Sensible compromise: will there be health care reform?

Three significant challenges to the passage of health care legislation bear watching as they have the potential to make sensible compromise between the House and Senate unlikely. The first threat is the continuing exposure of the public to misinformation from media commentary and interest groups. If health care delivery issues weren't complex enough, another growing issue is the misuse of the filibuster, further obscuring change and clarity in legislative discussion. The third threat is a move by opponents of current health care reform to engage the Supreme Court and challenge the constitutionality of the legislation. If substantive health reform legislation fails to pass, nursing will have received a deep wound along with the rest of this country. Our voice as patient advocates must be stronger in these final days.