Lots of rhetoric and diddly squat about a public option.
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend" <jst...@...> wrote:
>
> Partial transcript:
>
> As we draw close to finalizing and passing real
> health insurance reform, the defenders of the
> status quo and political point-scorers in Washington
> are growing fiercer in their opposition. In recent
> days and weeks, some have been using misleading
> information to defeat what they know is the best
> chance of reform we have ever had. That is why it is
> important, especially now, as Senators and
> Representatives head home and meet with their
> constituents, for you, the American people, to have
> all the facts.
>
> So, let me explain what reform will mean for you.
> And let me start by dispelling the outlandish rumors
> that reform will promote euthanasia, cut Medicaid,
> or bring about a government takeover of health care.
> That's simply not true. This isn't about putting
> government in charge of your health insurance; it's
> about putting you in charge of your health
> insurance. Under the reforms we seek, if you like
> your doctor, you can keep your doctor. If you like
> your health care plan, you can keep your health care
> plan.
>
> And while reform is obviously essential for the 46
> million Americans who don't have health insurance,
> it will also provide more stability and security to
> the hundreds of millions who do. Right now, we have
> a system that works well for the insurance industry,
> but that doesn't always work well for you. What we
> need, and what we will have when we pass health
> insurance reform, are consumer protections to make
> sure that those who have insurance are treated
> fairly and that insurance companies are held
> accountable.
>
> We will require insurance companies to cover routine
> checkups and preventive care, like mammograms,
> colonoscopies, or eye and foot exams for diabetics,
> so we can avoid chronic illnesses that cost too many
> lives and too much money.
>
> We will stop insurance companies from denying
> coverage because of a person's medical history. I
> will never forget watching my own mother, as she
> fought cancer in her final days, worrying about
> whether her insurer would claim her illness was a
> preexisting condition. I have met so many Americans
> who worry about the same thing. That's why, under
> these reforms, insurance companies will no longer be
> able to deny coverage because of a previous illness
> or injury. And insurance companies will no longer be
> allowed to drop or water down coverage for someone
> who has become seriously ill. Your health insurance
> ought to be there for you when it counts and
> reform will make sure it is.
>
> With reform, insurance companies will also have to
> limit how much you can be charged for out-of-pocket
> expenses. And we will stop insurance companies from
> placing arbitrary caps on the amount of coverage you
> can receive in a given year or a lifetime because no
> one in America should go broke because of illness.
>
> In the end, the debate about health insurance reform
> boils down to a choice between two approaches. The
> first is almost guaranteed to double health costs
> over the next decade, make millions more Americans
> uninsured, leave those with insurance vulnerable to
> arbitrary denials of coverage, and bankrupt state
> and federal governments. That's the status quo.
> That's the health care system we have right now.
>
> So, we can either continue this approach, or we can
> choose another one one that will protect people
> against unfair insurance practices; provide quality,
> affordable insurance to every American; and bring
> down rising costs that are swamping families,
> businesses, and our budgets. That's the health care
> system we can bring about with reform.
>
> There are those who are focused on the so-called
> politics of health care; who are trying to exploit
> differences or concerns for political gain. That's
> to be expected. That's Washington. But let's never
> forget that this isn't about politics. This is about
> people's lives. This is about people's businesses.
> This is about America's future. That's what is at
> stake. That's why health insurance reform is so
> important. And that's why we must get this done
> and why we will get this done by the end of this
> year.
>
> http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Weekly-Address-President-Obama-Calls-Health-Insurance-Reform-Key-to-Stronger-Economy-and-Improvement-on-Status-Quo/
>
> http://tinyurl.com/mfau2e
>
