Five Health Care Promises Obama Won't Keep

The President Could Be Close to Achieving Health Care Reform, but Not with All of his Campaign Promises

(CBS)  This story was written by CBSNews.com political reporter Stephanie Condon.

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On the campaign trail last year, President Obama laid out several specific promises for health care -- both during the Democratic primaries and during the general election campaign. And in his first year in office, President Obama has made comprehensive health care reform the centerpiece of his domestic agenda.

But what happened to those promises?

To his credit, Mr. Obama has come closer to achieving many of those promises than many may have expected him to. For instance, the Congress is well on its way to facilitating health care coverage for nearly all Americans, providing subsidies for people who cannot afford insurance, implementing consumer protections, boosting federal funding for prevention and wellness programs, giving tax credits to small businesses that provide their employees with health coverage and implementing health information technology systems.

However, even though there is plenty of work left for Congress before it can put a health care bill on Mr. Obama's desk the bills in development indicate that some of Mr. Obama's promises may be long gone. Here is a look at five of Mr. Obama's health care campaign promises that are unlikely to come to fruition.


1. No Individual Mandate

During the 2008 Democratic primary, Mr. Obama and then-Sen. Hillary Clinton both shared the goal of health care reform. By Mr. Obama's own admission, the biggest difference between the two candidates was that Clinton supported a mandate for all Americans to acquire health care.

"Now, under any mandate, you are going to have problems with people who don't end up having health coverage," Mr. Obama said during a debate with Clinton on Jan. 31, 2008. "I think we can anticipate that there would also be people potentially who are not covered and are actually hurt if they have a mandate imposed on them."

CBSNews.com Special Report: Health Care

Under the leadership of the late-Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), however, Congress wrote bills that called for an individual mandate. In June, the president indicated in a letter to Kennedy and Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) that he was changing his tune to accommodate their legislation.

"I understand the committees are moving towards a principle of shared responsibility -- making every American responsible for having health insurance coverage," he wrote. "I share the goal of ending lapses and gaps in coverage that make us less healthy and drive up everyone's costs, and I am open to your ideas on shared responsibility."

The president now fully supports an individual mandate.

"The only way this plan works is if everybody fulfills their responsibility," he said at a rally Thursday.


2. Complete Transparency

Candidate Obama promised that health care deliberations with Congress and special interests would be transparent to the extreme.

"That's what I will do in bringing all parties together, not negotiating behind closed doors, but bringing all parties together, and broadcasting those negotiations on C-SPAN so that the American people can see what the choices are," Mr. Obama said during his Jan. 31, 2008 debate with Clinton. "Because part of what we have to do is enlist the American people in this process. And overcoming the special interests and the lobbyists who -- Senator Clinton is right. They will resist anything that we try to do."

The president, members of Congress from both parties and special interest groups have indeed all participated in negotiations, but those conversations have not been broadcast. Instead, the president has announced deals with groups like the pharmaceutical industry and the insurance industry after they were worked out in backroom deals.

Meanwhile, Baucus, one of the most influential senators in the health care debate, not only shut out the public but shut out most of his own committee from his "bipartisan negotiations."

"We spent virtually an entire year with most of the Finance Committee being excluded," Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.V.) reportedly said after Baucus released his health care bill. "You don't run a committee that way."


3. Enable the Government to Directly Negotiate Drug Prices

In the Jan. 31, 2008 debate, Mr. Obama said, "If a drug company -- if the drug companies or a member of Congress who's carrying water for the drug companies wants to argue that we should not negotiate for the cheapest available price on drugs, then I want them to make that argument in front of the American people."

"We'll negotiate with the drug companies for the cheapest available price on drugs," Mr. Obama said again in an Oct. 15, 2008 debate with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

It turns out, however, Mr. Obama reneged on this promise in a secretive way. In July the president praised the drug industry for its agreement to reduce its revenues by $80 billion over 10 years by discounting the cost of medicines for some seniors. After Congress sought to extract further funds from the pharmaceutical industry, however, it was revealed that the White House made some previously undisclosed deals to get the industry to stay at the negotiating table.

"The White House had tracked the negotiations throughout, assenting to decisions to move away from ideas like the government negotiation of prices or the importation of cheaper drugs from Canada," the New York Times reported.


4. Allow Drug Importation

During the campaign, Mr. Obama said his plan (PDF) would "Allow consumers to import safe drugs from other countries" because "some companies are exploiting Americans by dramatically overcharging U.S. consumers."

As noted above, the Obama administration secretly conceded to forgo the importation of cheaper drugs in its deal with the pharmaceutical industry.

[natdef_1]

OBAMA = LIES, LIES, LIES

when it comes to showing genuine care for another, the means employed, doesn't begin with capitalism, but the heart...!
capitalism hinders the heart's RESOURCES from being EMPLOYED toward the well-being of those you care for......LIMITATIONS !
if it not be true...then why is everything hindered by a lack of capital $, from the HOMELESS to the U.S. GOVERNMENT ? !!!
and that's not speaking of the welfare of other nations, countries, and peoples. it doesn't matter if your CAPITALIST or SOCIALIST !
it doesn't matter if your a DEMOCRATIC nation or a COMMUNIST nation! CAPITALISM HINDERS ALL PEOPLE !

when it comes to showing genuine care for another, the means employed, doesn't begin with capitalism, but the heart...!
capitalism hinders the heart's resources from being employed toward the well-being of those you care for......LIMITATIONS !
it it not be true...then why is everything hindered by the lack of capital $ from the homeless to the U.S.GOVERNMENT !?
and that's not speaking of the welfare of other nations, countries, and peoples. it doesn't matter if your capitalist or socialist!
it doesn't matter if your a democratic nation or a communist nation. CAPITALISM HINDERS ALL PEOPLE !

if our standard is being that the well-being of our family, friends,neighbors, even that of... the neighbors we never met, is "important" to us, then we have shown signs of compassion drawing from our own personal experiences, ...knowing personally, what it might be like for someone else, being in similar circumstances we've treaded in, ourselves, before.
then, we've obeyed what was counciled out of the mouth of moses, who spoke about meetng a stranger along the way...reflecting on our own personal (isreal's) experiences of hardship and suffering (in egypt) and being without someone who cared for our own well-being in a time of need. saying, remember what it was like for yourself...opening your heart of compassion as well as your hand and give to the need of the stranger, remembering how it was, that there was not anyone to help in your times of need, past. relating it to your neighbors, strangers, family and friend's need at present. that there may not of been someone to help in there own present need, if you don't.
that's what it means, to fulfill the law and the prophets...loving your neighbor as yourself, treating them with the same care, you yourself had need of in a time of need, so that you can recieve help in your needs.
the measure you meet out you will recieve back to your own need from your neighbors MULTIPIED!...speaking of karma, sowing and reaping. karma is one's own livelihood based upon one's relationships with family, freinds and neighbors, as well as his god. it's the dispostion of our circumstances. he who sows to the well-being of another's good, then we will recieve it back again in due course of time from many of our neighbors. it's that easy to be a benefit to others as well as being benefited, enriching and being enriched.
then all else being things(food, shelter, clothing,) will fall into it's rightful place (priority) in our lives and in all our relationships, administered in love to one another.

isn't it something to think about.... that a thing,...is more valueable than mankind...to whom it was created for and given to....GOLD ! what's so valueable about gold that a man's life is denied him...? that someone would kill another for ?

[gce65]

TO ALL READERS (ESPECIALLY SENIORS):

Please do not be intimidated or frightened by the insurance company/GOP tactics of fear mongering. It's despicable, but they will get to you any way they can.

Please also remember it was Democrats (FDR and LBJ) who brought Social Security and Medicare to seniors, not the Republicans.

Republicans would have you working until the day you died without any safety net. Just a couple of years ago the Republicans wanted to privatize everything. How might that have worked out with the stock market crash and the Bush recession that has followed?

Just a couple of thoughts to keep in mind.

[TNConservative]

Are you liberals really this ignorant. Please show me in the Constitution where it guarantees a right to free health care. I have good health insurance because I have worked hard to have a good job. Why should I have to pay for those who won't? If people want health insurance, they need to get a job and pay their bills. It's called personal responsibility, not that you socialist liberals would understand that. You think the government should be a nanny state that takes care of everything. I've got news for you - Obama and his idiot liberal friends in Congress will all be out off office in the next elections if they keep trying to socialize this country. Maybe they should try reading the constitution. Then maybe they would understand that the federal government is only to have limited powers. Anything not enumerated to the federal government is to be left to the states.

[ebystrom]

I'm surprised CBS News is actually reporting on Obama's unkept campaign promises (lies). It's just one lie after another with this guy. I'm not surprised, though, that the article excuses his lies by saying they're promises he really meant to keep, but he just couldn't, due to circumstances beyond his control.

I'm also not surprised that Obama supporters commenting here continue to make excuses for him. They can't even see that his back room deal with BigPharma, fixing drug prices, is an obvious violation of all he claims to care about in saving consumers money on health care, and a violation of his much hyped "transparency", which has never been shown yet, even as the article denotes the lack of "transparency".

This whole thing is nothing but an attempt to have complete government control of our health care, which amounts to complete government control of our very lives, and you people can't see that. No. it's all Glenn Beck's fault, and conservatives' fault, and the Republican party's fault, and TEA party protesters' fault, when the candidate and the President lies, and tries to turn us into a socialist state.

When the government has the power to give you everything you want, it also has the power to take everything away from you. That's the kind of power you shouldn't want the government to have over you.

regarding the health-care debate...how valuable is a man's life compared to the value of "the gold standard" that is capitalism has raised?
it's good to see and hear about those who show how valuable a man is, like jack herer (as a example) by their' donations of money toward the hospital cost, but here we also have a show of those who wouldn't lift a finger to help a man in his need, unless compensated with money...VALUES ! man vs. gold !
we, mankind, have placed value on things like gold, when we should rather place our value and standard toward the well-being of each other and raise that standard alone.
that's what i would call true health-care all around the earth, where no ones left out, because their' well-being is the standard in us !
gold should be lowered to the statis of just being a common thing !
my friend, jack herer's life is worth more than capitalsm's standard of what's valuable.
capitalism robs all mankind of the dignity due them...that means: "being valued by those around them".
an example of those who's dignity have been stolen from are the homeless. does anyone really care for there well-being?
the homeless are always being run off by the establishment of capitalism with police-force backing !
how just is capitalism ? seeing that it robs another ? of even life itself ! gold was more valuable than the lives of san salvodor in the day that columbus' ship arrived. the same with north america from the east coast to the west coast. how many died because their neighbor saw gold as being more valuable than themselves ?
capitalism is like a wrentch in the gear-works of every human relationship. it hinders everyone !
capitalism keeps one from even meeting the needs of another, including one's own needs...
my friend is more valuable than the standard capitalism has raised !

regarding the health-care debate...how valuable is a man's life compared to the value of "the gold standard" that is capitalism has raised?
it's good to see and hear about those who show how valuable a man is, like jack herer (as a example) by their' donations of money toward the hospital cost, but here we also have a show of those who wouldn't lift a finger to help a man in his need, unless compensated with money...VALUES ! man vs. gold !
we, mankind, have placed value on things like gold, when we should rather place our value and standard toward the well-being of each other and raise that standard alone.
that's what i would call true health-care all around the earth, where no ones left out, because their' well-being is the standard in us !
gold should be lowered to the statis of just being a common thing !
my friend, jack herer's life is worth more than capitalsm's standard of what's valuable.
capitalism robs all mankind of the dignity due them...that means: "being valued by those around them".
an example of those who's dignity have been stolen from are the homeless. does anyone really care for there well-being?
the homeless are always being run off by the establishment of capitalism with police-force backing !
how just is capitalism ? seeing that it robs another ? of even life itself ! gold was more valuable than the lives of san salvodor in the day that columbus' ship arrived. the same with north america from the east coast to the west coast. how many died because their neighbor saw gold as being more valuable than themselves ?
capitalism is like a wrentch in the gear-works of every human relationship. it hinders everyone !
capitalism keeps one from even meeting the needs of another, including one's own needs...
my friend is more valuable than the standard capitalism has raised !

[mld678]

Government run health care ? the so-called ?public option? - presents serious challenges for us. The private sector and competitive market forces are the best means to meeting health care needs. Watch this video from the U.S. Chamber http://www.friendsoftheuschamber.com/media/

[patronejohn]

And the Democrats are wondering why many of us are leaving the party and registering as Independent. Both sides are not working for the people but for the interests of big business. Again the public option is off the table, not to mention the single payer method. I am not even sure why we have only a two party system. Neither side can get anything done for the country. Everything gets stalled or amended or the ever popular filibuster. That is of course if you are a large corporation and throw enough money and perks to the right senator on the right committee in order to get the outcome you want. The political systems needs reform, not just healthcare.

[Gepbran]

Lets face it, over 40 millions Americans do not have proper medical coverage, pharmaceutical drugs prices are more expensive than any other developed country, and if our medical services are the most expensive than any other place in the World, they are not the best unlike certain commentators are saying, specially for the middle class and the underprivileged citizens.

Most of the demonstrators seen in the streets are the one that might benefit from the system to be since they are the one exposed to the loss of their coverage when their company will fire them when their jobs will be sent overseas in countries where there is no medical coverage for workers and employees.

The massive irrational and insidious propaganda issued by certain organizations and media against these necessary health reforms, put back on tracks this sentence of Goebbels "The essence of propaganda consists in winning people over to an idea so sincerely, so vitally, that in the end they succumb to it utterly and can never escape from it."

It is a pity that the approach and discussions to be fairly made on that important topic, could not be performed without the apparent torrent of hate, voluntarily generated and spread for a low level political purpose.

[peggy97478]

Until Obama stops playing politics with our Health Care, he will get NOTHING!! His attempt to payoff his UNION thugs by giving them carte blanch to unionize every health care worker in the nation is disgusting! That little tidbit was in HR 3200 which he tried to shove through, without anyone reading it, in July. He needs to form a true bi-partisan group and hammer out a Bill that will address excessive litigation by greedy lawyers, the pre-existing condition clause, crossing state lines to purchase health insurance, and giving tax breaks to lower income people so they can afford to purchase insurance. NO GOVERNMENT RUN HEALTH CARE!! Do something that is good for the nation without BANKRUPTING it or adding it to the already bloated deficit. The people of this country are wide awake and watching every move that is being made in Washington DC. We are mad as hell and we VOTE!! Stop playing politics and get to work!

[k5ox]

Insurance companies have huge profits. So do drug companies. Why would they want to change? Why doesn't anyone express outrage that when an uninsured person goes to the hospital they pay 5 times what the insurance company does -- no discount. THIS IS
WRONG.
Social programs are not socialism. It does not change our democratic principles. It enhances them. The republicans prey on the uniformed and selfish. Everyone has to sacrifice a little for the common good. That is not communism -- it is democracy. People get what the people want. Companies don't get what they want as is usually the case. Call it what you want but FAIR GOVERNMENT FOR THE PEOPLE IS WHAT IT TAKES. Remove the thieves from our government. Give Obama a chance.

[the_beagle]

I voted for Obama, and now I deeply regret do so. Not as though I'd have voted for McCain, of course; but I threw my vote away on pushing the button simply to help yet another corporate lackey to Wall St. and Corporate America rape this nation.

Make no mistake about it: requiring every citizen to purchase private health insurance is the very OPPOSITE of reform; it means that the private insurance health racket will control the nation's health-care system until kingdom come. The private insurers need to DIE, not be given 40million more captive customers.

Since when is it the White House's role to essentially be a lobbyist/salesperson for the private insurance racket? Since the days of Ronald "permanent national debt" Reagan, America has been crushed by Washington-allowed corporate fascism. Obama's merely the latest corporate fascist.

[ibsteve2u]

Lots of anti-Obama rhetoric, but nothing from the right to indicate that they have accepted the reality that just about anybody looks good when compared to the ever increasing insanity coming from the right.

And since it is patently apparent that the right has a tight grip on the testicular conveyance system of the Republican Party....well, the Democrats win by default.

[natdef_1]

doesn't look that way in virginia, pal

[lisaob1]

Cap and Trade will cost hundreds of thousands of American jobs. It will cost the average American family $1800/year. Plus it will not even accomplish what it was written up to accomplish. It is about the unions just like the healthcare bill is. They were both written by unions.

[lisaob1]

Cap and Trade will cost hundreds of thousands of American jobs. It will cost the average American family $1800/year. Plus it will not even accomplish what it was written up to accomplish. It is about the unions just like the healthcare bill is. They were both written by unions.

[Wills11]

This was a well written article. It did not take President Obama long after he was elected to see that neither the President nor Congress run this Country. This Country is run by Banks, Insurance Companies and any big business that can afford a Lobbyist. Senator Baucus received 3 million dollars in campaign contributions from the Health Insurance Industry. When he wrote the Healthcare Reform Mark-up Bill, the Health Insurance Industry was holding the pen. This will not change and the American Taxpayer will never be represented by our elected officials until Lobbyists are outlawed and campaign contributions come only from individual taxpayers.