WASHINGTON- Appearing at the White House with a group of U.S. senators following a meeting on U.S. health care reform, President Barack Obama said legislation that would save lives -- and save money for American families, businesses and the government -- was in the "final stages" in the Senate.
" ... We are on the precipice of an achievement that has eluded Congresses and presidents for generations, an achievement that will touch the lives of nearly every American," Obama said.
While some differences remain to be worked out, Obama said there was "broad consensus around reforms that will finally, number one, protect every American from the worst practices in the health insurance industry." No longer will insurance companies be able to deny coverage for a preexisting illness or condition, drop coverage when an individual gets sick, or force people to pay unlimited amounts out of their own pockets for treatments they need, he said.
Families will save on their insurance premiums, and businesses that will see their costs rise if nothing is done "will save money now and in the future, " Obama said. The plan will strengthen Medicare and extend the life of that program government health program for senior citizens, he said, "and because it gets rid of the waste and inefficiencies in our health care system, this will be the largest deficit-reduction plan in over a decade." The legislation is deficit neutral, bends the cost curve and covers 30 million Americans who do not have health insurance, Obama said, "and it has extraordinary insurance reforms in there that make sure that we are preventing abuse." There is still work to be done on the legislation in the next few days, the President said, adding that he was "cautiously optimistic" the Senate could muster the necessary 60 votes to prevent the bill from being derailed by filibuster -- a Senate tactic that permits individuals to essentially stall a bill until it dies.