Sen. Kennedy, healthcare champion

It seems appropriate today to devote some space to Senator Edward Kennedy, who died last night at age 77 after a battle with brain cancer. Kennedy, D-Mass., had his hand in nearly every major piece of healthcare legislation during his tenure and was a central figure in the debate. Read more

A longtime advocate for universal healthcare, Kennedy dubbed healthcare the “cause of his life,” and “a defining issue for our society,” according to the Washington Post. Last May, Kennedy made a dramatic visit from the hospital to the Senate floor to vote for legislation preventing cuts in Medicare payments to doctors.

The WSJ notes: “Mr. Kennedy died with one of his lifelong goals, universal health care, tantalizingly within reach yet struggling on Capitol Hill. Some advocates have said his absence has hurt the chances for legislation, and hope Mr. Kennedy's passing will give new momentum and emotional force to his favored cause.”

Kaiser Health News put together a nice compilation of major news outlets’ references to Sen. Kennedy and healthcare.