Over the years, no single issue has stymied Washington and our entire political system more than healthcare. We must find a way to provide accessible, affordable, accountable healthcare for each and every citizen living in this, the richest country in human history.
Within the last year, when we had five current or former Democratic Senators running for president in Iowa, we kept hearing one comment over and over again: "Every American citizen deserves health coverage as good as that available to members of the senate." I agree.
When a new President and a new Congress takes office in 2009, we must find a way to make this happen. But the only way we're going to bring about dramatic improvements in our healthcare system (now one-sixth of the U.S. economy) is to address our healthcare problems in a bipartisan manner.
My focus will be on three priorities. First, ensuring that information technology, which has already transformed much of the U.S. economy, is utilized to reduce medical costs and improve patient outcomes. Second, moving healthcare toward a system that rewards results and outcomes, rather than the current emphasis on procedures. And third, focusing more attention on wellness and staying healthy in the first place.
