Obama Continues to Push Healthcare Reform

Introduction

As Virginia Governor Tim Kaine began to speak things on Facebook began to cut in and out, presenting what was happening too fast for viewers of the presentation. Tim Kaine's remarks sounded as if they were being presented at twice the speed they should have been. A Facebook user asked if everything sounded too fast for others as well, and in a reflection of anti-disability sentiment another Facebook user stated, 'This feed makes Obama sound like an autistic kangaroo.'

Main Digest

Once the White House fix-it people gained control of the issue with the presentation speed, the President repetitiously presented the same information that he has been giving to Americans through ABC, the American Medical Association, the meeting he had in Green Bay, and throughout the rest of his other presentations; nothing particularly new. Apparently the point of it all was to apply pressure on Congress, who is yes - you guessed it; taking yet another holiday. The President is hopeful that they will actually do some work when and if they decide to actually come back.

The President stated:

"...the naysayers are already starting to line up and finding every excuse and scare tactic in the book for why reform is not going to happen... And what I say to these critics is, well, what's your alternative? Is your alternative just to stand pat and keep on watching more and more families lose their healthcare, more and more families with higher out-of-pocket costs for less insurance, businesses who are not able to compete internationally, a Medicare and a Medicaid system that has run amok"

To which I say:

"Mr. President, this nation has a few different groups of citizens. There are those people in America who are quite satisfied with the insurance they are able to afford because they have jobs that allow them to earn the money needed to support the payments to obtain that kind of insurance. This group of people would be most unhappy with attempts to change what they have in regards to health care coverage. The people I am speaking of are not the ones that you should be concerned with."

"There are also people in America who have some level of insurance coverage, but it may not be the best, or adequate for their needs. These citizens would like to find the companies that they receive insurance through facing some kind of regulation, I imagine. These people would also like to find the medical corporations and pharmaceutical corporations under some form of citizen-controlled regulation as well. The costs associated with medical and pharmaceutical products have reached unrealistic proportions, and these companies are reaping outrageous profits at the expense of these people."

"The people you speak of who look to programs such as Medicaid and Medicare who need what you refer to as, 'healthcare reform,' that find themselves without any form of insurance do number in the millions; true. This population comprises approximately one-fifth to one-fourth of all Americans - they do not comprise the entire nation. When you design healthcare coverage for them, Mr. President - aim such healthcare reform -for them- and not the entire nation."

"Uninsured people in America must not compromise the integrity of those who are already established through their own healthcare insurance, Mr. President. Neither must any healthcare plan you design, hopefully through a rather thorough process of examination, the practice of employer-provided healthcare insurance for employees. Undermining the coverage provided by employers by making government healthcare coverage less expensive would be disastrous."

Despite the fact that this, 'Town Hall,' format of meeting on Facebook was an hour long, only seven questions were allowed. While questions were accepted from sources such as Facebook itself, Twitter, and email - administrative members selected the four questions that were answered by the President. Understand that three of the questions the President answered were presented by groups promoting the President's healthcare agenda, such as Health Care for America Now, and Service Employees International Union.

As I have mentioned before, there has been no true public debate of this healthcare agenda the President and this Administration is pushing. There has been no real public forum. The Obama Administration is not putting this healthcare agenda, something that would affect every single American, up for a vote among the general population either. In short, the Obama Administration is not following a Democratic process in relation to the healthcare agenda they are pushing. I can't say I care for it.

If true healthcare reform is to take place in America; if real Universal Healthcare is to be established in this nation, then there must be an in-depth review of the nations in this world that already have it. This review must be followed by solid attempts to improve on the faults with the systems already in place in other nations, as well as detailed plans for implementing any such plan in America. When all of this has been achieved, then the plan must be put up for a vote before the American people who will have to live with such a plan for decades to come.

While all of this planning and design is taking place, programs such as Medicaid, Medicare and other forms of support for existing healthcare organizations must be pursued. Pursuit of a hasty healthcare agenda on the part of any Administration will lead to poor results; whether that Administration is Democrat or Republican. Without solid support from the American people, any plan of taxation to sustain a healthcare program will fail. Yes - healthcare change is greatly needed in our nation, but not hastily presented and poorly planned change.

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Cite This Page (APA): Langtree, I. C. (2009, July 3 - Last revised: 2024, September 2). Obama Continues to Push Healthcare Reform. Disabled World. Retrieved September 10, 2024 from www.disabled-world.com/editorials/political/obama-healthcare-facebook.php

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