HEALTH-CARE REFORM . . . EXIT HILLARY

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After all the heat about closed-door meetings and the telephone-book-sized plan to reform health care, President Clinton is taking his wife,Hillary, and chief health-care aide Ira Magaziner off the case-- at least officially. White House officials now say Robert Rubin, the National Economic Council chair, and domestic policy aide Carol Rasco will spearhead the effort to craft a new bill. While the move might seem like a cosmetic bait-and-switch to divert Hillary Clinton's critics, TIME health care writerJanice Castrosays it's a major shift. The next bill, she says, will try to control rising health-care costs, rather than expand coverage for all, and include an up-front funding plan. "Giving Robert Rubin a larger role means the Administration wants to be very pragmatic and figure out how to pay for what it wants to include," Castro says. "If they don't, they're not going to get it through Congress." BTW: Castro says the new bill will likely have greater emphasis on children's health, including better primary care for mothers and children.Post your opinion on theWashingtonbulletin board.