Oh yeah, health reform is still going on too

Two stories on health reform.

First Dan Balz gives his take from the Washington Post. Balz is perhaps considered the dean of the Washington political establishment, and has continued to follow every major political issue. His take is great. He writes:

What is needed now in the estimate of reform proponents is a big dose of presidential leadership. Administration officials said over the weekend that they expect Obama and other officials to be visible and active on health care this week, even though the major event on the agenda is the opening of the confirmation hearings for Judge Sonia Sotomayor, the president's nominee for the Supreme Court.

The absence of the ailing Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), a consummate legislator and dealmaker, is being felt particularly in the Senate. Obama's energies and persuasive powers will be needed to help produce consensus in the Finance Committee -- and to corral rambunctious Democrats on both sides of the Hill.

No one expects Obama to declare in dictatorial terms what shape the legislation must take, but lawmakers are now looking for much clearer guidance from the White House on the tough issues remaining. As one nervous administration ally said, "The president's involvement and engagement almost exclusively on health care the next two weeks is essential."

The clock is ticking. I am still personally optimistic, but the President will need to get on it.

The other comes from Julie Rovner on other aspects of health reform that we just do not talk about. I will say, I support the public option, but as I have often said, so much gets spilled on that matter. How on earth did we miss a Long-Term Care (LTC) option? What about the moves to end sex discrimination in insurance pricing? These are all fascinating matters that sadly fall under the radar, and could prove beneficial toward creating a better system for us all.