"By the end of the year", was when the president said a health care reform plan would be passed by Congress. August had been the date pressed by all channels from the White House.
Teacher may have just gave in on extending a deadline...
President Obama begins speech by contextualizes the need for change by stating that 14 thousand Americans are out of health care each day.
He gets to concerns and circulating GOP criticism that the plan will limit freedom to choice if you have insurance.
Health insurance exchange that promotes choice if you don't have it.
Addressing the issues of paying for plan:
He states that there will be no deficit from the reform and "he means it". It will be paid by reallocated money that is wasted in fed. programs.
The president mentioned the middle class several times - insurance not to be paid for on the backs of american families.
Doctors are free to give the best care, just not the most expensive care.
Cutting waste. This was used several times during the speech.
Saving on drugs for seniors.
Addresses the GOP's "go for the kill":
Its not about me. Me and Congress have great insurance. He mentions this several times.
Campaign mode:
It's about town hall meetings, women in colorado with cancer, college kids waking up from surgery $10 thousand dollars in debt.
We will pass reform choice, coverage. We will do it "this year" .
Question and Answer:
Ben Feller at AP: Have you been told which Hill leaders stance works with him.
POTUS: Premiums have gone up faster than wages. USA spends 6k per person more than other advance countries.
Reform is about getting better deal for heath care. Better bang for your dollar. Repeats this a few times.
Prevention, wellness, info tech efficiencies - deficit neutral.
Tax payers are already putting this into system, they are not getting best deal for those dollars
Taxing High Income earner:
Limit tax deductions for high earners.
Joint income of million dollars taxing: "meets his principles".
Middle class to shoulder health care bill. "opposed to a bill that taxes them"
Savings:
Continuing to work to find more savings with committees on hill.
A plan to work with Dems, and some GOP.
Status Quo:
If there is a plan that will double cost and cut coverage, that is the status quo? You would reject that plan.
( He should have used this line in speech.)
Health care costs rise as middle class wages are flatlining.
Doctors should be paid for quality, not quantity. less tests, less paper work.
D.C not so Changed since election
"We have become so cynical about politics" a recognition that D.C has not changed - talking to Dems as much as GOP.
David Alexander of Routers:
Pushing to pass health care for august, why the rush? Will it collapse in the fall.
POTUS: I get letters everyday about health care.
If you don't set deadlines things don't happen. The default setting is inertia.
I will not sign a bill that i don't think will work
Early version of HC Reform did not address cost inflation. (Recognition of early draft).
If there were no deadline changes would not have arrived.
Chuck Todd, NBC
Can you explain how you expand coverage? Will it cover everybody?
POTUS: I want to cover everybody.
The plan will cover 97% of americans. There are few people who could receive a hardship exemption.
The basic idea is that if you want affordable heath care, you should be able to get health care.
The average American family is paying hidden costs for uncompensated care (emergency care).
If we get those people covered, diabetes management, it will save us all people.
Chuck Todd: If you don't get this with Dem. controlled senate, can you blame GOP?
POTUS: I have not blamed GOP. Addressed the politics of it. Appreciated Grassely and Snow's contributions.
In the health committee: 160 GOP amendments were included.
Jake Tapper ABC:
Experts say that sacrifice will occur among tests, referrals, end of life care. What will American people have to give up?
POTUS: They will have to give up things that don't make them healthier. If right now hospitals and doctors are not coordinating tests - they are wasting money.
Why would we pay for things that don't work or make us healthier.
If there is a blue pill and a red pill and the blue pill is half the price and does the same, wouldn't you take the blue pill. (What would you take Neo?)
Ultimately we just can't afford what we're doing right now. We just can't.
Let me just talk about deficit and debt. The american people are understandably queasy about debt and deficit.
We had bank bail out, we had supplemental, the budget. The trillions here and trillions there. All i see is the gov't spending money. I see this argument used effectively by people who don't want to change health care.
Econ recap: When i came in we had 1.3 trillion deficit, that we had inherited. Econ. had lost trillions in wealth. 401k, houses. That was the day I was sworn in.
Our budget had a ten year projection. 9.3 trillion deficit if we did nothing.
7.1 trillion deficit with our budge.
Not good but better than the what we had coming in. Spending and debt are deep concerns of mine.
Everybody that has been ginned up that Obama wants to spend and spend. We have inherited this debt.
Health Care reform is not going to add to the deficit, it's going to lower it.
We need to to do it now
Chip Reid, CBS:
Medicare cuts. Specifically are you asking for beneficaries to take cuts.
POTUS: Medpac program was GOP idea. Give credit where credit is due.
Medicare benefits will not be cut. Just the waste.
AARP has endorses out of pocket savings
Transparency, or not:
Christy Dorfman (?) Q: Why did healthcare debate did not take place on cspan?
Have you been transparent like you promised on the campaign?
POTUS: Health care kick off was on cpan. Tarp has been transparent. He mentioned getting back on the lists on names of insurance CEOs that visited the White House.
Public Option:
Steve Koff: Cleveland Plain Dealer
Public option: Can you promise that the govt will not deny coverage? Will you also say that you and congress abide by public option.
The public option will keep insurance industry more honest. If you take out some of profit motive, admin costs, you will get a better deal and incentive insurance to be more competitive.
Ins. companies are still reporting record profits while coverage is dropping.
Can I guarantee that there will be not be changes in health care delivery system? No. the whole point is to improve this.
Right now doctors are forced to make decisions on fee payment system.
Doctor looks at reimbursement system and make decisions on what is more profitable.
Mayo, Cleveland Clinic work well. Models that he will visit
System is patient care is number concern
What about you and congress, will you abide by the same care?
You cited Mayo clinic - they have criticized your program -
Mayo clinic was initially concerned about cost saving measures, after they heard about Medpac plan. they wrote in blog that this will make difference
Lynn Sweet, Chicago Sun Times. Henry Lewis (Skip) Gates Jr.
What role of race do you think played in HLG Jr being arrested?
Skip Gates is a friend, I may be a bit biased.
Cambridge police acted stupidly after I.D was shown. There is a long history of racial profiling. Still haunts us.
Will this steal the headline tomorrow?
