‘A Better Way’ in Health Care Reform?
AEIdeas
June 22, 2016
On Wednesday afternoon, AEI hosted Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI), Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA), and House subcommittee chairmen Kevin Brady (R-TX), John Kline (R-MN), Tom Price (R-GA), and Fred Upton (R-MI) as they unveiled the results of Ryan’s Task Force on Health Care Reform. The event was moderated by AEI’s James Capretta.
Credit: AEI.
In his opening remarks, Ryan painted a stark contrast between the Affordable Care Act and this new Republican proposal, calling the former a system of quantity, the latter a system of quality. While more individuals do have healthcare coverage now thanks to the ACA, Ryan said, it came at the cost of quality and by imposing “a classic top down command control Washington“ plan. The ACA, Ryan added, treats consumers not as individuals with personal and different needs but as “auto-parts on an assembly line: interchangeable and insignificant.”
“Let’s restore the patient-doctor relationship so vital to health care.”
Scalise and the panel of House subcommittee chairmen expanded on the essential philosophical difference between the ACA and this plan, known as A Better Way. Instead of just highlighting the choice and freedom of the consumer, however, they insisted that their plan prioritizes relationships – making relationships between consumers and providers transparent, efficient, and clear, and reclaiming the sanctity of patient-doctor relationships. Scalise said the “whole idea” is to “flip Obamacare on its head. Let’s restore the patient-doctor relationship so vital to health care.” Representative Price added, “Why is it that majority of Americans don’t like the path we are on as it relates to healthcare? I would suggest to you that it is because it violates all the principles all of us hold dear when it comes to health care.”
While it was impossible to get into the nitty-gritty details that necessarily support any massive public policy reform, let alone a reform in health care, it’s clear we are about to see a massive inflow of new thought into the discussion. As we like to say at AEI, #competitionofideas.
To hear more about what AEI is convening this month, check out Arthur Brooks on Medium.
