In the effort to overhaul the nation’s health care system, every voice will be heard and every idea will be considered, President Obama said in his recent address to lawmakers, hospital and health care officials, lobbyists, insurance representatives, and patient advocates at a White House summit on health care reform. "The status quo is the one option that is not on the table," he said.
To bring down costs the nation must modernize its system, invest in prevention, and eliminate waste and abuse. Health care reform must put an end to overcharging for prescription medication and discriminating against pre-existing conditions. He said that an inclusive and transparent system is needed to translate these goals into policy.
"Each of us must accept that none of us will get everything that we want," Obama said. "No proposal for reform will be perfect. If that’s the measure, we will never get anything done."
Obama thanked the more than 30,000 Americans who held more than 3,000 community meetings to discuss reform. He also spoke of the "desperation" that many American’s are currently facing. "They’ve not been forgotten. They are why we are here today."
The president has nominated Kansas Gov Kathleen Sebelius for Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Sebelius is serving her second term as governor and served for 8 years as state insurance commissioner. If confirmed, Sebelius will work closely with the new director of the White House Office of Health Reform, Nancy-Ann DeParle, and play a major role in the administration’s effort to reform the health care system this year.
[Source: American Physical Therapy Association]
