There are issues that get a big workout on the presidential campaign trail: big headlines, big applause lines. And there are a raft of really big issues that barely get touched: from defense spending, to American deficits, to the bottom line of American health care — health care costs.
Other nations spend less and live longer. American health care spending has doubled in the last decade, but the care’s not twice as good. You can’t fix health care if you can’t rein in the cost.
This hour, On Point: coming to grips with a real issue beneath campaign ‘08 — the cost of health in America out of control.
Guests:
Shannon Brownlee, senior fellow at the New America Foundation and author of “Overtreated: Why Too Much Medicine Is Making Us Sicker and Poorer.”
Regina Herzlinger, professor at Harvard Business School and author of “Who Killed Health Care?”, she has advised the campaigns of Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator John McCain.
You can join the conversation. Tell us what you think — here on this page, on Twitter, or on Facebook.
Tags: 2008 election, health care
We welcome comments from all of our listeners. We ask that you stay on topic, be civil, and be brief.
While we encourage a robust, open debate on the topic at hand, these comment threads are moderated by On Point and WBUR, and we may delete comments that we judge to be off-topic, unduly repetitive, or that descend into personal, ad hominem attacks.
You are solely responsible for the content of your comments. On Point and WBUR cannot verify the accuracy of comments posted here.