Obama details health care reform

President Barack Obama on Wednesday addressed a health care plan some Lansing city officials said could uproot the status quo and positively affect the local economy, as he called for action and provided insight into his health reform plan for a joint session of Congress.

“We have a lot of uninsured in this community and I see them every day where they are not covered with anything,” said Robin Reynolds, the executive director of the Ingham Health Plan Corporation. “We need something to happen in this country.”

Obama detailed his health care reform package and addressed its goals for providing less expensive, more stable and secure coverage for those who need it.

“Build on what works and fix what doesn’t, rather than trying to build an entirely new system from scratch,” Obama said in his address.

The plan will cost an estimated $900 billion during a period of 10 years, which, he reminded Congress, is less than the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It mostly will be paid for through the elimination of inefficiencies in the current
health care system, Obama said.

Despite high costs, Taylor Scott, family physician in the College of Osteopathic Medicine and the director of the MSU Learning and Assessment Center, said the plan could help local businesses.

“Rising health care costs are certainly a component of business competitiveness … something that Lansing has been hit so hard with,” he said. “Being able to maintain jobs and be competitive, a component of that is health care.”

Obama also addressed key controversies in his speech as he attempted to clear the air.

He denied reform efforts that would insure illegal immigrants, fund abortions and lead to a government takeover of health care.

Leonard Fleck, a philosophy professor who studies medical ethics, said incorrect criticisms
of the package could be hampering fair debate about health care.

“The scare tactics that we’ve seen … those scare tactics are distorting and interfering with our ability to have an intelligent debate,” he said.

Obama also credited his political opponents for their efforts supporting reform, something Scott said instilled hope in the debate.

“I was very impressed with his use of both parties’ efforts,” he said. “Even his presidential campaign opponents’ contributions to the reform effort.”

Many details have yet to be worked out as the plan is debated, along with decisions affecting the entire country.

“If we can’t make those hard choices, then health reform is going to fail,” Fleck said.

Intent on shaping the future and “building on what works,” Obama’s Congressional address proved he is not afraid to take on difficult issues, Scott said.

“Something needs to be done and there are details to be worked out, but it’s still wonderful to see a president take this on and address it however he sees fit,” he said.