Customer Reviews

Getting It Done: How Obama and Congress Finally Broke the Stalemate to Make Way for Health Care Reform

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The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, derisively known as "Obamacar" spawned an immense amount of controversy. This book, Getting It Done, is a good starting point in seeking clarification. Along the way, the book provides insight into the undeniable problems confronting American health care delivery. No one looking at America's health care situation, whether supporters or opponents of the law, deny something must be done. Despite the law's complex and regardless of valid criticism, many myths exist as to what the law says. Instead we have a simplistic term - Obamacare - and an endless march of misinformation such as the claim that the legislation establishes "death panels." Few people have read the law. At slightly more than 900 pages, that is understandable. What is not understandable is that much criticism is seemingly more non-reflective reaction than thoughtful consideration. Criticism can turn on the perspective of what a critic believes American society is or should be. None of this gets to a true understanding of this particular piece of legislation. Nor is it helpful in dealing with the problems the legislation is meant to address. For such an understanding we need to start with where it came from, the congressional struggle and debates, the intentions and reasoning on both sides. Clearly the author, Tom Daschle, has a perspective. He is an avid supporter of the law. However, he manages to give a substantive picture of how the law came into being and the controversies that shaped it. This is a valuable resource for anyone that wants to actually understand the health care problems confronting us and some of the options. For this reason, the book can be helpful not only for those who support the law. It can be a resource for those who want to change or eliminate it. This, of course, assumes that critics fully appreciate our health care delivery challenges and are sincere in proposing a better way.

I was required to read this book for my American politics class. Tom Daschle truly does an excellent job of explaining the problems with American health care, the political battle leading up to health care reform, and what the effects will be in the future. Daschle clearly explains what is truly a complicated system. If you want to understand the health care system of the United States...read this book.