Obama on Health Reform

The Obama Administration sees the end of the Republican filibuster as a big win, they are making a big mistake, they now own the project, President Obama stated the following on the end of the Republican filibuster, " The United States Senate knocked down a filibuster aimed at blocking a final vote on health care reform, and scored a big victory for the American people. By standing up to the special interests -- who've prevented reform for decades and who are furiously lobbying against it now -- the Senate has moved us closer to reform that makes a tremendous difference for families, for seniors, for businesses, and for the country as a whole....For those who have insurance, reform will mean greater security and stability. No longer will people with preexisting conditions be excluded from coverage. No longer will people who are seriously ill be dropped from coverage. And no longer will families be allowed to go broke because they’re forced to pay exorbitant out-of-pocket expenses.... Many people recall the enormous fights around the Patient's Bill of Rights that never got done. Well, you know what, the Patient's Bill of Rights is embedded in this health care bill and -- to make sure that all Americans who have insurance right now are getting a fair deal from their insurance companies...Small businesses and those who don’t get insurance through their employer will finally be able to get insurance at a price that they can afford with tax credits to help. And Medicare will be stronger and its solvency extended by nearly a decade. Seniors will get more assistance with prescription drug costs than they're getting right now. And finally, these reforms will help the inexorable and unsustainable rise in health care costs that are overwhelming families, businesses, and the federal budget...The Congressional Budget Office now reports that this bill will reduce our deficit by $132 billion over the first decade, and by as much as $1.3 trillion in the decade after that. So I just want to be clear, for all those who are continually carping about how this is somehow a big spending government bill, this cuts our deficit by $132 billion the first 10 years, and by over a trillion in the second. That argument that opponents are making against this bill does not hold water. " The one thing the President and his ego has forgotten is that the health debate is never a winner in the long term, the costs of keeping people alive is always on the up, that is due to the costs of new drugs and new medical developments. Thus if Obama really thinks the US Government is going to make real saving in health he needs to come to the UK. The cost of NHS is always going up, and at the end of the day there is the rationing of care, its harsh but real, and when the US voter wakes up to that the Democrats will be in real trouble in 2010 and 2012.