Obama to host meeting on health care

[babylonsister]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/17788.html

Obama to host meeting on health care
By CARRIE BUDOFF BROWN | 1/21/09 11:52 PM EST


President Barack Obama will convene a White House working session on health care reform in the late winter or the early spring, according to sources familiar with the plan.

The move signals Obama’s intent to keep one of the most ambitious and politically crucial campaign promises at the top of his agenda. On the campaign trail, Obama pledged to provide universal health care by the end of his first term, but the severity of the economic downturn has raised doubts about how quickly he can deliver on that promise.

Obama and his point person on health care, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, have staffed up like they plan to push forward with it, lining up a roster of communications and policy strategists to assist in the effort.

The health care meeting, which would bring together members of Congress and other stakeholders, could come as early as March.

It means Obama, following passage of an economic stimulus package in February, will turn his attention to two seemingly intractable issues: health care and entitlements. Obama told the Washington Post last week that he would hold a “fiscal responsibility summit” next month to address problems with Social Security and Medicare.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

1. The severity of the economic downturn means people even more need it SOONER

rather than later. People are losing their jobs and they can't afford Cobra so the ranks of the uninsured are going up astronomically. He needs to do better than "late winter" or "early spring".

[mike_c]

2. several of my friends have lost insurance coverage in recent months...

...and they're holding their breath for universal health care. They have few other options at this point. Oh, and we're ALL over 50, so it's pretty much a race with fate.

[Donnachaidh]

3. I hope those *stakeholders* do NOT include insurance companies

They are a CANCER that needs to be cut out of the American healthcare system.