Today, we learned that health reform took one step closer to its goal of expanding health insurance coverage to perhaps 30 million more Americans. Likely the politicians will agree to disagree. There is one thing we need more agreement on: personal responsibility. Whose responsibility is it to eat well, exercise, and get regular health check-ups? What about limiting children’s exposure to health risk factors like smoking, lead, and allergens?

While health reform is important, it is also essential to consider the major role individuals have to play in monitoring and managing their own health. If a person’s level of health insurance goes from none to some, or good to great, it wouldn’t change that person’s habits or alert them to lifestyle changes to improve their health. It also wouldn’t necessarily foster a closer, information-sharing relationship with their personal physician. And finally, it’s hard to see the positive correlation between greater health insurance and greater clinical research to fuel medical breakthroughs.

I guess I agree with the need for health reform, but fear the perception shared by many that this is all we need to improve public health. A segment of the public sector and private industry recognizes it will also take better drug surveillance methods and more effective health education. Unfortunately, those aren’t the focus of today’s health reform.