Critical: What We Can Do about the Health-Care Crisis

Senator Daschle has written his best book yet on health care in America. The book is 200 pages of concisely stated elements for an affordable health care program. It is not "socialized medicine", nor is it mandatory if you are happy with your current plan. It established a Federal Health Board that reviews and negotiates fees from institutions that currently are under-scrutinized for cost and efficiency. The Plan ONLY affects recipients of Federal government health insurance plans, Medicare, Medicaid, and Federal employee insurance. This plan will be a model for private insurance plans to consider. Health care cost for all individuals will decrease as the plan unfolds over the next 10 years, and will eliminate unnecessary medical procedures that cripple people physically, and SOME of the newer drugs that DO NOT improve over existing generic drugs.

Daschle, having just been named Secretary of HHS, will be a major voice in the reformation of our health care system. While his book does not really address adequate methods for controlling costs, it does posit a potential method for organization---a Federal Health Board modelled on the Federal Reserve. He also proposes a way to expand coverage by using an existing insurance plan---the Federal Employees' Health Plan. I would highly recommend this book as well as Ezekiel Emmanuel's (Rahm's brother) "Healthcare Guaranteed" to readers wanting to anticipate what the Obama administration may be proposing.

This book is sound in its review of the history and science of need and opportunity for health care reform. While our new Secretary of HHS,former Senator Tom Daschle knows how to relate to congress to get needed changes, this book shows he has a great fundamental approach to the use of government leadership as well as market forces to assure affordable and effective health care for all Americans. I have worked for almost thirty years to help the "marketplace" work in health care. This includes a ten-year stint in Detroit with the Auto Companies and UAW working for health care change. There is no way the market by itself can bring needed reforms. Senator Daschle provides a strong leadership perspective on how to combine the forces of market and government as relates to health care. This book practical,and clear in its message. It is highly recomended for anyone interested in health care and reform. James. B. Kenney, Ph.D.

A thoughtful considerate book on an important subject that goes beyond the typical tired paranoid delusions by the right that health care with some government regulation and coordination will lead to socialism. The book simply puts forth the pressing need to discuss and plan a comprehensive approach to this issue which by any measure is better than the old tired way this issue has been handled since the Reagan administration.

A big part of me resisted the idea of buying a book on health care written by a former Senator. It just seemed way too wonkish for me. But I am into politics and a minute does not go by without a candidate screaming about "Health Care" and "Universal Health Care" so I figured I should get up to speed on what the debate is all about. I'm really glad I did. In truth, Critical is a well written book and is quite interesting. Daschle cogently explains why our current health care system is broken and why there is, in fact, a desperate need to fix it. I'd heard that said many times before but did not understand why. Now I do, thanks to this book. I am a strong believer in the free market as the best means for providing most of the goods that people want at the best price. But I now have to admit that the free market is not working when it comes to health care. It really isn't. And I am not saying this as a Democrat. I am a registered Republican. For those who might think that this book is nothing but a left-wing, socialist rant, they would be wrong. In fact, many of Daschle's recommendations for "fixing" the system are to make our system work the way it would in a true free market environment. That is, to provide the highest quality care at the least cost to the consumer. It was really eye-opening to learn how very far away from this ideal our current system is. Daschle's book covers most of the bases. It describes our current system and why it is so flawed (the number one cause for bankruptcy in our country cannot be called a good system of health care!) He then describes the history of trying to create a better health care system in our country, starting with Truman, up to Clinton, and on up to the current day. He outlines the players who consistently get in the way of needed reform. And, finally, he puts forward his own idea of how we might create a viable health care system that affordably takes care of people when they fall into disease. I got a great deal out of this book. For one, I've learned that right wing talk radio is REALLY clouding the issue when they talk about health care, and is doing the country a great disservice. Daschle persuaded me on a lot of important points and made me aware of the nature of the problem. I thank him for the time he put into writing such an informative, readable book on such an important issue. If you want to educate yourself on the state of our health care system, this is the place to start.