Rising unemployment, escalating health plan costs and 50 million uninsured Americans can’t be ignored. That’s why the House and Senate have outlined bills to increase the number of insured people, improve care quality and outlaw denial of health care for risk reasons. We caught up with Dr. Neal Meropol, section chief of hematology and oncology at University Hospitals, to learn where to get the latest facts on the health care debate.
Use reputable sources. Meropol suggests looking to Web sites such as the Kaiser Family Foundation, PBS or The New York Times — all offer side-by-side comparisons of the House and Senate bills, from eligibility to prescription drug issues.
But be objective. “You’ve got to be careful because a lot of [articles] are going to be colored by politics,” Meropol says. Read newspapers rather than one-sided outlets such as blogs. Or check out educational resources such as The New England Journal of Medicine.
Stay flexible. Keep an open mind while the debate outcome is being decided, Meropol says. “Neither of these plans calls for anybody to alter their current health plan. Both plans on the table will protect individuals.”
