Healthcare, Schmealthcare

I have a confession: I’m sick of the healthcare debate. But wait, it gets worse. I’ve pretty much been apathetic about it all along. I know I should care. I wish I could summon more bile about it, but I just can’t.

I’m not proud of this, but I also know I’m not alone. In the privacy of backyards and living rooms, some very smart and politically engaged friends have admitted to feeling the same way. I suspect we are symptomatic of the challenges inherent in tackling this issue.

Here are three reasons why I’ve been tuning out:

1. I’m covered–My health insurance is pretty good and pretty cheap. Not great, but certainly good enough that I’m among the majority of Americans who count themselves satisfied with their current health plan. Healthcare is not an issue that keeps me up at night. This is a luxury–I know plenty of people who do lose sleep (and half their paychecks) over it. I recognize that the concerns about cost and quality of care are real, and that the astronomical number of people without health insurance is both a tragedy and a shame. But achieving meaningful reform when most people are satisfied with their personal status quo is always going to be an uphill battle.

2. I’m moderate–There are issues that make me burn with ideological fire, but this is not one of them. I think the current system is clunky and driven by parochial greed. I think more regulation is probably needed, and so is more competition. I think a “public option” might not be a terrible idea, but I’m not about to go to the barricades for it. I don’t think that a fully socialized system à la Europe is desirable or workable in America and I don’t see us ever getting very far down that path. Since I lack passionate convictions on this issue, I find that the vitriol of the debate leaves me cold.

3. I’m lazy–I’m sure that if I tried I could figure out which bills are on the various tables in the House and the Senate, and the pros and cons of each, and how a lowly citizen could effectively weigh in. But it’s summertime. Both the process and the substance of this entire debate have been muddy from the start. No one has effectively framed the issue to make it clear what we are choosing between. If I were to call my representatives I’m not sure what I would even say to them. Without a compelling message and a clear course of action, my attention (and the conversation in my backyard) quickly shifts to other topics.

I do think that healthcare reform is important, both for its own sake and because a failure here will hobble this administration, maybe permanently. So I hope that all the wonks and politicos start talking about this stuff in a way that makes me sit up and pay attention.