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| Can't Shift Financial Burden to Future Generations - Obama | |
| 2009-06-15 | |
| Last week, I spoke to you about my commitment to work with Congress to pass health care reform this year. Today, I'd like to speak about how that effort is essential to restoring fiscal responsibility. When it comes to the cost of health care, this much is clear: the status quo is unsustainable for families, businesses, and government. America spends nearly 50 percent more per person on health care than any other country. Health care premiums have doubled over the last decade, deductibles and out-of-pocket costs have skyrocketed, and many with preexisting conditions are denied coverage. More and more, Americans are being priced out of the care they need. Can I get a $500 deductable? A $1,000 deductable? How about a policy where aspirin is covered? What happened to choice? These costs are also hurting business, as some big businesses are at a competitive disadvantage with their foreign counterparts, and some small businesses are forced to cut benefits, drop coverage, or even lay off workers. Meanwhile, Medicare and Medicaid pose one of the greatest threats to our federal deficit, and could leave our children with a mountain of debt that they cannot pay. But the stimulus does not affect the deficit? Where's that coming from? We cannot continue down this path. I do not accept a future where Americans forego health care because they can't pay for it, and I know some question whether we can afford to act this year. But the unmistakable truth is that it would be irresponsible to not act. We can't keep shifting a growing burden to future generations. I don't think he could say that out loud without his head exploding. Where does he think the trillion dollars is coming from? With each passing year, health care costs consume a larger share of our nation's spending, and contribute to yawning deficits that we cannot control. So let me be clear: health care reform is not part of the problem when it comes to our fiscal future, it is a fundamental part of the solution. Real reform will mean reductions in our long term budget. And I have made a firm commitment that health care reform will not add to the federal deficit over the next decade. To keep that commitment, my Administration has already identified how to pay for the historic $635 billion down payment on reform detailed in our budget. This includes over $300 billion that we will save through changes like reducing Medicare overpayments to private insurers, and rooting out waste in Medicare and Medicaid.
These savings will come from commonsense changes. For example - if more Americans are insured, we can cut payments that help hospitals treat patients without health insurance. If the drug makers pay their fair share, we can cut government spending on prescription drugs. And if doctors have incentives to provide the best care instead of more care, we can help Americans avoid the unnecessary hospital stays, treatments, and tests that drive up costs. For more details about these and other savings, you can visit our website: www.whitehouse.gov. | |
| Posted by:Bobby |
| #12 Steve... after recent name calling, "fool" etc, I quickly took the cure and am fully on board. Meds are probably out of the question, but maybe you could come up with some sort of POSTUS citizenship chant or mantra for any of the other Rantburg non-believers. Just a suggestion. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2009-06-15 21:35 |
| #11 Translation: "I don't have a problem, I can stop spending your money any time I want". |
| Posted by: DMFD 2009-06-15 19:59 |
| #10 "Is this what we in the Pray Trade call 'a Lie'"? Brother Cavil |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2009-06-15 18:30 |
#9
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| Posted by: AoS 2009-06-15 15:05 |
| #8 The Indian Health Service is a good example of a government-run health plan which shifts the burden directly to the present generation. On some reservations, the oft-quoted refrain is "don't get sick after June," when the federal dollars run out. It's a sick joke, and a sad one, because it's sometimes true, especially on the poorest reservations where residents cannot afford health insurance. Officials say they have about half of what they need to operate, and patients know they must be dying or about to lose a limb to get serious care. Wealthier tribes can supplement the federal health service budget with their own money. But poorer tribes, often those on the most remote reservations, far away from city hospitals, are stuck with grossly substandard care. The agency itself describes a "rationed health care system." |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2009-06-15 12:29 |
| #7 “If the drug makers pay their fair share, we can cut government spending on prescription drugs.” Why should a private company be obligated to cut it's profits to help pay for government programs? Isn’t that why they pay taxes? Boy howdy, when he said it wasn't going to "business as usual" anymore he wasn't kidding. |
| Posted by: DepotGuy 2009-06-15 11:45 |
| #6 Can't Shift Financial Burden to Future Generations - Obama Oh, yes, we can! And we do. |
| Posted by: anonymous5089 2009-06-15 10:07 |
| #5 He can say anything now that he's captured the "conservative" Utah vote. According to ABC news, he's been formally accepted by The Temple and is now a Mormon....er, huh, hmm, kind'r sort'r of Mormon lineage. So totally multi-cult. So inclusive. No undoing this one. . |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2009-06-15 09:05 |
| #4 I thought this was satire. |
| Posted by: Andy Ulusoque aka Broadhead6 2009-06-15 08:56 |
| #3 We can't keep shifting a growing burden to future generations. Too late. |
| Posted by: Mike 2009-06-15 08:35 |
| #2 Silly me, I thought the whole reason the economy blew up was because of all those loans issued to anyone who could fog a mirror! |
| Posted by: Cornsilk Blondie 2009-06-15 08:23 |
| #1 We can't keep shifting a growing burden to future generations. Then quit issuing any Treasury Bill with anything longer than a 6 year maturity. Don't try, Do. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2009-06-15 07:49 |