Thomas Daschle: “over 2 years after the defeat of health reform in Congress, many opponents of change still claim that Americans are…”

“over 2 years after the defeat of health reform in Congress, many opponents of change still claim that Americans are satisfied with their health care and view Federal oversight as the first step in a Government takeover of the system. They assert that minor tinkering may be needed to shore up some of the system's weak spots, but access to and quality of care in our country are the best in the world. If the public thinks the system isn't broken, so the thinking goes, there is no reason for lawmakers to try to fix it. But are Americans so happy with the current state of health affairs? Evidence from a recent survey suggests that there is still much that troubles the public about our current system, and they expect their elected representatives to help them address the problems they are experiencing. People are confused about how the system works; they are anxious about the cost of medical care; and they don't always feel they can obtain information to help them make sound health choices, get care when they need it, and be assured of quality. And contrary to the widely publicized view that most people think Government should not be involved in health care, a bipartisan majority of Americans feel that the Federal Government can play an active role-- working with the private sector--to make health care more affordable and improve its quality.”