Is Health Care on the Agenda?

Explores the president's agenda and the public's call for health care to be a priority.

The President is our nation's agenda-setter-in-chief. In shining the spotlight on Social Security early in his second term, President Bush demonstrated the power of his presidency to set an agenda for broad public discussion and to demarcate the parameters of government action. Even if he is not ultimately successful in generating the changes he sought, he can rightfully claim success in advancing a much-needed discussion on the issue.

Fixing Social Security had been on the American people's "Top Ten" list of priorities for over a decade, so President Bush deserves praise for taking a big risk on this issue and getting leaders and the American public talking about various strategies for making improvements. But as we approach National Public Health Week (April 4-10) and World Health Day (April 7), we have to wonder why health care does not seem to be as important to the President.

Health care is, in fact, of greater concern to the public than Social Security. Asked at the end of 2004 how important it was for the President and Congress to deal with various issues in 2005, 87% of Americans said the issue of health care costs was "extremely important" or "very important;" 82% said Social Security was an issue that was "extremely" or "very important." (Gallup/CNN/USAToday 12/04).

A majority (56%) of the American public says the health care system needs fundamental changes, and the number who say they want to completely rebuild it has risen slightly since 1999 (to 30% in 2003). Only a small minority (13%) say the health care system needs only "minor changes." So where is health care on the White House's level of interest, commitment, and drive?

It did get a brief mention in the President's State of the Union speech. In between talking about "curbing junk lawsuits" and "providing affordable, environmentally responsible energy," the President advocated making health care more affordable. The White House endorses "consumer-driven" strategies like expanding the use of Health Savings Accounts and Association Health Plans, as well as initiatives focusing on tax credits for low-income families, medical liability reform and electronic health records.

But is health care really a priority for the Administration? The White House's home page is like a billboard of its priorities. At last check, it featured five news items on Social Security, a "strengthening Social Security" feature with a link to the President's reform plan, a link to a talk with White House Director Josh Bolton on Social Security, and a link to a talk with Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman on the president's energy policy. The topics that the site's navigation bar lists as the White House's priority issues are economy, Iraqi elections, education, Social Security, national security, and homeland security. "Strengthening Health Care" is the third to last item under "more issues."

The best indicator of the President's commitment to an issue seems to be when he goes out on the stump for it. He's been doing a lot of that to drum up support for Social Security and he's done it in the past on education and other issues. When will the President go out on a "listening tour" of America on health care?

Public Agenda has always been assiduously nonpartisan, so I want to make very clear we are not attacking the administration for its positions. However, we believe strongly that our leaders need to respond to the concerns and priorities of the American public. It is our obligation to point to instances where the public's concerns are not being given the attention they demand.

President Bush has an audience on health care issues that is very receptive to hearing about potential solutions. The American public wants to hear what he has to say. Health care, according to the public, deserves to be on the agenda.

Ruth A. Wooden is President of Public Agenda, a nonpartisan opinion research and citizen engagement organization that publishes online issue guides on Social Security, Health care, Education, the Environment and 18 other topics.