Use States as Health Reform Labs

Haven’t talked much health care around here recently. That’s in part because things in Washington have slowed down dramatically recently. It’s also because the debate has devolved from one based on ideas to being nothing more than a power struggle with Obama and the Democrats attempting to push something, anything through Congress — even if they have to resort to “Republican” ideas.

Unfortunately, as long as the Republicans and Democrats keep trying to “solve” health care in Washington, they’ll continue to fail. After all, the Republicans have not exactly achieved a stellar track record on health care reform in recent years. The focus, as this recent article from The Politico notes, needs to be on those laboratories of democracy, the states.

Certainly, there are federal issues like Medicare and Medicaid and the tax treatment of care that need to be addressed, but true solutions to our health care problems are not “one-size-fits-all” and they won’t come from Washington. This is one idea that could and should be bi-partisan and would actually improve American health care.