Getting It Done: How Obama and Congress Finally Broke the Stalemate to Make Way For Health Care Reform

Former Senator Daschle, a key player in health care reform during his tenure, and leading journalist Nather (The New Health Care System) provide an insider's account of the negotiations that resulted in the passage of health care reform legislation. Unfortunately, Daschle is so careful to be fair and balanced, giving all involved, particularly those who oppose his views, so much credence, that his first-hand explanations are tedious and redundant rather than insightful and passionate. The ill-fated Public Option, for instance, is addressed in only five pages, during which Daschle both touts and dismisses its importance; its power, he says, was that it "combined elements of costs, quality, and access—the three broad problems that health care had to solve" and yet "it's easy to forget how few people ever would have dealt with it." Still, readers looking for an inside account of the process of drafting and passing health care reform will find much of interest here, but those seeking to understand the legislation itself should take note: Daschle only briefly covers provisions of the law itself. Readers interested in an accessible overview of the coming changes should read Nather's excellent recent effort. (Oct.)