The Attack at Arcadia
President Obama yesterday at Arcadia University near Philadelphia held a campaign-style rally aimed at generating public support for health reform legislation and encouraging lawmakers to cast a final vote on the overhaul. Obama addressed a crowd of about 1,800 people and criticized insurance companies, citing rising premiums and lost coverage as reasons for passing health reform legislation. Obama also discussed large rate increases for individual policyholders in various states. In addition, Obama focused on provisions in his reform proposal that are intended to protect consumers, provide U.S. residents more choice in the health insurance market, expand coverage and help control health care costs The president also encouraged voters to lobby Congress about the need for reform. Obama during the speech also cited a new analysis by investment bank Goldman Sachs that recommends investors buy shares in insurers UnitedHealth Group and Cigna because health premiums are increasing, while competition from other insurers is decreasing.
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Health Reform Road Show
President Obama this week is scheduled to travel to Philadelphia and St. Louis in an effort to generate public support for health reform legislation and encourage lawmakers to cast a final vote on the overhaul. The president on Saturday during his weekly Internet and radio address said that lawmakers are "very close" to securing an overhaul. As a result, Obama has set a March 18 deadline for the House to pass a Senate version of reform legislation. Members of the Obama administration believe the public is more apt to embrace the president's message if he is not in Washington, D.C. Obama also used his weekly address to criticize health insurers for failing to give "straight answers" on why they are "arbitrarily and massively" increasing their premiums. He used insurers raising rates as a primary reason for the need for reform.
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An Invitation To Chat
President Obama yesterday invited two groups of Democrats to the White House to enlist their aid in passing health reform legislation. The first group that Obama invited to the White House was a selection of liberal House members who are considering withholding their support for reform because current proposals lack a public option. Obama acknowledged that he supports a public option but said that "the votes aren't there." The second group invited by Obama comprised leaders of the centrist New Democrat Coalition, who have expressed concerns about reforming health care while the economy is in recession. Obama told the group's members that current reform proposals would create jobs. The invitations are a continuation of more direct efforts by Obama to guide the reform process, following his bipartisan health reform summit and the release of his own overhaul proposal.
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Aiming for Easter
President Obama on Wednesday told Congress to pass a health reform bill soon, calling for an "up or down vote" on an overhaul package within the next three weeks. Obama spoke from the White House, where he unveiled a revised reform proposal that incorporates new ideas from both Democrats and Republicans who attended last week's health reform summit. The president stressed the need for resolution on the past year's health reform push, saying that he believes Congress owes "the American people a final vote on health care reform." Although he did not specifically mention budget reconciliation, Obama implicitly endorsed the strategy when encouraging Democrats to move ahead without Republicans and pass a bill with a simple majority vote.
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A Decent Proposal?
President Obama today is expected to present his revised health reform proposal, along with a strategy for moving it through Congress, but as of press time had not won over any Republican support. The president on Tuesday sent a letter to congressional leaders of both parties saying that he is willing to consider four GOP health reform ideas for inclusion in final overhaul legislation. The offer was seen as a last-ditch attempt to secure bipartisan support for reform before Obama. The four ideas involve reducing the cost of medical malpractice disputes, encouraging more people to set up health savings accounts, rooting out Medicare and Medicaid fraud and increasing Medicaid payments to physicians. Republicans rejected Obama's offer on the basis that the measures would not do enough to correct deeply flawed proposals. #1
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