Okay, here is the key points from President Barack Obama’s address to a special joint session of Congress.
1. Obama proposes that his healthcare reform plan will be deficit-neutral. In other words, it will not add one cent to the US national deficit.
2. If you already have health insurance, you will NOT be forced to change your plan. I repeat, you will NOT be forced to change your plan.
3. Under Obama’s plan, it will be against the law for coverage to be denied because of a pre-existing condition.
4. Under Obama’s plan, insurance companies will not be able to drop coverage or water it down when you get ill.
5. A new insurance exchange will be created for those who change jobs, lose their jobs, and for small business owners.
6. Tax credits will be provided to those who are most struggling to afford health insurance.
7. All individuals will be required to have basic health insurance, in the same way that all drivers are required to have car insurance.
8. The Public Insurance option must be self sufficient like any other business, and rely on the premiums they collect.
9. Not one dollar of Medicare money will be used to pay for health reform.
10. Medicare will be protected.
Those are the main points of an almost 60 minute long speech, interupted many times by standing ovations from the left and the right.
I hate to say it, but knowing the Republican speech was actually written days in advance, long before we knew what was in President Obama’s speech, did seem to render it somewhat meaningless. The fact that someone, we believe a Republican, shouted out “You lie!” at one point, obviously pointed out that some people in Congress have no intention of accepting any reform, even though the President said accepting the status quo is not an option.
This was a good speech, but I do wonder if the partisanship we have seen over the past month can be put to one side, and politicians actually do what they were elected to do, and that is to solve the real problems that America and the world faces.
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