Groups seek consensus on health care system reform

Stakeholders hope to cut through ideological differences and political ambivalence.

By Joel B. Finkelstein, AMNews staff. June 20, 2005.

Washington -- Two diverse health panels formed recently to address the need for health system reform in light of some troubling trends.

While the groups have slightly different goals, both cited problems such as the rising number of uninsured Americans and health care costs that continue to grow faster than the economy, as well as medical errors and racial and ethnic disparities.

Lawmakers' reaction to these problems has been underwhelming, said Robert Blendon, ScD, professor of health policy and management at Harvard University. The issues seemed to fall off the radar screen after the 2004 presidential election.

That realization has brought together a coalition whose members hope to cut through the ideological differences that have so far doomed large-scale reform proposals, said Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA, which is leading the group.

"There seems to be a very deep interest among the stakeholders in the health care community to break through the logjam," he said.

The coalition, also led by UnitedHealth Group, has been meeting behind closed doors since late last year. The group has 24 members from a variety of organizations, some with opposing viewpoints on the issues. It includes representatives from the American Medical Association, the AFL-CIO, AARP, America's Health Insurance Plans, the Heritage Foundation, the U.S Chamber of Commerce, the National Governors Assn. and Pfizer.

In the past, groups have come to the table with their top priority and an all-or-nothing attitude, Pollack said. "If they didn't get their way, their second favorite choice was the status quo."