Obama's Uphill Battle to Reform Healthcare
Obama and industry executives pledge to work together on healthcare reform, but it won't be easy
Within months, however, as details emerged about the Clinton administration's actual plan, these pledges of cooperation all but dissolved. That September, the HIAA famously put out the "Harry and Louise" video, which featured a middle-aged couple seated at a dinner table and fretting over the idea of "healthcare designed by bureaucrats."
And so it is details that will matter greatly and will be closely watched in the next few months. As David Orentlicher, codirector of Indiana University's Center for Law and Health, says, what was agreed upon this week was mostly general and relatively uncontroversial principles. "It would be hard for stakeholders not to support something like that," says Orentlicher. "But as we get into some of those specifics about how to really hold down costs, you are going to have to ask for some substantial sacrifices."
Among the sticking points: how to cut spending (now estimated at more than $2.2 trillion annually, more than 16 percent of the country's GDP), how to expand coverage to the uninsured, and how to pay for everything. On Monday, Obama reiterated his pledge that "all Americans must have quality, affordable healthcare," but he largely skirted the uncomfortable fact that his support for a government-sponsored health plan is not well tolerated by many of the healthcare executives who were standing behind him. To complicate matters further, on Tuesday, the administration announced that the recession had so sapped Medicare that it's now expected to run out of money by 2017, two years earlier than expected.
If nothing else, Monday's announcement, staged as it was at a national news conference and, at least for a day, featured as a dominant news story, serves as something of a prodding rod for the administration. "The fact that these groups didn't just say this in the backrooms, the fact that this was a televised public statement, means that if they don't come through, it's going to hurt them," says Morone. In other words, if they back off, a lot of people in Washington won't look too kindly upon them in the future.
- Read more on Obama's most important decisions.
- See photos of the Obamas behind the scenes.
- Read more by Kent Garber.
Reader Comments
Health Insurance Respond to my ideas
Hi
I want to ask if my ideas work for the insurance reform and will I get some things from it if it work?. Eg, some money for my ideas I put fordward.For things like that that all we have to give to live on is our ideas, and thaught.My name is Albright Flower, and I am so hopeful to hear if my ideas is turning over in your department so that I can give more in the feture.
healthcare reform.
Compromize is the ancer.The problem with health care is cost.PeriodWe have a good government heathcare system allready.
Military,There are hospitals all over this countryon closed millitary bases.It would be cheaper for thegovernment to build hospitals.And train doctors in military scooles.And charge a resonable charge nation wide.Like a tax on income.For coverage for people that didnt have insurence.Clinics ect.And focus on prevention.And regular checkups to catch illness early.And include dentel and priscriptions vision ect.look my mother died of emphosemia,And my father died of cancer.Probably smoking was the couse inboth instances.Cemo therapy was extreamly expensive.I mean a fue months and welost our homehad tosell it topayforit.Thatsrediculass.Just plane greed.Catchyouovera berral and put it to you.Get a couple asperin in a hospital and pay 10 bucks.Meals hay its time for change
Universal healthcare.
Think of this system.
All insurance companies to offer 10 to 15 different plans, much like the medicare supplements contracts, which would be standar
The premiums may vary with gender and age of the insured.
If an insurance company rejects an applicant because of pre-existing conditions, a government computer will allocate at random one of the insurance companies to accept it. It should be programmed to spread the risks proportionaly according to the companies relative strength and size.
If a person does not have coverage through employment, must be obliged to purchase it and show proof with the income tax return. If no proof is filed the IRS should buy for him/her the minimumm plan and add the cost to the person's tax obligation.
This basic thinking should be forced to people who are not on medicare or medicaid.
Low income people could be helped to buy insurance with savings that will occur in the emergency room subsidies that will not be required. All patients will be insured and of course paying.
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