Getting It Done

"An exceptionally clear account of an exceptionally tangled piece of recent history. [Daschle is] especially good on why the credibility of Democrats depends on how skillfully they implement the bill over the next 10 years . . . Beyond the specifics of the bill, Daschle is obviously right that 'health care has become a symbol of the deep divide in Americans' feelings about the role government should play.'"—Jonathan Alter, The New York Times

"Daschle, with the assistance of former Congressional Quarterly reporter Nather, writes from an insider's perspective. The author clears up several misconceptions about the health-care reform package, not least of them the fact that the system is a hybrid of the public and private sectors. 'What we are really arguing about,' he writes, 'is what the proper mix should be.' Given that many Americans mistrust the government and believe it to be overstepping its bounds—although so many of those mistrusting Americans are glad to receive Medicare benefits—the temptation is to privatize a system that would seem instead to cry out for more public intervention. Yet it is from the private sector, writes the author, that imbalanced priorities have come, particularly with an emphasis on medical technology and pharmaceutical and surgical treatments rather than prevention and affordable basic coverage . . . [Daschle's comprehensive account] includes such incidents as the backroom deal whereby Nebraska got a no-cost extension of Medicare benefits in exchange for its senator's vote. However, such machinations pale in comparison to those of the opposition, which misrepresented and impeded the bill from the start and continue to do so. A useful view of how laws are made and a good explanation of what health-care reform entails, including a year-by-year breakdown of future benefits."—Kirkus Reviews

"Readers looking for an inside account of the process of drafting and passing health care reform will find much of interest here."—Publishers Weekly