Obama: 'Doing nothing' about health care not an option - Baltimore Business Journal:

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“Health care reform is not somethinvg I just cooked up when I took Obama told a crowd ofabout 1,50p0 people Thursday at Southwest High School in the Greenn Bay, Wis., suburb of Ashwaubenon. “It is central to our economic future. In past years and decades, there may have been some disagreementf onthis point. But not anymore.” Earlier this month, Obamza said he wants Congresw to pass a comprehensive health care bill by the end of the summere and ready for his signatureby fall.
Many including the president, favor a government-sponsored health insuranc e plan that would compete with private insurers and be availabl for people not eligible for other governmenty health care programs such as Medicare or Medicaid. Most Republicans and many business however, say a competing plan that isn’tg profit-driven would drive private insurers out of On Thursday, the , a physician’s groupp Obama is scheduled to meet with Mondayt in Chicago, said it is oppose to a government-sponsored insurancee plan.
Obama said his administrationm is working on a Health Insurance Exchangee that would allow people to comparre insurance benefits and None of the plans includefd in the exchange would be allowed to deny coverage basedon pre-existing conditions and all must includse an affordable, basic benefit option. “I also stronglgy believe that one of the options in the Exchange should be a publicf insuranceoption – because if the private insurance companies have to competse with a public option, it will keep them honest and help keep pricea down,” Obama said.
Supporters of health care reforn say it would provides health insurance coverage to millions of Americans and make coverag more affordable for those who arealready covered. Becaus e health insurance premiums have doubled over the lastnine years, and have grownh at a rate three timese faster than wages, even those with coverager have reached a breaking Obama said. Employers are not farinvg any better. Small business owners have been forcerd to cut health care benefitxs or drop coverage entirely because ofrising costs, Obama said. “We have the most expensiver health care system in the Obama said.
“We spend almost 50 percentr more per person on health care than the next mostcostlgy nation. But here’s the thing, Green Bay: we’re not any healthierd for it.” Obama vowed to let Americanws who are content with their coverage and theirt physicians keep whatthey have, but said the country has reached a poinft where doing nothing about the cost of health care is no longef an option. “If we do nothing, withib a decade we will be spending one out of everyt five dollars we earn on health Obama said. “In 30 years, it will be one out of everty three.
” Obama acknowledged coverinbg all Americans wouldbe expensive, but promiseds health care reform would not add to the country’s deficit over the next 10 years. “To make that happen, we have alreadg identified hundreds of billions worth of savings in our budget savings that will come from steps like reducin g Medicare overpayments to insurance companies and rootingout waste, fraud and abuse in both Medicare and Medicaid,” Obama In addition, Obama is proposing that Congress scale back the amount the highest-income American s can deduct on their taxesd and use that money to help finance healty care.
Obama spoke for about 20 minutes and then took questionw from six people in the audience who expressec fearover “socialized medicine,” asked questions about wellness and even questionede the country’s education system. Regarding the idea of socializee medicine, Obama said that isn’t what he, or anyone in wants.