By Melissa Henderson
The University hosted Stuart H. Altman, former dean of the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, and Sol C. Chaikin, professor of National Health Policy at Brandeis University on Wednesday to speak about the 2008 elections results and the future of health care, over breakfast.
The event, entitled "Health Care Reform: Potential Impact of the Presidential and Congressional Elections," was sponsored by Educate '08, the School of Education, the Law School and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
An audience of about 100 guests, including students and associates participated in a dialogue about the problems and possible solutions president- elect Barack Obama will face in the future. Ira Altman, who has specialized in national health care reform for over 40 years, talked about how problems from the baby-boomer era will have to be solved by our generation. Instead of trying to make complicated health care policies and bills entertaining, Altman says that "our job is not only to solve problems but create problems so we can continue this business."
According to the California Health Care Foundation, over 15 million Americans have faced or are facing tremendous disparities even though reforming health care spending goes up a substantial amount yearly. They recorded that since 1971, spending was at an estimated rate of $75 billion. In 2008, spending on health care reform is now at $2.4 trillion.
So what do the changes in future health care plans mean for students who are assumed to be happy and healthy? According to Altman, more employers are not supplying health insurance to employees because they simply cannot afford it and because of the internet being a possible plan to buy health insurance, a lot of confusion and bad contracts will be available to people who may not be able to afford what they bargained for.
Jena Mitchell, a junior, said Altman identified important arguments and the current and critical juncture of health care and how to reach health care goals.
Altman said approximately 75 percent of people agree on equal coverage, but the fact of the matter is, universal health care has been an issue since the 1920's. With President-elect Barack Obama's future plans, Altman said that the real issue will be trying to get insurance companies, private and state level health care providers and pharmaceutical companies on the same page with the latest advances in software to spread and share information.
There was discussion at the event on how the younger population will play an important role in the future, to lead a more affective and comprehensible health care system, as far as inclusivity. The discussion of attaining affordable health care without compromising the quality of health care may have been set aside for part two of the health policy breakfast lecture, which is scheduled for Feb. 13, 2009 from 8a.m. to 10 a.m. at the University Club.