Government
Obama reaffirms his position on health system reform
■ The president also signaled he might be open to some compromise on the public plan option and gave a nod to medical liability reform.
By David Glendinning — Posted Sept. 10, 2009
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Washington President Obama's vision for health system reform as laid out in his Sept. 9 address to Congress prompted cheers from some corners, but others said the White House had nothing new to offer.
Obama outlined a framework for reform that builds on proposals from members of both parties, insisting that all Americans should have access to coverage but suggesting he was flexible on some of the reform ideas that have caused controversy. He lambasted opponents for spreading misinformation about pending legislation in what he described as a craven attempt to scuttle the effort.
A. Barry Rand, CEO of AARP, expressed hope the address would get the reform effort back on the right track. "Over the last several weeks, the health care debate shifted from a conversation to a shouting match, and legitimate concerns about how we fix our health care system were drowned out by myths and mischaracterizations."
By explaining to the public what they can expect from health system reform, Obama gave a big boost to the process, said Ron Pollack, Families USA's executive director. "As people around the country learn more about what is truly in the health reform legislation, they will strengthen their conviction that the status quo cannot be an option for our nation."
The president offered a vigorous defense of the public insurance plan option -- the central sticking point in the debate -- as one of the best ways to offer affordable coverage, enhance competition and keep insurance firms honest. But he opened the door to some revision of the concept.
"To my progressive friends, I would remind you that for decades, the driving idea behind reform has been to end insurance company abuses and make coverage available for those without it," Obama said. "The public option is only a means to that end, and we should remain open to other ideas that accomplish our ultimate goal."
But Rep. Charles Boustany, MD (R, La.), who was chosen by his party to give the official Republican response to the Obama address, said the White House should have taken the public option completely off the table.
"Replacing your family's current health care with government-run health care is not the answer. In fact, it'll make health care much more expensive," Dr. Boustany said. "That's not just my personal diagnosis as a doctor or a Republican; it's the conclusion of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office."
A group of six negotiators on the Senate Finance Committee, the final panel to consider reform legislation, is working on a possible consensus bill that would replace the public option with a state-sponsored insurance co-operative system. Finance chair Max Baucus (D, Mont.) said he hoped to unveil final legislative language for committee markup the week of Sept. 14.
Obama also extended an olive branch on the medical liability issue, saying, "I don't believe malpractice reform is a silver bullet, but I've talked to enough doctors to know that defensive medicine may be contributing to unnecessary costs." He announced he was directing the Dept. of Health and Human Services to launch state demonstration projects "to put patient safety first and let doctors focus on practicing medicine."
The American Medical Association applauded the announcement. "President Obama recognized what physicians have long known -- that medical liability reform is needed to bring down the cost of health care," said AMA President J. James Rohack, MD.
The American Assn. for Justice, which represents trial lawyers, asked for more details about the HHS pilots and said they must focus on reducing medical errors rather than reducing physician accountability.