In our consumer-driven economy lack of confidence leads in a straight line to a deeper recession. Health insurance reform to provide universal access will greatly ease the economic insecurity of millions of Americans.

Health insurance reform is also critical to our economic health, to the extent that we as a nation devote an excessive share of GDP to health care. It is not purely altruistic - if it were no politician would bother with it. Reform can build in incentives for preventative care, as well as reduce administrative costs, and hopefully deliver higher care at lower costs, as other developed nations have experienced.