Fiscal Crisis = More Reform, Not Less

Tyler Cowen thinks it's time to admit the obvious: If our fiscal situation seems even more dire than it did before, then surely we should scale back our plans for reforming health care. Ezra Klein doesn't think that's obvious at all.

Speaking in my official capacity as a health reformer, the correct claim, I think, is that "the fiscal outlook is grimmer than before, therefore we should agree on more radical health reforms than were previously considered." 

The key, of course, is making sure health reform actually makes progress towards controlling costs. Cowen, I gather, is skeptical. I'm not. Or, at least, I'm not as skeptical as Cowen is. But more on that later.

In the meantime, this is an excellent opportunity to remind readers that Ezra has moved from the American Prospect to the Washington Post. If you care about health care policy, be sure to visit new home regularly. (And make sure to keep stopping by the old digs, as well.)

--Jonathan Cohn