Making sense of the health care reform debate

The New York Times has taken an extra step to help inform readers about the health care reform debate. The online edition has added a new blog in the Health section called "Prescriptions" devoted to the dissecting the health care debate. The writers are off to a fast start, filling the page with articles about the key players in the health care debate, criticisms of policy proposals, and even analysis of advertisements and public service announcements.

This kind of analysis is long overdue. There has been so much shouting and arguing over the possibility of health care reform that there has been little time devoted to what the actual proposals are and what changes may or may not occur. I especially like the informative graphic showing how the different proposals would affect Americans in different economic and marital situations. The availability of this kind of information probably won't stop the shouting and arguing, but it does give the rest of us a chance to consider the future of health care in this country.