The Health Care Debate Advances

The announcement of Sen. Hillary Clinton's health insurance plan is notable for two reasons.

First, Clinton joins the other leading Democratic presidential candidates Sen. Barack Obama and former Sen. John Edwards in embracing the core element from Jacob Hacker's "Health Care for America" plan -- providing adults under 65 the option of a public health insurance plan that competes with private insurers and helps ensure that everyone has coverage.

Simply put: "Health Care For America" reshaped the presidential race and moved the health care debate forward, perhaps more than any single development this year.

Second, the media coverage of Clinton's plan, while certainly not flawless was more substantive than we have seen this year.

When Edwards proposed his plan, the only thing the media talked about was taxes. No mention of what you would get for your taxes. And at times, falsely suggesting that everyone's taxes would be raised.

But the coverage for Clinton's plan was more substantive and detailed. The tax element was part of the story, not the entire story, giving voters the ability to weigh the costs and benefits.

Hopefully, this will be the beginning of a trend, and the media will recognize that the public desire to solve the health care crisis demands serious reporting.

Views expressed on this page are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Campaign for America's Future or Institute for America's Future