Johnathon S. Ross ^1*

¹ St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: drjohnross{at}ameritech.net.

	Abstract

The 2008 presidential campaign season featured health care reform proposals. I discuss 3 approaches to health care reform and tools such as insurance market reforms, tax credits, subsidies, individual and employer mandates, and public program expansions. I also discuss the politics of past and current health care reform efforts.

Market-based reforms and mandates have been less successful than public program expansions at expanding coverage and controlling costs. New divisions among special interest groups increase the likelihood of success.

Federal support for state efforts may be necessary to achieve national health care reform. History suggests that state-level success precedes national reform. History also suggests that an organized social movement for reform is necessary to overcome opposition from special interest groups.

Key Words: Insurance, Health Financing, Health Policy, Access to Care, Quality of Care, Health Service Delivery