Posted on 03/05/2009 9:31:56 AM PST by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama takes on healthcare reform at a White House forum on Thursday, seeking to design an overhaul of a costly and inefficient system he believes is threatening the U.S. economy.
Obama, who has nominated Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius as his health secretary, will gather about 120 people representing everyone from doctors and patients to health insurers and lawmakers to discuss how to fix U.S. healthcare.
It's a challenge that has defeated earlier presidents. But officials say the current U.S. economic crisis only makes it more imperative.
"If we want to create jobs and rebuild our economy, then we must address the crushing cost of healthcare this year, in this administration," Obama said in remarks prepared for the opening of the event.
"Making investments in reform now, investments that will dramatically lower costs, won't add to our budget deficits in the long-term -- rather, it is one of the best ways to reduce them," he said.
The United States spends approximately $2.5 trillion annually on healthcare but leaves some 46 million people uninsured and consistently ranks lower than other Western countries on indicators like infant mortality rates.
Obama pledged during his election campaign that he would expand health insurance coverage to virtually all people and find a way to control costs, which businesses complain are making their products less competitive in the global markets.
"Our healthcare costs are exploding our economy," said Melody Barnes, Obama's senior domestic policy adviser. "When he talks about getting spending under control ... one of the primary things he is focusing on is bringing our healthcare costs under control."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
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Melody Barnes was profiled last night on one of the news shows,, she is a major behind the scenes player no one who follows Obama will likely know much about..
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No, Melody, socialist policies and their proponents are exploding the economy.
OH, shiietee.....there goes the Market, AGAIN....
Maybe he can get Romney of RomneyCare fame and Huckabee of Arkids fame to help him along the path to socialized medicine.
Taking away the charitable deduction on donations made to hospitals with the word “Saint” on the door should do wonders for the “healthcare crisis”. 25% of all hospital beds are in them
Can’t let a crisis go to waste....(eye roll)
Meanwhile..the banks are exploding and the market is tanking. Even our FDIC is about to go broke!
And Obama is tinkering with ‘health-care’ today!
Way to go Obama!
The government already runs a health care system. It is the VA Hospital System and we all know how well they take care of our veterans.
There’s no way to have effective healthcare reform until we have effective WEALTH-care reform. I’m glad that people are seeing Zero’s sense of priorities.
Good point and it would be a total failure if there were not brave patriots, who truly care about our vets, doing their best to improve the quality of doctors and facilities.
Thanks for that tidbit. In the clip , Center for American Progress, that name was on a backdrop for an event.
It should read.. Center for American Propaganda.
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