The Obama Administration is poised for success on health care reform. If the vote tonight unfolds as many of the pundits now say it will, it will be an historic achievement. But how will the history books analyze the topsy-turvy and bumpy ride to the finish line? What will historians point to as the crucial moment when Barack Obama snatched victory from the jaws of defeat? I hope some give credit to the power of the anecdote and the "Natoma Canfield Factor."
Talking points and statistics in this debate have been plentiful. The problem with relying solely on those is that after a while they begin to sound to the American people like the unintelligible teacher in Charlie Brown -- "wah, wah-wah, wah-wah." An anecdote, however, resonates much deeper. It transforms how people see an issue from the intellectual to the emotional -- the quickest and most effective way to influence and persuade the uncommitted.
For the President, the talking point had been "the millions of people who are without health care coverage." The anecdote was the sad tale of Natoma Canfield, who could no longer afford her health insurance 16 years after being treated for cancer. She had written to the President saying she was afraid she would get sick and lose the house her parents had built. The story transformed the debate because it placed a face and a name to the issue. Any person hearing about Ms. Canfield's dilemma would likely stop and think, "What if that happened to me or someone I care for?" Opponents of health care reform did not have ammunition with which to fire back. Even for skilled storytellers, it's much more difficult to make ballooning deficits come to life in the same way. And after all, this debate is about human lives first and economics second.
Will Natoma Canfield become a legendary a figure to health care reform as Rosa Parks was to civil rights? Probably not. But if health care reform is passed tonight, it will be just the latest reminder that real stories about real people trump facts and figures every time.
Follow Bill McGowan on Twitter: www.twitter.com/getsomeclarity
When counter-attacking a point appears insensitive to someone's pain, it just doesn't work. The problem for Democrats is that they will now own health care. Every failure in the entire system is now on the Democrats. Republicans, through not participating in passing health reform, have provided themselves with millions of personal stories that will work just as effectively. Rate increases next year, even if smaller than this year, will be the fault of Democrats. Someone who is denied care by an insurance company will be the fault of Democrats for forcing someone to buy that insurance.
I don't disagree that the stories are effective politics, but just be careful which side you wind up on in the end.
So many physicians have abrogated their voice, their place and their contribution to one of the most sentinel events in modern American Health Care. Like the debate as it has unfolded, physicians have become increasingly disengaged from legislation, allowing large bodies defined by self interest to speak for us in our place. If we do not like HealthCare Reform as it unfolds tonight, we have only ourselves to blame. We gave up the steering wheel a long time ago, some believe all the way back to 1964 as we relinquished influence in the early evolution of Medicare. For a profession defined by communication at its heart, we have failed to construct our insights, articulate our thoughts, reach the public we serve, and guide the path toward better health for all Americans. Every physician needs to pay heed to the anecdotes we gather in the course of our daily lives, that we may seek to influence our lawmakers, policy pundits and ultimately rise to the mantle our patients have placed upon us. In letting ourselves down, we have let our patients down too.
My thought is take this gluttony away from the lawmakers who are sooo against this reform and give it to those Americans that truly need it, the Natomas of this country that are literally dying !
"As soon as members of Congress are sworn in, they may participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP). The program offers an assortment of health plans from which to choose, including fee-for-service, point-of-service, and health maintenance organizations (HMOs). In addition, Congress members can also insure their spouses and their dependents.
Not only does Congress get to choose from a wide range of plans, but there’s no waiting period. Unlike many Americans who must struggle against precondition clauses or are even denied coverage because of those preconditions, Senators and Representatives are covered no matter what - effective immediately.
And here’s the best part. The government pays up to 75 percent of the premium. That government, of course, is funded by taxpayers, the same taxpayers who often cannot afford health care themselves.
Read more at Suite101: Health Care for U.S. Congress: Politicians Receive the Country’s Best Care - at Taxpayers' Expense http://public-healthcare-issues.suite101.com/article.cfm/health_care_for_the_us_congress#ixzz0iosT3kuO"
The anecdote works and has worked. But like any tool, it can be misused. I hope it continues to be used correctly...