How not to do health care reform

It started with calls for universal health care. Health care as a right. Insuring the uninsured.

Gradually, culminating in last week's summit with health insurance industry executives, it's become less about extending coverage and more about "containing costs".

Ask yourself this - - will health industry executives "contain costs" by cutting profits, or by cutting quality?

We have an answer (on the front pages of McClatchy newspapers):

Headline: "Ways to cut S. Fla. healthcare costs: reduce tests, let terminally ill die at home"

From story: "South Florida healthcare leaders say they know plenty of ways to slash costs - - from cutting down on needless hospital readmissions to not wasting dollars on useless care when patients are dying. . . . If the ideas were accepted, gravely ill patients would be more likely to die at home rather than in intensive care . . . another key is eliminating "futile care" - - treatment given after it is clear that a patient is on an irreversible path to imminent death."

http://www.miamiherald.com/business/story/1051006.html

If this is the road we're going down, and if this is the publicity that's going to surround "reform" efforts, don't be surprised if "reform" loses again.