President Obama Speaks About Healthcare
Michelle Malsbury, BSBM, MM
September 10, 2009
Last evening President Obama gave a primetime speech about revamping our healthcare system. He spoke from the heart about how his plan would help the unemployed, underinsured, and uninsured gain access to quality and affordable healthcare that is predicated on prevention over treatment sans the symptoms. He dispelled rumors and misinformation perpetuated by the right about his plan. He pressed congress into action because he said "inaction is not an option"!
Ever since 2007 America has seen our joblessness climb. Being unemployed means many people who previously had insurance are now either underinsured or unable to pay up on their Cobra plans. People who never had insurance to begin with have no access to regular maintenance or prevention and when something happens to them they have little alternative except to use our emergency rooms where treatment costs far more than regular appointments at clinics or doctor´s offices. This scenario in turn drives up the costs for all people. Having universal healthcare would stop this practice and provide avenues for ALL people to receive preventative care before their symptoms get out of hand. Prevention costs less that most treatments and saves us all money.
Estimates vary as to how many people actually do not have insurance. Most count the uninsured well into the thirty million plus. If we include the illegal aliens who also get care in our system the numbers are as high as 45 million. Those numbers are staggering. I am one of the uninsured. I do not have insurance because I cannot afford it. Therefore, I forego many of the regular maintenance check-ups and hope that I continue to be healthy. If I had one serious illness and needed treatment I would most likely become one of the millions of people who have to file for personal bankruptcy because the costs for treatment are far too high or would exceed my ability to pay. No American should have to find themselves in this situation. We need universal healthcare now!
President Obama directly addressed some of the more serious lies and deceptions perpetuated by the right, i.e., death panels, no choice, Medicare/Medicaid, illegal aliens, etc.. He expressly said there is no such thing as the "death panel". The whole "death panel" is just a scare tactic used by the right to thwart this healthcare legislation.
President Obama stated that his plan would expand the choices that are now available and would cut the costs of insurance and care overall while increasing the quality. He said he would like to see the public option because it would help to rein in the costs by increasing competition. He also mentioned that there is no plan for the government to take over our entire healthcare system, but there has been discussion about moving toward a single payer system.
President Obama said that the people who have Medicare or Medicaid would not see their plans cut despite what those on the right have alleged and if anything may even see some lower costs for care because of passage of this bill. The same goes for people who currently have insurance---if they like what they have there is no reason to change. They can keep their own doctors and keep those plans. They will see no changes!
There is no provision in this healthcare bill to cover illegal aliens. The President was quite explicit about this and the right has again used this as a scare tactic toward not approving this plan. The right has also said that this plan will provide for abortions. President Obama said that was nonsense, more fear mongering from the right, and totally was not part of this bill. So let us be certain that we will not cover illegal aliens and we will not pay for abortions!
President Obama said that his plan would be cost neutral and would not add to our national debt. He said that large savings could and would be found in the inefficiencies of our current system that will pay for his plan to move forward. There are incentives in this plan for medical facilities and doctors offices to move into a paperless system where they would be less waste and more streamlined charts that would also improve the quality of care that patients receive by insuring that all pertinent patient information is collated and accessible. Doing this one thing will bring our antiquated system into the twenty-second century.
President Obama said he would be open to discussion with regard to tort reforms. This has been a sticking point for congressional members on the right and may see some support from them if included in this bill. I applaud President Obamas´ candor and willingness to try to include the right in this monumental plan. It is important to note that to date the right has not offered any meaningful ideas toward this universal healthcare plan past this one point on tort reform. Their express agenda has been to thwart anything that this president stands for and hopes to pass. That is unacceptable and if they [the right] continue to stand in the way of progress I say, as President Clinton said, we can do it without them!
I beseech Americans across this great land to write or call their congressional representatives telling them to move forward and support this landmark legislation that can bring healthcare to ALL Americans! The time to act is now!
Ever since 2007 America has seen our joblessness climb. Being unemployed means many people who previously had insurance are now either underinsured or unable to pay up on their Cobra plans. People who never had insurance to begin with have no access to regular maintenance or prevention and when something happens to them they have little alternative except to use our emergency rooms where treatment costs far more than regular appointments at clinics or doctor´s offices. This scenario in turn drives up the costs for all people. Having universal healthcare would stop this practice and provide avenues for ALL people to receive preventative care before their symptoms get out of hand. Prevention costs less that most treatments and saves us all money.
Estimates vary as to how many people actually do not have insurance. Most count the uninsured well into the thirty million plus. If we include the illegal aliens who also get care in our system the numbers are as high as 45 million. Those numbers are staggering. I am one of the uninsured. I do not have insurance because I cannot afford it. Therefore, I forego many of the regular maintenance check-ups and hope that I continue to be healthy. If I had one serious illness and needed treatment I would most likely become one of the millions of people who have to file for personal bankruptcy because the costs for treatment are far too high or would exceed my ability to pay. No American should have to find themselves in this situation. We need universal healthcare now!
President Obama directly addressed some of the more serious lies and deceptions perpetuated by the right, i.e., death panels, no choice, Medicare/Medicaid, illegal aliens, etc.. He expressly said there is no such thing as the "death panel". The whole "death panel" is just a scare tactic used by the right to thwart this healthcare legislation.
President Obama stated that his plan would expand the choices that are now available and would cut the costs of insurance and care overall while increasing the quality. He said he would like to see the public option because it would help to rein in the costs by increasing competition. He also mentioned that there is no plan for the government to take over our entire healthcare system, but there has been discussion about moving toward a single payer system.
President Obama said that the people who have Medicare or Medicaid would not see their plans cut despite what those on the right have alleged and if anything may even see some lower costs for care because of passage of this bill. The same goes for people who currently have insurance---if they like what they have there is no reason to change. They can keep their own doctors and keep those plans. They will see no changes!
There is no provision in this healthcare bill to cover illegal aliens. The President was quite explicit about this and the right has again used this as a scare tactic toward not approving this plan. The right has also said that this plan will provide for abortions. President Obama said that was nonsense, more fear mongering from the right, and totally was not part of this bill. So let us be certain that we will not cover illegal aliens and we will not pay for abortions!
President Obama said that his plan would be cost neutral and would not add to our national debt. He said that large savings could and would be found in the inefficiencies of our current system that will pay for his plan to move forward. There are incentives in this plan for medical facilities and doctors offices to move into a paperless system where they would be less waste and more streamlined charts that would also improve the quality of care that patients receive by insuring that all pertinent patient information is collated and accessible. Doing this one thing will bring our antiquated system into the twenty-second century.
President Obama said he would be open to discussion with regard to tort reforms. This has been a sticking point for congressional members on the right and may see some support from them if included in this bill. I applaud President Obamas´ candor and willingness to try to include the right in this monumental plan. It is important to note that to date the right has not offered any meaningful ideas toward this universal healthcare plan past this one point on tort reform. Their express agenda has been to thwart anything that this president stands for and hopes to pass. That is unacceptable and if they [the right] continue to stand in the way of progress I say, as President Clinton said, we can do it without them!
I beseech Americans across this great land to write or call their congressional representatives telling them to move forward and support this landmark legislation that can bring healthcare to ALL Americans! The time to act is now!