Chronic condition
The signing of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act by President Obama on March 23, 2010 in no way ended the debate over health care reform, and the issue may be a big factor in the next presidential election. During a Harvard Kennedy School discussion Wednesday (Feb. 23), those points were underscored by predictions of action in Congress and the Supreme Court and disagreement among panelists over the impact of the legislation. “A year ago, it seems as though this country had reached some kind of resolution in this long and rancorous conflict over health care in this country,” said Paul Starr, professor of sociology and public affairs at Princeton University and co-editor of The American Prospect. “But whether the legislation really resolved anything at all seems unclear. The conflict goes on and it’s as bitter as ever.” The panel, sponsored by the Multidisciplinary Program in Inequality and Social Policy, focused on...