[NYAPRS Enews] MNT: Obama Makes Strides Towards Health Reform, Still Faces Challenges

[Matt Canuteson]

Obama Makes Strides In First 100 Days, Still Faces Challenges On Health
Care

Medical News Today April 30th 2009 

 
The Obama administration has made strides toward comprehensive health
care reform during the president's first 100 days in office, but the
next 100 days might "illustrate whether he is going to succeed," USA
Today
<http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-04-27-next-100-days_N.htm>
reports (Page/Hall, USA Today, 4/28). Since taking office in January,
"the White House has been drumming up support for some type of health
care overhaul," and the administration had some early health policy
achievements, the Wall Street Journal
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124096368874166115.html>  reports. For
example, the economic stimulus package that President Obama signed into
law includes $19 billion for health information technology and funding
for comparative effectiveness research (Adamy, Wall Street Journal,
4/29).

 

Over the next 100 days, Congress is expected to continue focusing on
health care. Members of Congress has begun holding hearings on the
issue, and Senate Finance Committee <http://finance.senate.gov/>  Chair
Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said he plans to have legislation ready for a
Senate vote by June. The House plans to follow, with legislation before
the August recess (USA Today, 4/28). According to White House officials,
the final push for health care likely will happen in the fall (Weisman,
Wall Street Journal
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124093222723963917.html> , 4/29).
However, USA Today reports that there are "signs of discord." Lawmakers
already have rejected Obama's proposal to limit tax deductions for
wealthy U.S. residents to raise $318 billion to cover the uninsured.
Also, many Republicans have voiced strong opposition to Obama's proposal
for a public health insurance option designed to compete with private
insurers (USA Today, 4/28). 

Inside the Administration  The New York Times' "The Caucus
<http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/28/top-white-house-aide-voic
es-pragmatic-approach-on-health-care-energy/> " on Tuesday included an
interview with White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel about Obama's
first 100 days in office. According to Emanuel, Obama is willing to
accept final health reform legislation that does not include a dramatic
expansion of coverage. He said that Obama's "principles are very clear"
on health care, which are focused on "controlling costs." According to
Emanuel, Obama is "willing to explore different roads" to achieve his
goals (Hardwood, "The Caucus," New York Times, 4/28). 

Editorial Obama "has not allowed a once-in-four generations recession --
or politically driven charges that he is over-reaching -- to rob him of
his ambition," but the president and the U.S. still "have a long way to
go," a Times <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/29/opinion/29wed1.html>
editorial states. According to the editorial, "Far too many Americans
still have no health insurance, those who do pay too much and the
quality of care is too low."

The editorial states that "Obama's bold 10-year budget plan proposed a
substantial $634 billion down payment to widen coverage and improve the
delivery of care," adding, "He offered sensible proposals to pay for
these reforms -- including higher taxes on the rich and eliminating
unjustified subsidies for private Medicare plans -- that met with
immediate congressional resistance." According to the Times, "This is
going to be a tough fight," but "Obama must keep reminding Americans
that reforms are essential for their personal health and the nation's
economic health" (New York Times, 4/29). 

Broadcast Coverage NPR's "Morning Edition
<http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103574005> " on
Wednesday reported on Obama's achievements during his first 100 days in
office and the obstacles that lie ahead on health reform. The segment
includes comments from health economist Stuart Altman, Families USA
<http://www.familiesusa.org/>  Executive Director Ron Pollack and Galen
Institute <http://www.galen.org/>  President Grace-Marie Turner (Rovner,
"Morning Edition," NPR, 4/29). 

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/148249.php

 

 

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