Health Care Reform Panel?

In 3/5 edition of the News-Item, the paper published their 2010 business roundtable including a panel of heath care providers talking about heathcare reform.

Listed in the panel were doctors, hospital administrator, home health care providers, senior living, pharmacy, and a government representative.

What was missing from the panel? WHERE WERE THE PATIENTS? OR IN THEIR EYES, WHERE ARE THE CONSUMERS?

I do agree with many things that were discussed. Shamokin Area Community Hospital is a fine heath care facility. Dr. Miller discussing food industry. Mary Stout discussing the way things were when people were covered 100%.

Somewhere along the line, insurance companies forgot about spreading the risk.

Trudy Rubin of the Philadelphia Inquirer, opines how the US ignores health care success in Europe and Japan.

The panel argues that Medicare Part D has been successful. Yes, but at what cost? It is still illegal to negotiate the price of drugs even those Medicare is "Big Pharma's" biggest customer.

We need a start in reform. Where will it come from?????