Coverage Expansion and Cost Control in Health-Care Reform

Coverage expansion and cost control in health-care reform: “People say you can’t do coverage without cost control. I think it’s the opposite. You can’t do cost control before coverage. We would do a huge amount for the cause of cost control just by covering people…. Once you get coverage off the table, the conversation gets more focused on cost control.” That’s health economist Jon Gruber’s bottom line on health care reform. It’s my view too, and it’s the premise underlying the House and Senate bills. I hope it turns out to be right.