The Future of Health Care Debate

I had an opportunity last night to attend a discussion at the Harvard Medical School organized by the Pioneer Institute. It featured a conversation between Dr. Don Berwick, the former administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and Jim Capretta, the former Associate Director at the White House Office of Management and Budget during the Bush administration.

It once again made me realize how lucky we are to live in this part of the world -and this part of the country for that matter. And I don’t necessarily mean the partial undisputable successes of so-called “RomneyCare”, but also the access to information and civilized debate over these crucial and complicated issues – to which, may I say, no one so far has a definitive and all encompassing answer. Messrs. Berwick and Capretta, despite their quite different ideas and suggestions about the role of government and the marketplace in healthcare delivery and payment made it a point to agree to disagree in a very gentlemen-like fashion. Their points still came across.

I have a feeling that as a nation, as a state and maybe even as a community we will have many more discussions related to these issues. These could be as complicated as revisiting the ideas and real-life problems that led to “ObamaCare” or President Bush’s Medicare D plan - and everything that comes with it. This may be as seemingly trivial as discussing regulations on my neighbor’s leaf blower, figuring out how to address the increase in mosquito born diseases or how to address health concerns posed by our aging infrastructure such as leaking sewer pipes and drainage problems.

As your candidate for Board of Health I’m looking forward to more discussions before and after the town election. One of my take-away from last night is that we can controversially discuss things without name calling or accusations of “partisanship” – as if differences of opinion were somehow a bad thing. Ultimately it comes down to a civilized tone and focusing on real life issues and prioritized solutions. Transparency and honsesty help as well.

Wishing everyone a Happy Easter, Chag Pesach Kasher Vesameach or simply a good weekend - whatever works for you.

Olaf Faeskorn