Sebelius on the Daily Show

It figures — given the state of the national media — that the most cogent and in-depth discussion of health care reform that I’ve seen recently aired last night on the Daily Show. (Can we really call it “fake news” anymore?)

Jon Stewart conducted a smart, 15-minute interview with HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius about the details of the health care reform bill moving through Congress.

Stewart brought up a point that I wrote about yesterday: that the most hotly debated piece of the bill — the new government-run plan — might be a path to a nationalized, government-run health care system (single payer).

Sebelius denied that. She said — in bit of news-making — that large employers wouldn’t be allowed to enroll their employees in the new government plan. She said this so-called “public option” would be geared more toward the uninsured and the under-insured. Those restrictions still might not keep private insurers competitive with a government plan in the long run.

It was a fascinating discussion. And if you’re at all interested in the health care debate, it’s a must-watch.

The first half of the interview is here.

The second half is here.