Last night, President Obama spoke on healthcare reform at a joint session for Congress. While I love a great presentation, which Obama always delivers, I was not completely sold on everything he was saying… but mainly because I could not personally review the documents :) If you did not see it, check out the NY Times video replay with a timed breakdown of talking points to catch up.
President Obama delivered some tough news to both parties saying essentially that he was not going to take shit from anyone, and that he was not leaving office until a healthcare bill was in place. He tried hard to combat all of the oppositions major problems with his proposed reform: not covering illegal immigrants, not covering abortion, giving coverage to all Americans as well as who was going to pay for the public program. For me, since I work for change:healthcare, a company that helps people save money on doctors visits and prescriptions, I would love to read the details of the reform documents.
You see, there are a lot of problems with healthcare. Most of them, in my opinion, exist because we Americans do not know (or care most of the time) what healthcare really costs! I hate to tell you, but your office visit to the doctor for your yearly physical does not cost $20. It probably costs more like $90 – $150 — and if you don’t have health insurance, or you have a high deductible, your cost could be $150-$200 or more for that office visit. And even that cost only covers the visit. If you have bloodwork or other tests, the cost is even more. Never is it $20. I could rant all day about this, but I will save you the pain.
The point is, healthcare reform is needed, and hopefully Obama is the guy to do it. but we need to know the details of what we are getting into, and that we will not be selling our souls to pay for it. Obama, shows the details!
What did you think about Obama’s Healthcare Reform presentation last night? What did you think about the GOP response? Were you happy with what you heard, or concerned? Please leave a comment and let me know.
