That said, the basic terms of discussion have become clear. The main question is whether congressional Democrats will be able to include a government-funded health plan to compete with existing programmes. This public plan would have the scale to negotiate with providers and drug companies and would, therefore, set prices for the industry as a whole and set a floor on cost. Republicans oppose the move, regarding it as the first step towards socialisation. A public plan would, on this view, bleed business away from the prvate providers with whom it was ostensibly in competition. That would lead, in turn, to a gradual reduction in quality, with regulation proving less effective than competition at maintaining standards.<\/p>\n
President Obama himself has invested too much political capital in reform for nothing to happen. There will be a Bill. It will increase coverage and a victory will be declared. But the escalating cost will have been laid aside as too difficult an issue. It cannot be avoided for ever.<\/p>\n