Health Care Reform

Obama has called for Congress to pass health care reform, a key campaign promise and a top legislative goal. He has proposed an expansion of health insurance coverage to cover the uninsured. His proposal would spend $900 billion over 10 years and include a government insurance plan (option) to compete with the private sector. It would also make it illegal for insurers to drop sick people or deny them coverage for pre-existing conditions, and require every American carry health coverage. The plan also includes medical spending cuts and taxes on insurance companies that offer expensive plans.

On July 14, 2009, House Democratic leaders introduced a 1,017 page plan for overhauling the US health care system, which Obama wanted Congress to approve by the end of 2009. Obama supported a public health insurance option as a main component to lowering costs and improving quality in the health care sector. After much public debate during the Congressional summer recess of 2009, Obama delivered a speech to a joint session of Congress on September 9 where he addressed concerns over his administration’s proposals.

On November 7, 2009, a health care bill was passed in the House after the inclusion of an amendment written by Republican Joseph R. Pitts and Democrat Bart Stupak that would disallow insurance companies from covering abortion for women who pay their premiums with their own money if other people pay for the same plan with any government subsidies. On December 24, 2009, a version of the bill was passed in the Senate on a party-line vote of 60-39.