Health care policy often seems like the Cold War of domestic politics, with both sides vying for control of the debate. But there is one issue that threatens mutually assured destruction: high costs. For Republicans, spiraling health care costs have placed them in the increasingly untenable position of proposing steep Medicare cuts in order to avoid tax increases in their budget proposals. Democrats are looking at a long-term budget where health care spending crowds out other progressive priorities such as education, housing, and public investments.
In the face of an unsustainable fiscal outlook, both parties have an opportunity to use the “Super Committee” to work together on controlling health care costs. Despite the rancor that has clouded the overall health care debate, some goals are mutually acceptable: improved patient care, fiscal sustainability, and broad-based cost restraint. Third Way has included several such ideas in our $1.65 trillion failsafe plan for Super Committee success.
This memo explains three policy areas over which the two sides could come together.
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