Comments on: Cost and Coverage c. 1989-91: Part 2 of Historical Perspectives on Health Reform http://www.healthpolcom.com/blog/2009/11/17/cost-and-coverage-c-1989-91-part-2-of-historical-perspectives-on-health-reform/ Health Policy Consulting and Writing to Improve Quality, Reduce Costs, and Increase Value in US Healthcare Wed, 04 Jan 2012 09:15:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Michael D. Miller MD http://www.healthpolcom.com/blog/2009/11/17/cost-and-coverage-c-1989-91-part-2-of-historical-perspectives-on-health-reform/#comment-27227 Michael D. Miller MD Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:16:32 +0000 http://www.healthpolcom.com/blog/2009/11/17/cost-and-coverage-c-1989-91-part-2-of-historical-perspectives-on-health-reform/#comment-27227 Thanks Evan. David Blumenthal is great and insightful. I haven't had a chance to read his book, but I suspect that one non-obvious difference in the political climate is the extensive TV coverage now... CSPAN and live coverage of the House and Senate floors and Committees didn't exist in the 1960s.... This 24/7 "oversight" of elected officials actions and recording of their words for later playback is helping to fuel the partisan, constant-campaigning mode. Of course, the positive side is that it also provides fuel for Jon Stewart and his team of writers.... Thanks Evan. David Blumenthal is great and insightful. I haven’t had a chance to read his book, but I suspect that one non-obvious difference in the political climate is the extensive TV coverage now… CSPAN and live coverage of the House and Senate floors and Committees didn’t exist in the 1960s…. This 24/7 “oversight” of elected officials actions and recording of their words for later playback is helping to fuel the partisan, constant-campaigning mode. Of course, the positive side is that it also provides fuel for Jon Stewart and his team of writers….

]]> By: Evan Benjamin http://www.healthpolcom.com/blog/2009/11/17/cost-and-coverage-c-1989-91-part-2-of-historical-perspectives-on-health-reform/#comment-27221 Evan Benjamin Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:37:54 +0000 http://www.healthpolcom.com/blog/2009/11/17/cost-and-coverage-c-1989-91-part-2-of-historical-perspectives-on-health-reform/#comment-27221 Well done Mike. This is an almost humorous historical commentary. Blumenthals recent book documenting the history of healthcare in the US does a nice job as well. His observations on how Medicare was passed in light of today's political bargaining are very insightful. Evan Well done Mike. This is an almost humorous historical commentary.

Blumenthals recent book documenting the history of healthcare in the US does a nice job as well. His observations on how Medicare was passed in light of today’s political bargaining are very insightful.

Evan

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