Frankly, I don't have a feel for the public's assessment of how to best address covering the nation's estimated 46 million uninsured people.

Regardless of my not having a good handle on how the public feels about this situation, The Wall Street Journal reports where there are areas of agreement among our nation's politicians on what should be in any health care legislation:

There is bipartisan support for sweeping changes to the insurance industry that would forbid insurers from denying coverage to people who are already sick, for example, or charging people more because of their gender or health. [Requiring] most Americans to carry insurance [also has] support from both parties.

Lawmakers also agree that individuals and small businesses need a better way to buy health insurance. The so-called exchanges to let Americans comparison shop for plans are likely to end up in any final bill. Billions of dollars would be set aside for subsidies to low- and middle-income people to help them buy coverage. Those who don't follow the rules would face a fine, levied on their tax returns, unless they could prove that buying insurance was a hardship.

Broadly, the debate this fall will pit Democrats, including Mr. Obama, who say an overhaul is urgently needed, against most Republicans in Congress, who argue Democratic plans will lead to excessive government control and lower-quality care.

But beyond the national politics, the effort to write consensus legislation will come down to handful of issues: whether to create a public insurance plan, how to pay for the legislation and how much should employers pay for workers' insurance.