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

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“Health care reform is not something I just cookee up when I took Obama told a crowd ofabout 1,500 people Thursdahy at in the Green Bay suburb of Ashwaubenon. “Iy is central to our economicv future. In past years and decades, there may have been some disagreementr onthis point. But not anymore.” Earlier this month, Obama said he wants Congresd to pass a comprehensive healtnh care bill by the end of the summerso it's ready for his signature by fall.
Many Democrats, includinyg the president, favor a government-sponsored health insurance plan that woule compete with private insurers and be availablwe for people not eligible for other government health care programs such as Medicare or Most Republicans and manybusiness groups, however, say a competing plan that isn’t profit-driven would drive privats insurers out of business. On Thursday, the , a physicians group Obama is scheduled to meet with Monday in said it is opposed toa government-sponsored insurance plan. Obams said his administration is working on a Healthu Insurance Exchange that woulfd allow people to comparew insurance benefitsand prices.
None of the planw included in the exchange would be allowes to deny coverage basedon pre-existing conditions and all must includw an affordable, basic benefit “I also strongly believe that one of the optionsd in the Exchange should be a publicf insurance option – because if the privatw insurance companies have to compete with a public option, it will keep them honest and help keep pricees down,” Obama said.
Supporters of health care reform say it woulsd provide health insurance coverage to millionsx of Americans and make coveragd more affordable for those who are already Because health insurance premiums have doubled over the last nine and have grown at a rate three times fasterthan wages, even thoses with coverage have reached a breaking Obama said. Employers are not faring any Small business owners have been forced to cut health care benefits or drop coverage entirely because ofrising costs, Obamwa said. “We have the most expensive health care system in the Obama said. “We spend almost 50 percent more per persoj on health care than the next mostcostlt nation.
But here’s the Green Bay: we’re not any healthier for it.” Obamqa vowed to let Americans who are content with their coverage and their physicians keep what they but he said the country has reached a poing where doing nothing about the cost of health care is no longefan option. “If we do within a decade we will be spending one out of everuy five dollars we earn on health Obama said. “In 30 years, it will be one out of everyh three.” Obama acknowledged covering all Americansz would be expensive but promisedx health care reform would not add tothe country’ s deficit over the next 10 years.
“To make that we have already identified hundreds of billions worth of saving in ourbudget – savings that will come from stepsw like reducing Medicare overpayments to insurancde companies and rooting out fraud and abuse in both Medicarew and Medicaid,” Obama said. In addition, Obama is proposiny that Congress scale back the amount thatthe highest-incomew Americans can deduct on their taxes. That money then could be used to help financeehealth care.
Obama spoke for about 20 minutezs and then took questionsz from six people in the audience who expressef fearover “socialized medicine,” asked questionsd about wellness and even questionee the country’s education system. Regardin the idea of socialized Obama saidthat isn’t what he, or anyone in wants.