If health care reform dies, what's Plan B?

Posted at 12:40 PM on September 22, 2009 by Sanden Totten (4 Comments)

Obama is ambitious, but health care reform has been tried before. If Congress comes up short on actual legislation, is that it? Will the President be forced to slink home to the White House defeated? Well, not exactly.

There is a seldom talked about Plan B.

Madhu Chugh

Madhu Chugh mapped out the "if all else fails" scenario in a paper titled Executive Authority to Reform Health: Options and Limitations. Madhu is a former clerk with the U.S. Court of Appeals in D.C. and served as health policy adviser on John Kerry's campaign in 2004.

She told us about the changes Obama could make just using his power as President and gave us a glimpse into what this "Plan B" might look like.

(This interview will be part of our next podcast episode.)

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Comments (4)

Great interview, Jeff.

Here in Washington we are fighting our way toward fundamental health reform. I'm optimistic about Congress passing something big, but it's comforting to know that someone as intelligent and savvy as Ms. Chugh has thought through Plan B. Her paper has impressed people at the highest levels of Washington, but you are, I believe, the first journalist who has picked up on it.

Well done.

Posted by Paul Begala | September 22, 2009 3:02 PM

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Really impressive. Heartening to know there are people like Ms. Chugh out there thinking about complicated issues like health care reform.

Posted by Judy | September 22, 2009 3:23 PM

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I am confident Congress will pass comprehensive healthcare reform. However, if it does not happen, I couldn't agree more with Ms. Chugh that President Obama should exercise his executive authority to investigate and "tinker" with existing programs to determine what's working and what's not. I am thankful we have thoughtful, intelligent people like Ms. Chugh thinking through alternatives should healthcare reform not pass.

Posted by Jessie | September 28, 2009 3:20 PM

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Madhu Chugh for president, 2012. She really seems to have a grip on the steps to take for our country to move forward.

Posted by Alison Lovejoy | September 28, 2009 9:50 PM

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