A “Discovery” on Columbus Day: Healthcare Reform

It was almost 520 years ago that Christopher Columbus is credited with discovering the Americas. Little did he know that the land he discovered would go on to become “the land of opportunity.” We used to recall the date of his discovery by reciting a little rhyme, “In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue,” however, as a kid, I inevitably would always mess that up, saying, “In 1493, Columbus sailed the deep blue sea.” It made more sense to me because that was how we really talked. However, as much as I would plead with my teachers, they weren’t going to be swayed by my logic.

And so it is with healthcare reform. Most people don’t understand health reform and with good reason. So many people see “common sense” issues that they don’t understand why there are so many different opinions. The sheer number of differing views that seemingly change daily is enough to make anyone’s, myself included, collective heads spin. Nowhere was this more apparent than when I recently attended a forum moderated by the always witty, if somewhat acerbic, Jon Ralston (a local TV personality). What I like about Jon is that he facilitates discussion by playing devil’s advocate, which inevitably has the potential to heap loads of animosity on you by people who don’t like what you’re saying. When he interviewed me on his show recently, you would think he hated insurance companies, but at this forum, you would swear he was in bed with them. Love him or hate him, he manages to keep the conversation lively and on track. More than that, he challenges his audience to think, not just react.

One of the biggest “reaction” points of this forum discussion (and in reform overall) is about the hazards of a public plan. After much discussion from a panel of experts, the audience was solicited to ask questions. Most of the questions were pertinent and showed that the audience was indeed listening. However, one of the last audience members, most emphatically stated that we need a public plan. Her reason? Because. Not “because studies show that…” or “because in my experience, your data is being misinterpreted”, etc. Just because. I don’t know about you, but I stopped using the word "because" with no supporting arguments as a response to questions way back when I was 12 or so.