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KMID : 1170320110170010071
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Korean Journal of Health Economics and Policy
2011 Volume.17 No. 1 p.71 ~ p.101
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The Political Economy of US Health Care Reform
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Tchoe Byong-Ho
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Abstract
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The US health care reform bill was legislated on March 25th, 2010, around 100 years since Theodore Roosebelt took the universal health care as a presidential promise in 1912. Health care reform had been always one of the most contentious issues in the presidential elections, and was deeply related to the interests of players of health care market. At first, it seemed impossible to achieve the health care reform, because the Obama administration was facing tough and urgent foreign policies, economic recession, and financial crisis, and therefore Obama would not have his political capital to pour into the health care reform. Obama set the health care reform on top priority and pushed ahead with his all political capability. Democrat-led House and Senate could make the reform possible. Economic and political environment was changed positively unlike that of Clinton administration. Employers could not bear the skyrocketing surge of private insurance cost. So private insurers promised to cooperate with the reform, and instead they asked the administration not to introduce public option. And health industry announced to support the reform and did their best for the protection and even more profits. Doctors associations and civic groups had been separated with pros and cons, and pros had become dominating cons as time went on. Especially doctors had a growing antipathy toward HMO-type insurers. The biggest loser was Republican, and also Obama could not get a single vote yes from the Republican and lost political leadership. Further, the November mid-term election provided the majority of House to the Republican, that will make the implementation of health care reform unstable, and the future of health care reform will get caught in adversity depending upon the results of coming presidential elections.
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KEYWORD
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health care reform, health insurance reform, potical economy, US Health care, US health insurance
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