Senator Max Baucus’s strategy to push forward with his long-delayed health care reform plan without any support from his Republican counterparts reeks of politics-as-usual in Washington. It’s ironic that it came a mere seven days after President Obama urged bi-partisan cooperation, openness and collaboration in his reform address to Congress. Perhaps the Democrats who believed that Senator Grassley was simply stalling and not negotiating in good faith had it right all along. 

The myriad implications of Senator Baucus’s decision to move along with his plan without Republican buy-in will undoubtedly be debated and analyzed ad nauseum by the cadres of pundits, talk show hosts and government commentators on both sides. A good many of them are likely to assume (and perhaps accurately) that Baucus’s stubbornness is a sign that compromise season is over in the nation’s capital and, therefore, that progress on true reform in and of itself will slow or even stop. And I would be willing to bet that a good many talking heads will believe that the existing health care establishment will breathe a collective sigh of relief and proceed to crack open the victory champagne.  

Wrong. 

One of the things that has gotten lost in all of the debates, bickering and controversies is that the health care industry itself is welcoming, if not hoping for, reform. Each of the various entities with a vested interest in how our system works is fully aware that it doesn’t work well for all of us (after all, their employees, families and friends are patients, too) and has an express, legitimate interest in helping to improve it. Naturally, not all of constituents necessarily agree with every aspect of every various proposal. Most (rightfully) have concerns about how particular plans and ideas will ultimately impact them, but in general all parties are eager to see meaningful and sustainable change that fosters a simpler, more accessible and affordable system for us all.  

So there won’t be any high-fives and chest-bumps among health care industry executives should the whole reform thing go to pot. Just a lot of people, like their fellow Americans, saddened to see political shortsightedness and vitriol once again hamstringing progress.