The Health Care Act Goes to the Supreme Court

The Supreme Court decision on health care will be announced soon.  The case was decided by preliminary vote in closed session right after the oral arguments in March, and since then the justices and their clerks have been busily writing the opinion that will become the law of the land.

The outcome of this case is important not only because it is so politically charged, but because health care constitutes almost 20% of our national economy.  Health care costs, as a percentage of GDP, are several times greater in the U.S. than in any other developed country, and growing exponentially, so our grandchildren’s prosperity depends on getting it right.

The Idea Box on the right side of this blog contains an outline of a presentation on health care that we put together for a retreat at Asilomar in January.  A video of our reprise at OLLI in Medford, Oregon last month may be viewed at:

http://cvp.telvue.com/player?id=T01550&video=57281&noplaylistskin=1&width=400&height=300

The presentation was intended to be balanced and was based upon a review of books and opinions on both sides of the issue.  After discussing the context of the problem, Nat and I took separate sides and played the roles of opposing counsel in a reprise of the oral arguments made by opponents and proponents of the Act before the Supreme Court.

Whatever the outcome of this case and irrespective of personal political preferences, the country needs to pull together to protect the aspects of our system that are working, but to find ways to cut costs and improve access.  Otherwise the physical and fiscal health of future generations is at risk.