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The Health Policy Cause
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Loading...Is President Obama holding true to the promise of Health Care Reform?
Candidate Obama spoke often of the need — the urgency — for major health care reform. President Obama, in his first hundred days in office, appears to be stepping up to the plate.
As he said in his opening remarks at the White House Forum on Health Care Reform,
“It’s not going to be easy. And there are going to be false starts and setbacks and mistakes along the way. But I’m confident if we come together and work together, we will finally achieve what generations of Americans have fought for and fulfill the promise of health care in our time. And what a remarkable achievement that would be — something that Democrats and Republicans, business and labor, consumer groups and providers, all of us could share extraordinary pride in finally dealing with something that has been vexing us for so long. So let’s get to work.”
Indeed, there is much work to be done, and certainly the economic recession and war are taking a toll. Still, in his brief time in office, President Obama has:
* Signed an executive order reversing the Bush administration’s ban on federal funding for Embryonic Stem Cell Research.
* Reversed the “global gag rule,” which denied federal funding for family planning organizations in foreign countries that either provide abortion services or information about abortions.
* Signed a bill providing federal funding for health care for children (SCHIP, State Children’s Health Insurance Program), saying, “We fulfill one of the highest responsibilities that we have — to ensure the health and well-being of our nation’s children.”
* Provided, as part of the stimulus bill, funding for state Medicaid programs, continuation of COBRA benefits to the unemployed, electronic medical records, and numerous health studies, including research into a potential cure for cancer.
* Held a White House Forum on Health Care Reform which included republicans, democrats, representatives of business, labor, the health insurance industry, and health care providers.
Indeed, there is much work to be done, but at long last, health care reform has been recognized as one of the most important issues of our time. These changes have come with much opposition. There are many who disagree with the President on health care reform, and no shortage of those who will fight against change of any kind.
The larger issue is that we have too many people suffering the consequences of inaccessible and unaffordable health care. That is simply unacceptable. For the first time, I have some sense that we, as a nation, are ready to take bold action in order to provide decent health care for our own.
It’s only been a hundred days. Can’t wait to see where we go from here.
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+ add your ownI have little use for the pharmaceutical industry, and only have interest in CHOICE as long as it is INCLUSIVE of ALL NATURAL & PREVENTATIVE MODALITIES...not just the ones currently covered by the insurance industry..which works with Big Pharma. Why should taxpayer choices be LIMITED to only the status quo of HEALING modalities? That's the OLD paradigm. 21st Century healiong includes energy healing, healing with light, sound, whole foods, and yes, spiritual healing. If funding goes to the OLD 20th century methods, then it should also cover these PROVEN methods of both PREVENTION and CURE of DIS-EASE. LET this sentiment be HEARD! I am NOT ALONE my my passion for natural healing! We no NOT heal by adding MORE toxins to the body! We heal by REMOVING toxins! And that includes mental and emotional and spiritual toxins, not just physical toxins. THANK YOU!
For way too long the health care system has been broken, bent, and totally out of style. It has been dictated by lobbyists such as the pharmaceutical companies, hospitals and doctors ripping off Medicare and Medicaid, insurance companies denying coverages for stupid reasons and loopholes, hospitals and doctors way over charging to make up for what the insurance companies refuse to pay, and those without health coverage. President Obama has made some incredible steps forward! I know he will get things to the place in health care that we can all benefit. But, it has been broken so many years, that he needs time to wade through the wrongs, and overhaul the system.
President Obama clearly understands the need for change in our current health care system. He is indeed following through on his promise to make this a priority in his administration and as with the many others disastrous messes he inherited when he took office this will take time to fix, but I am gratified to see he is not dropping the ball and is indeed putting ii in the forefront.
President Obama clearly understands the need for change in our current health care system. He is indeed following through on his promise to make this a priority in his administration and as with the many others disastrous messes he inherited when he took office this will take time to fix, but I am gratified to see he is not dropping the ball and is indeed putting ii in the forefront.
An affordable and ideally free health care saves a lot of money in the long run, and lives! It's incomprehensible to most Europeans, and for Swedes (as I am) who's had this privilege for many decenniums that America is so far behind on this very important issue, in particular as America belongs to the "Developed countries". Obama seems to truly care for the well- being of all American citizens, not just the rich so it's sad to hear that people oppose this. However if the majority of citizens does not support his Health reform then I cannot see him fully succeeding. Personally I will never be able to consider America as a "First Country" in it's fullest meaning without an having an affordable Health Care system for all people. Perhaps if less money were spent on wars and weapons there would be more to spend on the Health Care reform..?
As the world's supposedly first nation we fail dismally in the health care of it's citizens, something that is patently obvious when looking at the perinatal morbidity & mortality numbers. We rank almost at the bottom of the so-called First World countries. Universal Health Care would quickly start changing that by providing the total access surveillance and care that is needed. Prevention always costs less than the cure and health care providers do not get paid adequately for providing that under the current insurance system. A few CEO's and other insurance administrators are raking it in and taking it home. A universal, single-payer system would start putting the emphasis of health care where it belongs. There would be no question to anyone needing care that he/she can get it, and mainstreaming preventive health care would dramatically reduce our crisis intervention costs.
Obama is leading us right in to Socialized Medicine, which is a very bad thing. He spends too much time giving speeches and traveling instead of analyzing the past. He is going to destroy health care if he keeps this up. Bad thing he is doing.
I just don't know at this time.
Time will really tell and that is a fact.
Yes and thats why action now is imperative. Please sign my petition to take this opportunity to Urge Congressional support forThe Seniors Mental Health Access Improvement Act
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/contact-congress-to-urge-support-for-seniors-mental-health-access-improvement-actrs-co-sponsor
thanks !!!
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