<p>Healthcare Reform Cannot Wait</p> <p>President Obama has made it clear that the time for health care reform is now. On February 26th, President Obama submitted his fiscal year budget to congress. In addition to the 634 billion reserve fund to pay for health reform that was reported in the February 26th Government Watch, the budget contains President Obama's principles for health reform. They include:</p> <ul> <li>Protect families' financial health: the budget proposals states that an acceptable health reform plan must reduce the growing premiums and other costs of health care currently faced by businesses, individuals and families.</li> <li>Make health coverage affordable: An acceptable reform plan must control administrative costs and eliminate waste and inefficiencies.</li> <li>Aim for Universality: A plan President Obama will support must put the U.S on a clear path to cover all Americans.</li> <li>Provide Portability of Coverage: The budget specifies that people should continue to be allowed to get their insurance through their employers, but says health insurance should not be tied to any particular employer. Plus, President Obama demands that "no American should be denied coverage because of preexisting conditions."</li> <li>Guarantee Choice: An acceptable health reform plan should provide a choice of health plans and physicians, the budget proposal says.</li> <li>Invest in Prevention and Wellness: President Obama says any reform plans should invest in wellness and disease prevention, and include programs for reduction of "cost drivers" such as obesity, sedentary lifestyles, and smoking. Access to proven treatments should be guaranteed.</li> <li>Maintain Long Term Fiscal Sustainability: President Obama's budget says that health care reform must pay for itself by reducing the growth of healthcare costs, improving productivity, and identifying sources of revenue to pay for the program. </li> </ul> <p>The budget also calls for enacting into law Congress' pay-go rules. Pay-go rules require that any spending increase or tax cut be offset with cuts in other areas of the budget, and restricts new tax cuts to only those accompanied with offsetting tax increases. Revenue raising will be part of virtually every tax bill thus leaving the current health tax advantages at risk.</p> <p>The funding sources in the budget for health care reform are controversial; they include the proposal to limit reduction in tax liability as a result of high income taxpayer's deduction to 28%: $175 billion in cuts from Medicare Advantage program, and other Medicare cuts. Alternating funding sources such as the $628 billion from employer-provided health and LTC insurance are being considered. While the President did not state support or opposition to capping the tax-free employer-provided health insurance, his budget does include a note that "others" have proposed a cap. It is the opening of the health care reform debate that will preoccupy Congress for the rest of the year.</p> <p>Insurance agents believe in universal access to health care for all Americans. We support efforts to help lower costs and ensure coverage is available to all citizens, without resorting to new government programs or jeopardizing the high quality of care we enjoy and expect as American consumers.</p> <p>Healthcare reform cannot wait, it must not wait and it will not wait another year! Perhaps we need to share our opinion aobut this issue with our Congress person and colleagues. Ask them to join with other professionals in having their voices heard by sharing this important information.</p> 2009-04-08T21:32:19Z -8.62992 223 4077 true 8 11469 health-insurance-matters 3 2009-04-11T18:00:26Z 2009-04-11T18:02:34Z

With the government looking at getting in to the universal health care business, are we really ready for that or is there a better way?

1 2009-04-11T18:02:34Z