In an impromptu appearance at today's White House press briefing, President Obama said he knows reforming the nation's health care system will be "complicated," but that he's "optimistic" about the chances for a bill succeeding.
I'm generally a "can-do" sort of person, but I definitely would feel more likely to share his optimism if the cost projections -- all of which are $1 trillion and upward -- weren't so prominent and payment proposals weren't so blatantly absent.
I know we need to reform the health care system -- as a consumer and a professional that covers these issues, the evidence is impossible to ignore. However, in the tough times we're in, we also need to know how we're going to pay for it -- specifics, not just maybe raise taxes here and perhaps cut inefficiencies there.
The dance that lawmakers, insurers, the president and other stakeholders are doing around the cost question is almost comical. President Obama is scheduled to hold a townhall meeting tomorrow night to answer Americans' questions on health care. He recently applied his campaign catchphrase "Yes, we can," to health care reform. Hopefully, on Wednesday or soon after, he'll address "How we will."
