A real bipartisan report on health care reform

A general theme of my blogging on health care has been my concern that Congress and the President are all too focused on the symptoms and ignoring the root problems. Today the Brookings Institution issued a report from 10 leading health economists from across the political spectrum (including at least one from the Obama administration) on what should be done. They make four major recommendations:

1. Provide more and better information: IT systems, research on effectiveness of different treatments
2. Change incentives: go from pay for service to pay for performance
3. Major insurance reform: universal coverage, provide individuals and small employers with access to large risk pools, cut back on the tax subsidy for employer-provided plans
4. Help individuals make better choices and accept more accountability for their own decisions: cut back on first dollar coverage, support wellness programs

At last, a health platform I can get behind! But wait, this is an economists' white paper, not a bill in Congress.