Health Care For America Now

Over at CSPAN.

Also check out the website, healthreform.gov.

Liveblogging Obama's speech:

"One person goes bankrupt due to health care costs every 30 seconds."

"We did not get here by accident."

"There is no debate whether Americans should have quality, affordable health care. The only question is how."

"Our goal will be to enact comprehensive health care reform by the end of this year."

"We can no longer let the perfect be the enemy of the good."

"The status quo is the one option not on the table. Those that seek to prevent any reform at any costs will not prepare this time around."

Update:

The breakout sessions have started. You can watch at http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/. Our National Campaign Director, Richard Kirsch, is in room number 1.

Update:

And liveblogging his closing speech:

We'll be convening a series of meetings to further explore some of the key issues that were raised today.

We can do health care reform.

Insurers agree that the time is now.

There is a business understanding that improvements are needed.

Richard Kirsch, with Health Care for America Now, said we can't have a false dichotomy between coverage and costs. By covering more people we can also bring prices down.

Jan Schakowsky and SEIU talked about the need to create a public option.

Senator Kennedy: This time we will not fail.

Senator McConnell: Do you plan to address social security?

Obama: I'm committed to entitlement reform. The mechanism has to be determined by you, Harry Reid, Pelosi, and Congress. Our most urgent task is to drive down costs both on the private side and the public side in Medicare and Medicaid. If we don't tackle health care, then we're going to break the bank.

We need to make decisions in this process based on evidence and data and what works, not on what our dug-in positions were in the past. If there is a way of getting this done and we could do that entirely through the market, I'd be happy to do it that way. If there's a way of doing it that involved more regulation and government, then I'm happy to do it that way also. We have to look at the evidence.

Senator Baucus: The American public wants health care reform. It's moral and fiscal imperative. We need a uniquely American solution with both public and private participation.

Senator Grassley: We have a process for getting a bipartisan bill out. There's a lot of us that feel that the public option, that the government is an unfair competitor, and we have to keep what we have now strong and make it stronger.

Obama: The thinking on the public option is that it gives consumers more choices and it keeps private insurance honest. I recognize the fear that if the public option is run through Washington and the incentives to tamp down costs, that private insurance plans might end up feeling overwhelmed. I recognize that concern, and we'll make sure it's addressed and paid attention to.

Karen Ignagni (AHIP): We understand we have to earn a seat at the table. You have our commitment, we hear the American people about what isn't working, to play and contribute and help pass health care reform this year.

Dan Banner (NFIB): We do think small business has a key role in this debate, and cost is the top issue.

Obama: There is a moral imperitive to health care. We can't leave that behind. If we don't addressed costs, it doesn't matter how heartfelt our efforts are, we won't get this done. That may make some in the progressive community uncomforatble, but it's gotta be dealt with. On the flip side, I don't think it's a viable option as a means of controlling costs to throw seniors off the Medicare rolls.

Dave Camp: How much of our economy will be devoted to health care? And the cost shifting that goes on between public and private health care needs to be addressed.

Obama: The enormous pressure and strain that the medical profession is now facing is something we've got to attend to. We're not producing enough primary care physicians because the costs of education are so high. The issue of malpractice insurance is real. The flip side is, if we're going to do more for doctors, if there are states that are providing as good or better care as other states and yet are keeping their costs lower, shouldn't we be learning from what those states are doing? There may be some resistance on the part of providers, but this is what I mean that data and evidence have to drive the process. If we can find better practices, than doctors have to be able to learn and be part of the solution.

Nurses provide extraordinary care. They are the front lines of the health care system. The notion that we would have to import nurses makes absolutely no sense.

A distinction between short term costs and long terms costs. We can't expand coverage on the front end without some money. We won't save money in year 1 or 2, but in year 10, 15, or 20. We need to focus on the long term. That creates a difficult political task. Nothing is harder than doing something now that costs money that will gain benefits 20 years from now. There should be enough money in the system, we spend more than any country on earth. We need to find that American solution that mixes public and private.

Unknown: The elimination of racial and ethnic health disparities should be a core point of whatever health care reform you enact.

Obama: That's important, and an example of where there is some data out there that's indisputable.

All of the groups here need to stay involved. We will generate a report or summery of the comments that will be distributed. Pelosi, Reid, McConnell, and Boehner are interested in moving a process forward. I've got some strong ideas, and the White House will provide guideposts and guidelines on what we can afford to do and how best to do it. But we don't have a monopoly on these ideas. We will work with all of you.

There's been some talk about the notion of maybe we're taking on too much, that we're in the midst of an economic crisis, the system is overloaded, we should put this off for another day. Let's be clear, when times were good, we didn't get it done. When we were in mild recessions we didn't get it done. There's always a reason not to do it. Now is exactly the time for us to deal with this problem. The American people are looking for solutions, business is looking for solutions, and government, state, federal, and local, need solutions. There is no better time than no, and what better cause for us to take up? Imagine the pride when we go back to our constituencies next year and say we did something on health care.