NATIONAL JOURNAL: DEPARLE: PLANNING FOR HEALTHCARE OVERHAUL RAMPING UP

Nancy-Ann DeParle, the White House health reform czar, is meeting with congressional staffers during Congress’ recess in order to draft legislation that will provide universal healthcare coverage and overhaul how care is delivered and paid for.  Although there are opponents and supporters of Obama’s new plan for healthcare in the United States, DeParle is hopeful that there can be a compromise:  

“When you list those two goals of keeping costs lower…and keeping the private sector honest or competitive, everyone agrees on that.  And there are policy ways of getting around some of the objections people raise.”

The conversations about healthcare reform will continue after the recess ends as issues such as financing have to be smoothed out.  DeParle will host a series of meeting with Congressional staffers as well as interested parties such as representatives from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, the inspector general’s office at HHS, the American College of Physicians and the American Hospital Association.

Question to the Blogosphere:  What do you think of Obama’s new plans for health care reform in the United States?  Do you think that DeParle can find enough common ground between the opponents and proponents of the plan to be able to take concrete actions by the end of Obama’s first term?