Progress on Health Care Reform Possible in 2007
"[E]stablishing the basic principle that every job should come with a health care benefit, even if the employer doesn't fully pay for it" would "tak[e] the first step toward universal coverage," Bruce Bodaken -- chair, president and CEO of Blue Shield of California -- writes in a San Francisco Chronicle opinion piece. He writes, "Those who prefer more incremental steps, and others who want to move more quickly, should choose conciliation over ultimatums."
According to Bodaken, "Policymakers must stay true to the vision of health care for all, while not ignoring the realities that have killed previous attempts at reform." He writes that "expanding coverage will require genuine bipartisanship and a willingness to compromise."
California residents could "see real progress at reform before the year is out," according to Bodaken (Bodaken, San Francisco Chronicle, 1/7).