Washington (CNN) — President Obama on Tuesday signed into law a sweeping health care reform bill, the nation’s most substantial social legislation in four decades, achieving a top priority of his administration.

Greeted by applause from enthusiastic supporters, he said, “Today after almost a century of trying; today, after over a year of debate; today, after all the votes have been tallied, health insurance reform becomes law in the United States of America.”

The president said he is confident the Senate will improve the health care reform law swiftly. He said some health care reforms will take some time to phase in, but others will “take effect right away.”

Obama introduced the widow of the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, who championed health care reform. “It’s fitting that Ted’s widow Vicki is here, and his niece, Caroline, his son, Patrick, whose vote helped make this health care reform a reality.” Patrick Kennedy is a congressman from Rhode Island.
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President Obama signs health care reform into law

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is trying to persuade a weary public and wavering Democrats to get behind his frantic, late-stage push on health care, while Republicans dig in and demand starting from scratch after a year’s worth of work.

“Now, despite all the progress and improvements we’ve made, Republicans in Congress insist that the only acceptable course on health care is to start over. But you know what? The insurance companies aren’t starting over,” Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address Saturday.

“I just met with some of them on Thursday, and they couldn’t give me a straight answer as to why they keep arbitrarily and massively raising premiums — by as much as 60 percent in states like Illinois. If we do not act, they will continue to do this.”

Republicans were not swayed.

“It’s not too late: We can, and we must, stop this government takeover of health care,” said Rep. Parker Griffith, a retired physician and a first-term congressman from Alabama who switched parties in December and delivered the GOP message.

The competing addresses underscored the urgency behind Obama’s last-ditch push for immediate health care reform. Without a victory — and quickly — Democrats move into a fast-approaching election season without a major, tangible accomplishment that affects voters’ pocketbooks. And with a chasm remaining between the two parties, Democrats considered passing the overhaul with votes just from their party.

That process would let the 59 Senate Democrats declare victory with a simple majority instead of a 60-vote count. It also would allow Obama’s team to get back to talking about the economy, which has shed more than 8 million jobs since the recession began.

Obama is pleading with Democrats to overcome divisions to seize a historic moment to remake the health care system during this election year. The White House wants to pass a health care overhaul and then campaign on it. Voters will pick candidates to serve 36 Senate seats; the entire House is up for re-election.

White House officials hope the immediate changes in the health overhaul would be enough to satisfy voters’ expectations — and Democratic lawmakers who were hardly unified in support of the plan.

If Democrats pass the plan, voters would find greater consumer protections and a ban on discriminating against customers with previous ailments. Small businesses would receive a tax credit this year, insurance companies would no longer be able to drop patients’ coverage if they become sick, and plans would be required to offer free preventive care to customers.

Griffith said leaders of the Democratic Party he left last year were missing the point.

“For them, health care reform has become less about the best reforms and more about what best fits their ‘Washington knows best’ mentality — less about helping patients and more about scoring political points,” he said. “This is no idle observation. I’ve witnessed it firsthand.
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Obama turns up heat for health care overhaul plan

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Obama took charge of the health care debate on the 399th day of his presidency Monday by proposing a 10-year, $950 billion plan opposed by Republicans and not yet endorsed by Democrats.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs called it “a starting point” for bipartisan debate at a health care summit Obama will lead on Thursday. But within minutes, Republicans in Congress denounced the plan, which is designed to reduce health care costs and expand coverage to 31 million people.

“The well has been poisoned,” said Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H. “Mixing two bad bills together doesn’t make a good bill.”

SEEKING COMPROMISE: Obama’s health care bill revision
THE OVAL: Plan combines Senate and House bills

It’s uncertain whether Democrats can pass the plan in an election year, even if they impose procedures to prevent Republicans from blocking Senate action. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and other leaders sounded positive, but left unclear is whether enough moderate Democrats facing tough re-election races would support it.

“This is sort of the last, best hope for enacting the bill,” said Robert Greenstein, executive director of the liberal Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. “It’s now about to be a very exciting spectator sport. It is neither a slam dunk, nor is it hopeless.”

Obama’s plan is a compromise between Democratic bills that narrowly passed the House in November and the Senate on Dec. 24. Merging the two was delayed a month after Republican Scott Brown’s upset election to the Senate from Massachusetts, which cost Democrats the supermajority needed to pass the bill’s earlier version.

“This is the president putting forward what was the emerging consensus when they still had 60 votes,” said Diane Rowland of the non-partisan Kaiser Family Foundation.

Obama’s proposal would expand Medicaid for the poor and offer tax credits to middle-income people who would have to buy insurance. It tries to contain costs by taxing expensive health policies and slowing the growth of Medicare. It would prevent insurance companies from denying coverage because of pre-existing conditions.

Some of the changes would increase subsidies to make insurance more affordable, delay the tax on high-cost plans until 2018 and give the government power to block rate increases.

Barring support from Republicans, the White House hopes to use a legislative tactic that would require only 51 votes for passage in the Senate, where Democrats still control 59 votes.

“The president expects and believes the American people deserve an up-or-down vote on health reform,” said White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer. “Our proposal is designed to give ourselves maximum flexibility.”

Even if Obama can win 51 votes in the Senate, House passage is uncertain. He dropped moderate Democratic Rep. Bart Stupak’s provision barring the use of federal subsidies to pay for abortions. He also included more taxes and fees to pay for higher spending.

Democratic Whip James Clyburn said with Obama’s changes, “we’ve got a much better atmosphere in the House to get it more than 218 votes.”

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

President Obama Declaring that the “time for bickering is over,” sought to revive the prospects for the passage of far-reaching health-care reform by seizing ownership Wednesday night of an initiative he has largely left in lawmakers’ hands.

Obama “The time for games has passed,” the president said of his signature domestic policy issue. “Now is the season for action.”

WASHINGTON — Concerned that the president might be ready to negotiate away one of their key goals, liberal Democrats pressed President Barack Obama on Monday to resist conservative opposition and maintain support for a government insurance option as part of his health care overhaul.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called the proposal to make government insurance available to many Americans “the best option to lower costs, improve the quality of health care, ensure choice and expand coverage.”

She stressed that the House of Representatives is solidly behind the idea of a government insurance program, strongly suggesting that any new plan without such a program would have a hard time passing. “There is strong support in the House for a public option,” she said in a statement. “In the House, all three of our bills contain a public option.”

Howard Dean, a physician and the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said flatly: “I don’t think it can pass without the public option.”

“There are too many people who understand, including the president himself, the public option is absolutely linked to reform,” he added during an appearance on CBS. “You can’t have reform without a public option.”

Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., said it appeared that as Obama moved toward satisfying Senate centrists, he’d lose as many as 100 House members in the process and likely kill any chance of a health care overhaul.

“The president does seem like he’s moving away from the public plan,” Weiner said Monday on CNBC. “If he does, he’s not going to pass a bill. … There’s probably a hundred members of the House who believe for various reasons that you need to have something to bring down prices. … If the president thinks he’s cutting a deal to get Senate votes, he’s probably losing House votes.”

The liberal concerns came after a weekend in which Obama appeared to open the door to dropping the controversial proposal if necessary to win more votes in Congress from legislators at the political center.

Obama told a town hall meeting that the proposal was “just a sliver” of an overhaul. “Whether we have it or we don’t have it,” he said, it’s “not the entirety of health care reform.”

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs followed Sunday morning, saying that Obama still thought that the option “is the best way to provide choice and competition.” He added, though, that “the president will be satisfied” if the plan includes any other way to deliver choice and competition.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius also said Sunday that government insurance was “not the essential element” of an overhaul, and that one Senate proposal to create nonprofit cooperatives could be an alternative way of competing with insurance companies to drive down costs.

On Monday afternoon, Gibbs said the comments by the president and his staff were misunderstood. Obama, he said, still preferred a public option but has always been open to other alternatives.

Many Democrats want to create a federal government health-insurance program and make it available as an option to small business and to Americans who earn up to $43,000 annually and families of four that make $88,000. Supporters see it as a way of competing with private insurance companies to drive down costs, but critics say that a government program would have an unfair advantage because it wouldn’t have to make a profit.
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Liberal Democrats press Obama for public option’ in health care bill

8 Reasons We Need Health Insurance Reform Now

1. Coverage Denied to Millions: A recent national survey estimated that 12.6 million non-elderly adults – 36 percent of those who tried to purchase health insurance directly from an insurance company in the individual insurance market – were in fact discriminated against because of a pre-existing condition in the previous three years or dropped from coverage when they became seriously ill. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/denied_coverage/index.html
2. Less Care for More Costs: With each passing year, Americans are paying more for health care coverage. Employer-sponsored health insurance premiums have nearly doubled since 2000, a rate three times faster than wages. In 2008, the average premium for a family plan purchased through an employer was $12,680, nearly the annual earnings of a full-time minimum wage job.  Americans pay more than ever for health insurance, but get less coverage. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/hiddencosts/index.html
3. Roadblocks to Care for Women: Women’s reproductive health requires more regular contact with health care providers, including yearly pap smears, mammograms, and obstetric care. Women are also more likely to report fair or poor health than men (9.5% versus 9.0%). While rates of chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure are similar to men, women are twice as likely to suffer from headaches and are more likely to experience joint, back or neck pain. These chronic conditions often require regular and frequent treatment and follow-up care. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/women/index.html
4. Hard Times in the Heartland: Throughout rural America, there are nearly 50 million people who face challenges in accessing health care. The past several decades have consistently shown higher rates of poverty, mortality, uninsurance, and limited access to a primary health care provider in rural areas. With the recent economic downturn, there is potential for an increase in many of the health disparities and access concerns that are already elevated in rural communities. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/hardtimes
5. Small Businesses Struggle to Provide Health Coverage: Nearly one-third of the uninsured – 13 million people – are employees of firms with less than 100 workers. From 2000 to 2007, the proportion of non-elderly Americans covered by employer-based health insurance fell from 66% to 61%. Much of this decline stems from small business. The percentage of small businesses offering coverage dropped from 68% to 59%, while large firms held stable at 99%. About a third of such workers in firms with fewer than 50 employees obtain insurance through a spouse. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/helpbottomline
6. The Tragedies are Personal: Half of all personal bankruptcies are at least partly the result of medical expenses. The typical elderly couple may have to save nearly $300,000 to pay for health costs not covered by Medicare alone. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/inaction
7. Diminishing Access to Care: From 2000 to 2007, the proportion of non-elderly Americans covered by employer-based health insurance fell from 66% to 61%. An estimated 87 million people – one in every three Americans under the age of 65 – were uninsured at some point in 2007 and 2008. More than 80% of the uninsured are in working families. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/inaction/diminishing/index.html
8. The Trends are Troubling: Without reform, health care costs will continue to skyrocket unabated, putting unbearable strain on families, businesses, and state and federal government budgets. Perhaps the most visible sign of the need for health care reform is the 46 million Americans currently without health insurance – projections suggest that this number will rise to about 72 million in 2040 in the absence of reform. Learn more: http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/assets/documents/CEA_Health_Care_Report.pdf

8 common myths about health insurance reform

1. Reform will stop “rationing” – not increase it: It’s a myth that reform will mean a “government takeover” of health care or lead to “rationing.” To the contrary, reform will forbid many forms of rationing that are currently being used by insurance companies.
2. We can’t afford reform: It’s the status quo we can’t afford. It’s a myth that reform will bust the budget. To the contrary, the President has identified ways to pay for the vast majority of the up-front costs by cutting waste, fraud, and abuse within existing government health programs; ending big subsidies to insurance companies; and increasing efficiency with such steps as coordinating care and streamlining paperwork. In the long term, reform can help bring down costs that will otherwise lead to a fiscal crisis.
3. Reform would encourage “euthanasia”: It does not. It’s a malicious myth that reform would encourage or even require euthanasia for seniors. For seniors who want to consult with their family and physicians about end-of life decisions, reform will help to cover these voluntary, private consultations for those who want help with these personal and difficult family decisions.
4. Vets’ health care is safe and sound: It’s a myth that health insurance reform will affect veterans’ access to the care they get now. To the contrary, the President’s budget significantly expands coverage under the VA, extending care to 500,000 more veterans who were previously excluded. The VA Healthcare system will continue to be available for all eligible veterans.
5. Reform will benefit small business – not burden it: It’s a myth that health insurance reform will hurt small businesses. To the contrary, reform will ease the burdens on small businesses, provide tax credits to help them pay for employee coverage and help level the playing field with big firms who pay much less to cover their employees on average.
6. Your Medicare is safe, and stronger with reform: It’s myth that Health Insurance Reform would be financed by cutting Medicare benefits. To the contrary, reform will improve the long-term financial health of Medicare, ensure better coordination, eliminate waste and unnecessary subsidies to insurance companies, and help to close the Medicare “doughnut” hole to make prescription drugs more affordable for seniors.
7. You can keep your own insurance: It’s myth that reform will force you out of your current insurance plan or force you to change doctors. To the contrary, reform will expand your choices, not eliminate them.
8. No, government will not do anything with your bank account: It is an absurd myth that government will be in charge of your bank accounts.  Health insurance reform will simplify administration, making it easier and more convenient for you to pay bills in a method that you choose.  Just like paying a phone bill or a utility bill, you can pay by traditional check, or by a direct electronic payment. And forms will be standardized so they will be easier to understand. The choice is up to you – and the same rules of privacy will apply as they do for all other electronic payments that people make.

Learn more and get details:
http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/realitycheck
http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/realitycheck/faq

8 ways reform provides security and stability to those with or without coverage

1. Ends Discrimination for Pre-Existing Conditions: Insurance companies will be prohibited from refusing you coverage because of your medical history.
2. Ends Exorbitant Out-of-Pocket Expenses, Deductibles or Co-Pays: Insurance companies will have to abide by yearly caps on how much they can charge for out-of-pocket expenses.
3. Ends Cost-Sharing for Preventive Care: Insurance companies must fully cover, without charge, regular checkups and tests that help you prevent illness, such as mammograms or eye and foot exams for diabetics.
4. Ends Dropping of Coverage for Seriously Ill: Insurance companies will be prohibited from dropping or watering down insurance coverage for those who become seriously ill.
5. Ends Gender Discrimination: Insurance companies will be prohibited from charging you more because of your gender.
6. Ends Annual or Lifetime Caps on Coverage: Insurance companies will be prevented from placing annual or lifetime caps on the coverage you receive.
7. Extends Coverage for Young Adults: Children would continue to be eligible for family coverage through the age of 26.
8. Guarantees Insurance Renewal: Insurance companies will be required to renew any policy as long as the policyholder pays their premium in full. Insurance companies won’t be allowed to refuse renewal because someone became sick.

Learn more and get details: http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/health-insurance-consumer-protections/