POLITICS: Health Care Rumblings From the Republican Convention

Between hurricanes, conventions, nominations, not to mention Labor Day vacations, it’s been a packed news cycle these last few days. So after a week in which health care and the need for health reform figured prominently at the Democratic Convention in Denver, we are looking forward to hearing what Republicans have to say about one of the leading issues of this election.

On Saturday, convention chair, Representative John Boehner (R-OH) gave a preview of some of the convention's top issues. Writing on health care he noted: “Millions of Americans want health insurance but cannot afford it, and health care costs continue to cause wages to stagnate and squeeze family budgets.” He outlined a vision to "work to guarantee access to affordable, high-quality, patient-centered health care for every American.”

On Monday, in an abbreviated opening day, Republicans passed their 2008 platform (pdf here). MedPage Today has a concise summary of some of the major points in the health care portion of the platform.

The opening passage of the health care section lays out a case for reform noting, “Americans are working longer and harder to pay for healthcare,” while “businesses are becoming less competitive in the global marketplace because of insurance costs.” The passage’s conclusion:

It is not enough to offer only increased access to a system that costs too much and does not work for millions of Americans. The Republican goal is more ambitious: Better health care for lower cost.

While the specific policies may differ, the broad goals of the Republican platform on health care do share some similarities with the Democratic counterpart, which as our colleague, Elizabeth Carpenter noted, also recognized the link between cost, coverage, and quality in health care. We believe you have to address all of them to make improvements that are sustainable.

As New America's health policy program director Len Nichols wrote back in the primary season: "Campaign platforms are more like watercolor paintings than high-resolution photographs or blueprints for legislation." In the coming weeks, Republicans and Democrats will be quick to point out differences between their visions for health reform, particularly on the role of government and the types of insurance market reforms needed. But there is also a great deal of common ground between the two sides, both broadly, in terms of lowering costs and improving access, as well as specifically in terms of promoting health IT and prevention and wellness initiatives.

Platforms are important, and we encourage voters to take a serious look at both the Republican and Democratic visions for health reform. Because, after the dust settles in November, the real work of drafting legislation for sustainable health reform will need to build on shared goals, not ideological preferences.