Health Policy Expertise in the White House

The New England Journal ponders the perils of health policy expertise in the White House in this week's issue. See the article. The author maintains that health policy expertise needs to stay separate from politics. However, in order to ensure political success, the experts must occasionally defer to politics. His point is well taken, as it is easier to propose a better, more efficient, system for health care than it is to follow through with that proposal. But we need to factor in the public response and political support for such a program.

Health policy expertise is even more complicated than purely the policy versus politics debate, however. As Dr. Hacker mentions in his article, a wide variety of persons are involved in forming these policies. Justifiably, economists take a leading role in such advice and expertise. Doctors, lawyers, and holders of public policy degrees also provide expertise. It makes sense that the public and the political process are also stakeholders in this process.