President Obama "the most sweeping reforms...on insurance companies...this country has ever known"

[ProSense]

(edited for copyright purposes-proud patriot Modertator Democratic Underground)

Weekly Address: President Obama Outlines Benefits of Health Reform to Take Effect This Year

WASHINGTON – In his weekly address, President Barack Obama discussed the benefits of health reform that Americans will receive in the first year, and how reform will help build a new foundation for American families. After reform becomes law, uninsured Americans with a pre-existing condition will be able to purchase affordable coverage, insurance companies will be prohibited from imposing lifetime and annual limits on care, small business will receive tax credits to purchase coverage for their employees, along with many other changes. In short, patients and doctors will have more control over health care decisions, and insurance company bureaucrats will have less.

The audio and video will be available online at www.whitehouse.gov at 6:00 am ET, Saturday, January 9, 2010.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
As Prepared for Delivery
Weekly Address
January 9, 2010

A year ago, when I took office in the midst of the worst recession since the Great Depression, I promised you two things. The first was that there would be better days ahead. And the second was that the road to recovery would be long, and sometimes bumpy.

That was brought home again yesterday. We learned that in November, our economy saw its first month of job gains in nearly two years – but last month, we lost more than we gained. Now, we know that no single month makes a trend, and job losses for the final quarter of 2009 were one-tenth what they were in the first quarter. But until we see a trend of good, sustainable job creation, we will be relentless in our efforts to put America back to work.

That task goes even deeper than replacing the seven million jobs that have been lost over the past two years. We need to rebuild our economy in such a way that our families can feel a measure of security again. Too many of the folks I’ve talked with this year, and whose stories I read in letters at night, tell me that they’ve known their own private recessions since long before economists declared one – and they’ll still feel the recession long after economists have declared it over.

That’s because, for decades, Washington avoided doing what was right in favor of doing what was easy. And the result was an economy where some made out well, but the middle class too often took a beating.

Edited title.

[mdmc]

1. sweeps me into a lower tax bracket

but, yes, sweeping..

[DJ13]

2. It sweeps away the fantasy that he supports progressive ideals

It also clears the path that shows who are really corporate owned Democrats, both in Congress AND here.

[OHdem10]

3. Exactly!!!!

[ProSense]

4. Too bad, that's

your fantasy.

Senator Boxer: Boxer Speaks on Historic Health Care Bill

Senator Feingold: Feingold: "U.S. Senate will vote on passage of the most sweeping health care reform in generations"

Senator Franken: Huffington Post: Franken: Dems Unified Behind 'Historic' Health Reform Legislation

Senator Kerry: “Well this is one of the most important votes that I’ve had the privilege of casting in the 25 years that I’ve been there,”

Senator Leahy: The bill...will rank alongside other major decisions such as the creation of Social Security and Medicare and the Civil Rights Act.

Senator Sanders: Health Care Landmark legislation backed by President Obama passed... (12/21)

Senator Whitehouse: the U.S. Senate today passed landmark legislation to reform our broken health care system

Jon Chait: "the greatest social achievement of our time"

Kevin Drum: the biggest progressive advance in my adult life

Ezra Klein: the most important piece of legislation the body has passed since 1963

Krugman: "this is a major program to aid lower- and lower-middle-income families"

Wendell Potter: Why I'm Not Joining the Call to "Kill the Bill"

Matt Yglesias: the greatest progressive social policy achievement in over 40 years

[populistdriven]

5. 2000 pages for the insurance companies - the 20 pg canadian bill was FAR more reformist

[David Zephyr]

8. +1

.

[AndyA]

14. +2 n/m

[Politicub]

6. Lots of good stuff could potentially come this year re: HC reform

IMHO, the good still outweighs the bad in the bill.

[dkf]

7. Sounds nice. Wish I could believe you

[RC]

9. Real 'sweeping Reform' would include

Single Payer, Universal Health Care.

This country is the last hold out. Dead last. How are we the greatest nation on earth if we won't/can't take care of our own citizens?

[Chulanowa]

12. Considering that this is America, this is as sweeping as we get

Our system is inherently conservative, in that it is purposefully designed to be hard to make large changes. There are dozens of steps, placed in the way expressly to bleed away anything revolutionary or radical.

It's simply startling how few people understand the basic way our government works.

[inthebrain]

10. Oh yes, everyone has to be put into their identity group

just so as not EVERYONE is 100% covered.

Those who seek to profit off of this will certainly be 100% reimbursed and profit nicely.

[skepticscott]

11. Translation

I promised you two things. The first was that there would be better days ahead. And the second was that the road to recovery would be long, and sometimes bumpy.

= I only want to be judged based on what I promised, not what I achieved, and I shouldn't be blamed at any time if things are no better or even worse than they were when I took office.

[AndyA]

13. He swept a public option right off the stoop.

Obama:

FAIL FAIL FAIL FAIL FAIL FAIL THANKS FOR THE CHANGE

[girl gone mad]

15. " Uninsured Americans with a pre-existing illness or condition..."

"Uninsured Americans with a pre-existing illness or condition will finally be able to purchase coverage they can afford."

This is simply a http://prescriptions.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/24/pre-existing-conditions-and-insurance-pools/">lie.

[ProSense]

16. " Senate Finance Committee’s proposed health plan"

Get your facts straight.

[girl gone mad]

22. I have my facts straight.

It's only gotten worse since then.

Tell me something. If insurers are honestly prevented by this bill from denying patients with pre-existing conditions, then what will stop people from simply choosing to pay the $700 fine until they get sick and then buying insurance? It would certainly be a much cheaper solution.

I'm guessing you won't give me an honest answer.

[Armstead]

17. The bar is very low -- Compared to nothing this may be "sweeping" but it aint much

[HopeOverFear]

18. K&R

[depakid]

19. If I'd been more optimistic about the Dem's propensity for stupid and corrupt behavior

I might have made a tidy sum investing in health insurance stocks this year.

[Vidar]

20. Mere welfare for the insurance lobby.

[TomCADem]

21. Obama Also Highlight The Changes That Will Soon Take Place Upon Signing

I think it was a good idea for the President to highlight those changes that take place immediately to counter the spin that nothing happens until several years from now:

Now, it’ll take a few years to fully implement these reforms in a responsible way. But what every American should know is that once I sign health insurance reform into law, there are dozens of protections and benefits that will take effect this year.

Uninsured Americans with a pre-existing illness or condition will finally be able to purchase coverage they can afford.

Children with pre-existing conditions will no longer be refused coverage, and young adults will be able to stay on their parents’ policy until they’re 26 or 27 years old.

Small business owners who can’t afford to cover their employees will be immediately offered tax credits to purchase coverage.

Early retirees who receive coverage from their employers will see their coverage protected and their premiums go down.

Seniors who fall into the coverage gap known as the donut hole will receive discounts of up to 50 percent on their prescriptions as we begin to close that gap altogether.

And every patient’s choice of doctor will be protected, along with access to emergency care.

Here’s what else will happen within the first year. Insurance plans will be required to offer free preventive care to their customers – so that we can start catching preventable illnesses and diseases on the front end. They’ll no longer be allowed to impose restrictive annual limits on the amount of coverage you receive or lifetime limits on the amount of benefits you receive. They’ll be prohibited from dropping your coverage when you get sick and need it most. And there will be a new, independent appeals process for anyone who feels they were unfairly denied a claim by their insurance company.

In short, once I sign health insurance reform into law, doctors and patients will have more control over their health care decisions, and insurance company bureaucrats will have less. All told, these changes represent the most sweeping reforms and toughest restrictions on insurance companies that this country has ever known. That’s how we’ll make 2010 a healthier and more secure year for every American – for those who have health insurance, and those who don’t.

[Vinca]

23. It started out as health CARE reform and ended up as health INSURANCE reform.

Health INSURANCE should have ended up by the side of the road. The best plan, single payer, was not even considered. Instead, the checks to politicians held more sway than suffering citizens. Perpetuating a bad system . . . change we can believe in?

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[secondwind]

25. wow, natrat. Feeling that LOW today, eh? Why don't you post on The Heritage Foundation

over here on FB......sounds like your kind of people.

[IntravenousDemilo]

26. The only reform needed for the insurance companies is their abolition...

... on the way to complete annihilation of the entire industry, which is made up of predatory weasels.

[freddie mertz]

27. Wish we could just "sweep" this mess right under the rug.

Maybe someday we will get actual HEALTH CARE reform.