Putting health reform on the agenda

President Obama launched an ambitious effort to overhaul the health-care system by assembling a White House forum and by setting aside $634 billion for health-coverage expansion.

President Obama has launched an ambitious effort to overhaul the health-care system, assembling a White House forum billed as the first step toward comprehensive reform. Arguing that the recession has turned health reform into a “fiscal imperative,” Obama last week called on insurers, doctors, and others to offer solutions to spiraling health costs and the growing legion of uninsured. Claiming the middle ground in the coming debate, Obama warned that “bleeding-heart liberal” solutions to providing universal coverage would have enormous price tags. But he also proclaimed that “all Americans deserve quality, affordable health care.”

Obama’s budget sets aside $634 billion for health-coverage expansion. But he did not present a reform package, leaving it to the Democratic-led Congress to tackle such sticky issues as whether insurance coverage should be mandated and whether the government should compete directly with private insurers.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us