President Barack Obama told an audience of supporters who gathered at St. Charles High School This afternoon (March 10) that it’s time to stop talking about health care reform –its time to vote on it.
“I believe the Congress owes the people a final up or down vote on health care reform,” he said. “The time for talk is over. It’s time to vote.”
The president describes the health reform bill now on the table takes the best ideas from both Democrats and Republicans. Obama said the bill is “a common sense approach to protecting you from insurance company abuse and saving you money. That’s the proposal and it’s paid for.”
Obama said if passed, this health reform bill would change three important things about the current health care system, involving insurance reforms; creating a marketplace for choice of coverage to drive down rates for individuals and small businesses; and cost control.
Beginning this year, insurance companies will be banned from denying coverage to adults and children with pre-existing conditions; banned from dropping coverage when an insured person gets sick; and could no longer drastically raise premiums without review. In addition, all insurance companies would have to offer free preventive care and uninsured young adults can stay on their parents’ insurance policy until age 26.
Uninsured individuals and small businesses will get the same choice of prime health insurance as members of Congress. He proposes setting up a pool for non-federal employees to drive down insurance rates, and tax credits for those who still cannot afford health coverage. Obama said the $100 billion cost of this will be paid for by getting rid of the abuse in the health care system.
The president said independent analysis by the Congressional Budget Office said individuals paying premiums right now would see their costs go down 14 to 20 percent and the government would save a trillion dollars. He also sites a recent report by the Business Roundtable said health reforms could reduce premiums by as much as $3,000 per employee.
“The American people will be more secure with this reform. Our country will be stronger because of this reform,” Obama said. “I don’t know about the politics, but I know it’s the right thing to do.”
The president left St. Charles to head to downtown St. Louis, where he is the guest of honor at a fundraiser for U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill at the Renaissance Grand Hotel.
He left a gymnasium full of mostly ambassadors, revitalized to tell others what is at stake for working and middle class families and businesses with health reform.
“I think he clarified a lot of misconceptions in his policy regarding health care,” said Patrice Rogers of Ballwin, Mo. who attended the St. Charles visit.
“What I didn’t know is they were forming this committee to stop all the irresponsible spending and all of the improper payments that have gone out,” said Robyn Peete of St. Louis. “He clarified for me how they were going to pay for this proposal – and it’s not going to come from taxpayer’s money.”
Rogers added, “Health care is a right and not a privilege and it’s something that everyone should have it regardless to what the circumstances are.”
