What editorial writers are saying about health system reform

President Obama met with health industry leaders to discuss the proposal. But some skeptics said the groups' plan offers no concrete methods to decrease spending.

Reminders on health reform

In the course of promising savings, health care leaders seemed willing to accept such long-sought reforms as comparative effectiveness studies to determine which medical procedures or products work best. Whether they will be willing to accept dictates that they use the best procedures or products seems doubtful. The New York Times, May 13

$2 trillion in hope

There's no doubt that the U.S. health system today pays for a lot of wasteful and unnecessary care. But, as with "fraud, waste and abuse" in the Defense Department, it's easier to rail against such care than to identify and eradicate it. Smarter use of technology, and more preventive care, could reduce health bills in the long run but would be very expensive in initial stages. The Washington Post, May 12

Health-care reform gets a shot in the arm

The emerging consensus that the system is broken and the nation can no longer wait for reform without risking long-term economic consequences is what brought all these groups to the table. Business leaders, insurers, health-care professionals and consumer groups have all become advocates for major reform. Washington state Daily News, May 12

Signing on to an Obama "dream"

The only benefit here is that it is now possible to see where this issue is headed: A new legislated entitlement for the middle class will ensure that the next great health-care argument to engulf the political system is going to be over how and when to ration care. The Wall Street Journal, May 13

Obama's fragile united front for health care reform

Insurers, for instance, deplore one of Obama's ideas, creating a government health plan. It would provide subsidized insurance for low-income working families and people denied private coverage because of pre-existing conditions, but the federal plan would also compete directly for middle-class families. The Oregonian, May 11