Monday morning, President Barack Obama met with the American Medical Association. Obama delivered a speech depicting his views on what health care in the United States should be like and what the government is currently doing about it.
Obama said that completely changing the current health care system is the biggest step forward America can take in fixing the current economic woes.
The President also explained that the fear of the doctors is that their pay and their methods would be dictated by the government.
The new plan calls for an overall improved efficiency and a higher affordability of health care in America. The major goal of the plan is for doctors, drug industries, patients, insurance companies, and the government to work cooperitively in order to provide health care for the currently 46 million uninsured Americans.
Obama is listening to the AMA and it’s doctors to work together to form a plan that would be optimal for everyone involved, especially the patients.
Obama expressed that one of the problems with the current system is that quality care has taken a back seat to the quantity of care received. The President said of the system that is becoming more and more expensive, “It is a model that has taken the pursuit of medicine from a profession — a calling — to a business.”
Obama also has called for limits to be placed on malpractice suits due to many doctors doing unnecessary testing simply to make sure they will not be taken to court over any possible mistakes.
In response, Dr. J. James Rohack agreed by saying, “unless we have protection in a courtroom for not ordering a test, we’re going to order that additional test.”
In one of his most important points, Obama said that the declining of insurance to those who have pre existing illnesses needs to be ended.
Obama’s plan will not force anyone to change his or her health care, but will simply make it a mandate to have health care. Employers will be responsible for providing the health care unless the company is too small to afford it in which case an exemption will be made. Overall, the system will provide for more affordable health care for all.
This is all in Obama’s big plan to fix the economy, which also features a measure to reduce the amount of tax deductions that those with high income get.
Despite all of his naysayers, Obama states that everyone who has a say in how the health care system is run is finally realizing that reform is needed. Obama said, “they are coming together out of a recognition that while reform will take everyone in our health care community doing their part, ultimately, everyone will benefit.”
