Clinton, health care, and the crystal ball. With the Democrats back in power, where do we go from here?

Abstract

Although Clinton's Health Security Act was unsuccessful, the President's first term did see considerable headway in health care policy, including the Health Insurance Reform Act, the Family and Medical leave Act, and improvements to both Medicare and Medicaid programs. Whether the result of a federal reform plan or free-market forces, efforts to control health care costs hinge on continued growth of managed care. Capitation is the wave of the future, according to some experts. America's aging population is rapidly overwhelming the Medicare Hospital Insurance Trust Fund. Clinton's balanced-budget proposal would keep Medicare solvent until 2006, while a bipartisan committee devises a long-term plan. Options for relief, however, are limited to increasing revenues by raising premiums and copayments or by decreasing spending.