THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_______________________________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 22, 2009
Excerpts of the President's Opening Remarks at Tonight's News Conference
-As Prepared for Delivery-
That is why I’ve said that even as we rescue this economy from a full-blown crisis, we must rebuild it stronger than before. And health insurance reform is central to that effort.
This is not just about the 47 million Americans who have no health insurance. Reform is about every American who has ever feared that they may lose their coverage if they become too sick, or lose their job, or change their job. It’s about every small business that has been forced to lay off employees or cut back on their coverage because it became too expensive. And it’s about the fact that the biggest driving force behind our federal deficit is the skyrocketing cost of Medicare and Medicaid.
So let me be clear: if we do not control these costs, we will not be able to control our deficit. If we do not reform health care, your premiums and out-of-pocket costs will continue to skyrocket. If we do not act, 14,000 Americans will continue to lose their health insurance every single day. These are the consequences of inaction. These are the stakes of the debate we’re having right now.
I realize that with all the charges and criticisms being thrown around in Washington, many Americans may be wondering, “What’s in this for me? How does my family stand to benefit from health insurance reform?”
Tonight I want to answer those questions. Because even though Congress is still working through a few key issues, we already have agreement on the following areas:
If you already have health insurance, the reform we’re proposing will provide you with more security and more stability. It will keep government out of health care decisions, giving you the option to keep your insurance if you’re happy with it. It will prevent insurance companies from dropping your coverage if you get too sick. It will give you the security of knowing that if you lose your job, move, or change your job, you will still be able to have coverage. It will limit the amount your insurance company can force you to pay for your medical costs out of your own pocket. And it will cover preventive care like check-ups and mammograms that save lives and money.
If you don’t have health insurance, or are a small business looking to cover your employees, you’ll be able to choose a quality, affordable health plan through a health insurance exchange – a marketplace that promotes choice and competition Finally, no insurance company will be allowed to deny you coverage because of a pre-existing medical condition.
I have also pledged that health insurance reform will not add to our deficit over the next decade – and I mean it.
…
I understand how easy it is for this town to become consumed in the game of politics – to turn every issue into running tally of who’s up and who’s down. I’ve heard that one Republican strategist told his party that even though they may want to compromise, it’s better politics to “go for the kill.” Another Republican Senator said that defeating health reform is about “breaking” me.
So let me be clear: This isn’t about me. I have great health insurance, and so does every Member of Congress. This debate is about the letters I read when I sit in the Oval Office every day, and the stories I hear at town hall meetings…This debate is not a game for these Americans, and they cannot afford to wait for reform any longer. They are counting on us to get this done. They are looking to us for leadership. And we must not let them down. We will pass reform that lowers cost, promotes choice, and provides coverage that every American can count on. And we will do it this year.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Statement from ACC's Jack Lewin on What I Believe is Missing from Health Care Reform
ACC CEO Jack Lewin, MD on President Obama’s Prime Time News Conference
Lewin: “...then candidate Obama suggested taking a scalpel instead of an axe to reform, and that’s precisely how we should be reforming the health care system now.”
Washington, DC – The American College of Cardiology’s (ACC) CEO, Jack Lewin, M.D. today release the following statement in advance of President Obama’s prime time news conference on health care reform:
“Forty years ago this week, man first stepped onto the moon. It was an undertaking that took vision, commitment and sacrifice. It will take the same vision, commitment and sacrifice for this nation to meaningfully reform our health care system.
“President Obama has called on Congress to undertake this enormous task which is just as daunting as putting a man on the moon. We applaud President Obama’s leadership and we share his goal of health care reform, but we can’t settle for legislation that lacks the teeth to deliver real and necessary quality and payment reforms.
“The American people need health care reform that addresses the causes of our health care problems and not the symptoms. Hacking blindly away at costs and then claiming to have saved the system money is dangerous and punishes the very people that our health care system is meant to serve: the patients. When talking about reducing overall costs to the Federal budget during the campaign, then candidate Obama suggested taking a scalpel instead of an axe to reform, and that’s precisely how we should be reforming the health care system now.
“We must look at how we pay physicians and other care givers, and develop a payment system that incentivizes quality and positive patient outcomes. Until we completely change the way the U.S. payment system is structured, we’ll never be able to bend the cost curve of health care spending.
“Without payment reform that leads to quality improvement, health information technology adoption, and reduced disparity and variation, we will produce a noble increase in access, but without slowing cost increases. That is a formula for disaster.
“Some have proposed as a way to save money is to cut Medicare Part B reimbursements to specialists such as oncologists and cardiologists. Not only does that not achieve enough savings to be of any use, cutting reimbursement will lead to less access to vital services for people in rural areas and in underserved communities. But it really just shifts costs as the cuts to specialists will be offset by increases to primary care physicians.
“What we need are reforms that allow for the adoption of health information technology, coordination of care so that we can reduce heart failure related hospital readmissions, and the use of evidenced-based guidelines and appropriate use criteria to stop unnecessary medical procedures. And we need incentives to promote partnerships between primary care and specialists in order to better coordinate care for most expensive and complicated chronically ill patients.
“This is, as then candidate Obama suggested, a targeted approach that can achieve real reform with real results and measurable outcomes. “
Lewin: “...then candidate Obama suggested taking a scalpel instead of an axe to reform, and that’s precisely how we should be reforming the health care system now.”
Washington, DC – The American College of Cardiology’s (ACC) CEO, Jack Lewin, M.D. today release the following statement in advance of President Obama’s prime time news conference on health care reform:
“Forty years ago this week, man first stepped onto the moon. It was an undertaking that took vision, commitment and sacrifice. It will take the same vision, commitment and sacrifice for this nation to meaningfully reform our health care system.
“President Obama has called on Congress to undertake this enormous task which is just as daunting as putting a man on the moon. We applaud President Obama’s leadership and we share his goal of health care reform, but we can’t settle for legislation that lacks the teeth to deliver real and necessary quality and payment reforms.
“The American people need health care reform that addresses the causes of our health care problems and not the symptoms. Hacking blindly away at costs and then claiming to have saved the system money is dangerous and punishes the very people that our health care system is meant to serve: the patients. When talking about reducing overall costs to the Federal budget during the campaign, then candidate Obama suggested taking a scalpel instead of an axe to reform, and that’s precisely how we should be reforming the health care system now.
“We must look at how we pay physicians and other care givers, and develop a payment system that incentivizes quality and positive patient outcomes. Until we completely change the way the U.S. payment system is structured, we’ll never be able to bend the cost curve of health care spending.
“Without payment reform that leads to quality improvement, health information technology adoption, and reduced disparity and variation, we will produce a noble increase in access, but without slowing cost increases. That is a formula for disaster.
“Some have proposed as a way to save money is to cut Medicare Part B reimbursements to specialists such as oncologists and cardiologists. Not only does that not achieve enough savings to be of any use, cutting reimbursement will lead to less access to vital services for people in rural areas and in underserved communities. But it really just shifts costs as the cuts to specialists will be offset by increases to primary care physicians.
“What we need are reforms that allow for the adoption of health information technology, coordination of care so that we can reduce heart failure related hospital readmissions, and the use of evidenced-based guidelines and appropriate use criteria to stop unnecessary medical procedures. And we need incentives to promote partnerships between primary care and specialists in order to better coordinate care for most expensive and complicated chronically ill patients.
“This is, as then candidate Obama suggested, a targeted approach that can achieve real reform with real results and measurable outcomes. “
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
