health care reform
White House Escalates Campaign Against Healthcare Reform “Myths”
ABC World News (8/13, lead story, 3:00, Gibson) reporting, “After days of raucous, in your face town hall meetings about healthcare reform, the White House [Thursday] said enough, and launched its own email chain letter campaign to counter the critics and try to get the upper hand in the intense national debate. Supporters of reform say opponents are using malicious misinformation, trying to kill reform for political purposes.” ABC’s Tapper added, “The last few weeks have been dominated by opponents of President Obama’s healthcare reform push. White House officials insist it’s not too late for the President to make his case to the American people.”
Healthcare Debate Shifts to Television Screens
The CBS Evening News reported, “As tempers flare in the healthcare debate, both sides are employing everything in their arsenals to win over Americans.” USA Today reports the “healthcare battle…is shifting to television screens as groups on each side of the issue launch multimillion-dollar ad blitzes to influence the debate. Advocacy groups such as the US Chamber of Commerce and the AARP are spending a combined $500,000 on healthcare ads every day.” Groups on all sides have invested a combined $57 million in healthcare ads this year…and supporters have outspent those who oppose the legislation by roughly 2-to-1.
Speaker Pelosi Indicates She has the Votes for Health Care Reform
In eHealthInsuranceNews.com, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Wednesday there is “no question” that she has the votes to pass healthcare reform legislation even as key Democrats retreated from their predictions of progress. Republicans mocked Pelosi’s assertion, sending out a list documenting 42 House Democrats who have said they oppose or have concerns about the bill. But the list includes some members who will almost certainly vote for the measure, such as House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.).
OBAMA Promises Health Care Reform this Year
In his speach to the nation yasterday, President Barack Obama vowed to pass health care reform this year and keep it frow swelling the deficit. “We will pass reform that lowers costs, promotes choice, and provides coverage that every American can count on. And we will do it this year.” However, Obama’s plan has left many worrying who will foot the bill. Many North Carolina Health Insurance companies are concerned about how this plan will affect them.
OBAMA Needs Health Care Reform in 2009
In order to gain momentum for successful Health care reform, President Obama needs to make every attempt to gain some momentum for his program in 2009. Those intersted in NC Health Insurance are watching closely that activities that are taking place. Health care reform may end up being the primary moniker for Obama’s presidency. Without making headway with a program in 2009, many believe that it will be difficult for the President to gain much footing for a health care program in 2010 and beyond.
Vote on Health Care Reform Unlikely Soon
Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA), who serves as chairman of the health subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee, said on a conference call earlier this month that Democrats were unlikely to vote on a comprehensive health-care reform proposal until early in 2010. Stark is known to have a longstanding interest in health care issues and has been critical of the fate of the uninsured under the George W. Bush administration. Along with John Conyers in April 2006, Stark brought an action against President Bush and others alleging violations of the Constitution in the passing of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, which cut Medicaid payments. The case, Conyers v. Bush, was ultimately dismissed for lack of standing in November of the same year.
OBAMA URGED TO OVERHAUL HEALTHCARE
Four leading advocacy groups representing business, labor and retirees are starting a campaign today to press Barack Obama to enact comprehensive healthcare reform, upping the pressure on the president-elect to tackle the issue quickly after he takes office. As we all know, President-Elect Obama’s actions may have a great impact on the NC health insurance industry. In a letter to Obama, the Business Roundtable, the National Federation of Independent Businesses, AARP and the Service Employees International Union urge that a healthcare overhaul be a priority in the administration’s first 100 days.
