Obama: Health Reform Closer Than Ever
(CBS/ AP)
"This progress should make us hopeful," Mr. Obama said from the White House Rose Garden, "but it can't make us complacent. It should instead provide the urgency for both the House and the Senate to finish their critical work on health reform before the August recess."
The House of Representatives introduced its health reform proposal yesterday, while a key Senate panel voted on its own version of reform yesterday. Mr. Obama called the Senate bill "a major milestone."
"It's a plan that was debated for more than 50 hours and, by the way, includes more than 160 Republican amendments -– a hopeful sign of bipartisan support for the final product, if people are serious about bipartisanship," he said.
Both bills include a health insurance exchange -- a marketplace that will allow families and small businesses to choose their plan -- and a public health insurance option. The president said both versions "take what's best about our system today and make it the basis of our system tomorrow – reducing costs, raising quality, and ensuring fair treatment of consumers by the insurance industry."
With representatives from the American Nurses Association by his side, Mr. Obama said, "we are now closer to the goal of health reform than we have ever been."
He said nurses know as well as anyone how much health care reform is needed -- and that they would benefit from legislative changes that would allow them to spend less time on paperwork and less time with patients suffering from preventable diseases.
"If we make their jobs just a little bit easier, we can attract and train the young nurses we need to make up a nursing shortage that's only getting worse," he said. "Nurses do their part every time they check another healthy patient out of the hospital. It's time for us to do our part."
Americans who already have health insurance, the president said, will not only be able to keep their plans under his reform proposal but also save money.
"You won't have to worry about one illness leading your family into financial ruin," he said.
The president warned opponents of reform to take a "hard look" at the status quo, which he called unsustainable.
"We're going to get this done," Mr. Obama said. "These nurses are on board. The American people are on board. It's up to us now."
Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
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See all 22 CommentsMedications should not be so expensive. Lawsuits should be capped. There should also be more clinics available for low income people, these clinics should utilized doctor's who can volunteer their time and services and charge a flat fee or accordingly. On coming new physicians could also have their residence there. We the people should be able to help our community by working hard, instead of sharing the wealth and increasing taxes and spending money we don't have. People who pay for their health plan and medications keep their dignity and are much more appreciative. My mom is almost 70, is working part time to supplement her fixed income, and goes to a low income clinic and is on a reduced medication fee!
"CBS NEWS JUST ADVISED AN ERROR IN THE HEADLINE WAS MADE
It should have read Obama; Socialism Closer Than Eve"
What a bunch of right wing hooey.
It should have read Obama; Socialism Closer Than Ever
what private sector company can compete with a government-owned competitor?
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If they can't compete, then they are corrupt.
Eventually you run out of other people's money.
There is no doubt that the government will eventually cut services or deny procedures
The government is already broke, where do they get off thinking they can afford the largest programs in the history of America ?????
In his own words President Obama said that for over a decade health care costs have been rising at three times the average wage rate, so why is no one looking into that? We (the American people) have been told for years that we must do more with less while the corporate elite are still allowed their free reign to rape and pillage us. I personally have experienced a negative wage growth for the past 7 years (e.g., I lost over 30% of my salary alone in 2002 and have never recouped it). So why is it that our illustrious ?leaders? are not investigating why the medical and pharmaceutical (and other) industries have been enjoying double-digit inflation for years while the rest of us are lucky if we get a raise at all?
Wake up America this may be the final nail in the coffin that buries us. If government no longer represents us it is our duty to cast it off.
I wish I could get guaranteed health insurance so I could quit my full-time job and work two or three part-time jobs that would total forty hours instead.
Working one job is no good for me, I like variety in my life.
That's AS I SEE IT. I'm Mainer Mike Brown.
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Liar.
Obama says that we're closer than ever to health care reform.
But that's what he says.
That's AS I SEE IT. I'm Mainer Mike Brown.
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See all 22 Comments