I wish you could have been there. I was riding an airport shuttle on a recent business trip, and reluctantly started a conversation with the guy in the sport coat and trendy tie next to me. I say reluctantly, as you never know how these conversations can go.
We traded answers on “What do you do?” He: Policy Consultant for the US Government. Me: Human Resources Consultant.
He perked up. “Say, do you know much about Obama Care?” I shrugged and offered I might. “I’ve been working with a bunch of policy wonks in a think tank for 9 months, and none of them can explain the real purpose of the Affordable Care Act. Frustrating.”
We were approaching the end of the bus ride. As we stood up to get out, I turned to him and said: “It’s really quite simple. The act intends to give existing insurance companies slightly more than 30 million new customers, many of whom are healthy. For that, the insurance companies have to take everyone. No exclusions, no carve outs, no lifetime caps.” I stepped out of the bus.
He caught me at the next door. “Is it really that simple?”
I kept walking and he kept up. “Of course not. But you asked what the purpose was, and that’s it – expanding coverage. If you read the whole law – and I have – every sentence can be put in one of three categories. Expanding coverage, improving quality of care, or finding ways to pay for it.”
He blinked and stopped. He had an honest look of wonder on his face. “Who ARE you?” I shrugged. “Just some guy…”
As I walked off, he said “You should get on television and tell that to the American People…” I smiled and waved. My good deed for the day.
My takeaway? There needs to be more and better communication out there about these issues, done in ways that are tailored to each audience. Experts like his policy wonks in the think tanks are too close.
When you’re inside the bottle, you can’t read the label.
Man on the street – explaining Obamacare, one citizen at a time…
Karl Ahlrichs' Uncommon Experience 
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