It’s not surprising that the debate over healthcare reform has taken a backseat to the possible economic collapse of the world as we know it.
A Wall Street bailout of some form is clearly needed to protect against the possibility of a broad and deep recession or worse. But even with the addition of taxpayer safeguards included in the most recent Congressional compromise, it’s hard to imagine that this package isn’t going to cost us all a lot of money. Some financial analysts have noted that $700 billion is just the tip of the iceberg, with a final pricetag possibly reaching as high as $2 trillion.
The implications for healthcare reform are clear. No money, no reform. It’s all about flexibility, or rather the lack of flexibility that any new President will have to pursue a healthcare reform agenda in the face of soaring budget deficits and rising national debt ($9.9 trillion and counting).
We’re not happy about it. Just when the political train was leaving the station in favor of a serious run at universal healthcare, this crisis risks jamming on the brakes. Well, it wouldn’t be the first time universal healthcare was derailed in this country. Let’s hope we can still find a way to make the numbers work.
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