“If you don’t like your healthcare coverage, or you don’t have any insurance at all, you’ll have a chance, under what we’ve proposed, to take part in what we’re calling a health insurance exchange." (ABC News)
U.S. President Barack Obama laid out his health care reform to the American Medical Association on Monday, mostly pushing for options on public insurance policies.
The latest numbers out of the Congressional Budget Office estimate one of the potential programs could cost $1 trillion over the next decade.
But CNN has the perspective that Americans are already footing the cost for the uninsured and just don’t know it.
“What does that mean for you and I? How much are we paying? Every US family pays about 1000 dollars a year to pay for the uninsured. Sure we don’t see it in our paycheck like social security, but it is there, it is there through healthcare premiums.”
As you know, the threat of malpractice lawsuits is driving up healthcare costs, and that’s an issue the AMA feels needs to be addressed.
CBS News posted footage on YouTube that shows the AMA’s support for a malpractice cap.
“I recognize that it will be hard to make some of these changes if doctors feel like they’re constantly looking over their shoulders for fear of law suits.”
But listen to how the reaction changes as Obama explains his plan.
“I want to be honest with you. I’m not advocating caps on malpractice suits… Which I believe can be unfair to people who’ve been wrongfully harmed.”
Some have called the AMA a tough audience, but a credible one because they’re on the front lines of health care.
Bill Maher says on MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann that we have to remember who Obama was really talking to.
“The AMA of course is a lobbying group, it’s out for money like every lobbying group, people think of it as your friendly doctors, it’s really not, it’s a lobbying group.”
So what do you think? We invite you to leave your thoughts and comments here at Newsy.com.
