Health Care Reform: If Not Soon, When?

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 05 Dec 2008 - 6:00 PDT

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Some argue that the Obama administration will be hard pressed to take on something so organizationally and politically complicated as health care reform during such a sharp economic downturn.

The counterpoint: health care reform is essential for any kind of durable economic recovery.

So far, the signs are that health care reform will stay near top of the new administration's agenda. Regardless, the effects of the downturn were beginning to show in late 2008 and are likely to increase in 2009.

The health care building boom of the last few years will almost certainly slow down, and the number of Americans without health insurance may increase if the economy continues to shed jobs.

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Harvard Health Letter

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