performance among professional health educators is even higher.

Report This Post