“It’s Time”: Obama Begins Meetings on Healthcare Reform
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Related subjects: Health Science, Healthcare Policy, J.E. Robertson, Legislation, Obama administration, Obama's 1st 100 days, U.S. Economy, U.S. Politics Comments (3)
Saying the nation cannot afford any further delay, Pres. Barack Obama told a joint session of Congress last week, “let there be no doubt, healthcare reform cannot wait, it must not wait and it will not wait another year.” He promised he would begin meetings this week, to begin formulating the strategy that would best achieve the goal of “quality, affordable healthcare coverage for all Americans”.
The prohibitively high cost of healthcare is crippling the consumer class, leading to another bankruptcy every 30 seconds, and limiting the ability of companies to hire more employees, raise pay or expand their operations. Such financial hardship slows the entire economy, as banks and consumers find themselves on opposite sides of a battle with the status quo, banks blaming consumers, and consumers blaming insurers for the system’s pervasive failure.
The governor of Michigan has said that more automobiles are now made in Ontario than in Michigan for the first time in history, specifically because manufacturers are leaving the country in order to avoid having to pay the exorbitant costs of their employees’ health insurance. Costs are so extreme that nearly 50 million Americans citizens had no health insurance at all when Pres. Obama took the oath of office in January.
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While some in Congress call for massive tax cuts for the wealthiest individuals and businesses, major industrial companies are urging the government to find a more affordable solution to healthcare, and one which doesn’t rest on their footing the bill. Financial hardship related to individuals’ inability to cope with medical expenses or with the full cost of insurance or routine medical check-ups also puts a drain on productivity, and severely reduces the effectiveness of compensation schemes that do not include group insurance.
Today’s White House healthcare summit brought together Congressional leaders, White House officials and policy advisers and representatives of various interest groups, including patients, doctors, insurers, lawyers and unions. Obama told the gathering in opening remarks that “If we want to create jobs and rebuild our economy, then we must address the crushing cost of healthcare this year, in this administration.”
He also addressed concerns that tackling healthcare in the midst of a recession would have an adverse effect on the government’s budget deficit, saying “Making investments in reform now, investments that will dramatically lower costs, won’t add to our budget deficits in the long-term — rather, it is one of the best ways to reduce them.” The agenda clearly follows Obama’s declared intention to achieve economic recovery via long-term fixes to major economic flaws.
Melody Barnes, senior domestic policy adviser to Pres. Obama, told the gathering “Our healthcare costs are exploding our economy,” adding that as the president aims to address rapidly escalating spending costs, “one of the primary things he is focusing on is bringing our healthcare costs under control.” That, taking economic theory broadly, will bring costs down across the board, for businesses, individuals and government, optimizing the system and getting money where it’s needed.
One of the impressive aspects of today’s summit was the conciliatory and bipartisan tone. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) said he prays every day for Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) —who has struggled with health issues since being hospitalized last year— not just for his good health, but because, according to Hatch, no one can better unite the competing forces arrayed throughout the Democratic base that are needed in order to get backing for any major reform.
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[...] should they need healthcare. He held a solution-seeking healthcare summit at the White House, declaring “it’s time” and promising to work for comprehensive reform. And his negotiations with Congressional leaders have led to Sen. Kennedy and Sen. Baucus saying [...]
[...] “It’s Time”: Obama Begins Meetings on Healthcare Reform [...]
[...] March, Pres. Obama hosted a forum designed to bring together all political and economic stakeholders in the healthcare policy debate, to initiate the discussions that would lead to new legislation to [...]