Restoring Integrity
in the Federal Public Health Complex
“At least you have your health.”
“At least you have your health.” This common refrain is often invoked in the midst of bad news, yet it still captures the reality of how many people view healthcare.
For most of us, it’s not our favorite subject or one we think most about. Indeed, it can be an expensive and painful subject when we are forced to give it our attention.
In the United States, it’s also a luxury good that Americans spend more on per capita than almost any other country in the world.
In the last several decades an increasing portion of these healthcare dollars have gone to entities, programs, and providers operated by or under the control of the federal government (which some have termed “the public health bureaucracy”).
Putting the merits of this reality aside, this has meant an increased reliance on public health officials to have our best interests at heart when promulgating policy, setting guidelines, conducting research, and running public health insurance programs.
