Healthcare Reform Proposals by Barack Obama

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Due to the soaring medical costs, one out of three Americans under the age of 65 had to go without healthcare insurance during 2007-2008. It has been estimated that presently, around 46 million Americans lack heath care insurance. So, President Obama has come up with a Healthcare Reform Proposal, which, in his words, would be "necessary and positive".

The key features of the three part plan proposed by President Obama to reform the healthcare system of America is as follows:

Americans to get access to comprehensive and affordable health coverage: Under this initiative, Obama has included the following key features:

To develop a new National Health Insurance Exchange which would help citizens to find private insurance plan.
To develop a new Public National Health Plan which would be available to all Americans irrespective of their health status. The premiums would be affordable and the co-pay and deductibles would kept at a minimum.
To provide increased support for Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program.
To have a new business mandate which would require businesses to make payments towards the Public National Health Plan.

Improve healthcare quality and lower costs: Obama proposed that healthcare quality can be improved in the following ways:

To eliminate Medicare private plan over-payments.
To reform the insurance and drug market by limiting insurance company profits. Also, take steps to lower drug prices.
To require providers to be transparent regarding healthcare costs.

Supporter for health and wellness: Obama plans to support federal funding for:

Education for healthcare professionals
Community and individual initiative for Americans to make better choice towards healthcare.
Efforts of the school authorities towards childhood obesity.
Worksite wellness programs.

Niicss · Posted: Sat Oct 10, 2009 2:37 am Post subject:

President Obama's healthcare reform proposal is being discussed all throughout the country. According to the latest poll results, opposition to the Obama's healthcare reform proposals has drastically lowered in the past few weeks. Moreover, quite a large number of Republicans are also backing these reforms.

Apart from what you've mentioned, some of the other reforms proposed by Obama include:

To provide federal funding assistance to businesses who would provide coverage for high-risk employees and dependents with health care costs.
To improve healthcare quality by preventing medical errors and malpractices.
To provide financial incentives for quality improvements.
To promote health information technology.
To introduce an individual mandate for children.

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thewretched02 · Joined: 21 Oct 2009 Posts: 18 3.29 Dollars($)

Sounds like a good initiative - why is he having so much trouble getting support?

smithsussane · Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 9:28 pm Post subject:

Hi thewretched!

Welcome to forums!

That's a difficult question to answer as why he is having trouble in getting support.

However, if Obama's health insurance reform passes into a law, it's estimated that an average American family can save up to $2,500 each year. The savings would mainly come from the following:

Universal coverage.
Reforms in the insurance industry that limits the profit level.
Health IT investment
Contribution of Fed towards insurance coverage which would reduce the premiums.
Improvement in health care facilities offered to patients with chronic health conditions.

Sussane

jameshogg · Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 9:08 pm Post subject:

The healthcare reform proposals mainly aims at encouraging "what works" in Obama's words. Both the government and the insurance companies are taking the decisions related to reform proposals.

Obama has also taken into consideration the opinion of the experts. They would make decisions depending upon the best medical treatment available in the market and not making attempts to save money or doctors prescribing treatment with highest fees.

Obama believes that health insurance reform is an important aspect to be taken care off if we want to rescue our economy from crisis. If the health insurance premiums and other medical costs are not controlled, it would be difficult to control the deficit in the economy.

However, the private insurers will have to offer less expensive coverages to the people if the government funded health plan is to be made competitive. If these reforms are accepted, it would offer stability as well as security to both the healthy and the sick.

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