P3 author Phil Longman (Best Care Anywhere, The Next Progressive Era) just wrote an article on Agent Orange for Washington Monthly. It highlights how difficult it is to determine whether or not the illnesses that afflict veterans were actually related to their service.

OK, granted. But as Phil sensibly points out, do we really need to figure that out? Wouldn’t it be easier, better, and more productive to simply treat the illnesses of all veterans?

And of course this question goes to the health care system as a whole. Does any other country spend as much time and energy trying to figure out why Organization X shouldn’t treat someone?