Health care napkins update: FOX news, Huffington Post, etc.

Two weeks ago, I published here and on slideshare.net a series of "back of the napkin" visual explanations of the health care debate. I created the napkins in order to myself understand the essentials of a public debate which had become more vicious than any in recent memory. I also hoped others might find them a useful baseline description of the issues.

The response has proven to me (again) the staggering power of simple pictures.

Healthcare Napkins All

View more documents from Dan Roam.

Since I posted the slide show, it has been viewed more than 76,000 times, embedded in 265 other blogs, cited on the HuffingtonPost.com and prompted FOX News to ask me to explain on air what the debate is really about.

(On a side note, I find it interesting that FOX was the first network to call. My politics rarely align with those of the pundits appearing on FOX, so it was gratifying that they found the clarity of my napkins more compelling than any political slant. That's something to be especially optimistic about.)

As the government reconvenes in the next weeks, I'm sure health care will remain as contentious an issue as it was before vacation. I plan to create a second set of napkins as the debate heats up again. Watch for them here.

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[Amy]

Well, it's not really just picture. You also outlined a great story, that's simple and makes sense. Smart, smart stuff here.

[David Killian]

You never covered the option of reforming private insurance...that is, putting the consumer in charge of paying small fees for regular doctor visits...but using insurance for catastrophic coverage only...like we do with auto insurance. We pay for gas, tires, oil changes...but for expensive accidents, we have liability and property insurance.

Implementing reform to focus on getting consumers to pay for services that they use would transform the market and encourage competition to provide timely, inexpensive and focused care.

We already see this in some states like North Carolina (and others) that have consumer paid "critical care" drop in offices (for minor things...back pain, burns, rashes, coughs, fever...etc). It is very affordable and doesn't involve Insurance at all...

That, and reducing state mandates enabling consumers to buy exactly the coverage they want (ie what if I don't want HIV coverage?...or sex change coverage?...or mole removal coverage? In many states I *must* pay for these services...why!!??)...

And why not encourage a system that enables me to purchase Insurance from *where* I want? Currently I can only buy insurance from within my state...why??

I am just trying to point out that there is a *more* free market approach to what we have today! Which would a fraction of the proposals that you mention...and would unleash the free market to provide *exactly* what consumers want...and when they want it.

[Nathan Cleveland]

Just read your book during my lunch hour yesterday. As a both-brained project manager and graphic designer, I thoroughly enjoyed its simple power. I'm using its principles for my future presentations. Thanks.

[Linaka]

Very cool! Congrats on exposure. I like how the napkins take away all the jargon and just say it as it simply is.

[jerome cukier]

Wishing you best of luck in the Slideshare 2009 contest. You deserve to win!
http://www.slideshare.net/contest/worlds-best-presentation-contest-2009/entries?order=popularity

[Erik]

Congratulations on the exposure.

Simplicity...

-erik