The Status Quo Is Unsustainable
If we fail to act, one out of every five dollars we earn will be spent on health care within a decade. And in 30 years, it will be about one out of every three -- a trend that will mean lost jobs, lower take-home pay, shuttered businesses, and a lower standard of living for all Americans.And if we fail to act, federal spending on Medicaid and Medicare will grow over the coming decades by an amount almost equal to the amount our government currently spends on our nation's defense. It will, in fact, eventually grow larger than what our government spends on anything else today. It's a scenario that will swamp our federal and state budgets, and impose a vicious choice of either unprecedented tax hikes, or overwhelming deficits, or drastic cuts in our federal and state budgets.
So to say it as plainly as I can, health care is the single most important thing we can do for America's long-term fiscal health. That is a fact.
In addition to the economic necessity for health care reform, the President also expressed the moral imperative:
It is simply this: We are not a nation that accepts nearly 46 million uninsured men, women, and children. We are not a nation that lets hardworking families go without the coverage they deserve; or turns its back on those in need. We are a nation that cares for its citizens. We are a people who look out for one another. That is what makes this the United States of America.
Speaker Pelosi on President Obama's speech:
President Obama made a clear and compelling case today for how the Administration and Congress are working together on a uniquely American solution for quality, affordable health care right now. As the President said, American families and businesses cannot afford for us to fail. Fixing health care is the single best way to improve our nation's fiscal future--and is critical to our economic recovery.We will reduce your health care costs, offer more choices, provide more security and peace of mind, and refocus our system on quality, patient-centered care. As part of this reform, Americans who like their health plan and their doctor now can keep that plan and that doctor. Americans who need more affordable care will be able to choose a plan they can afford and that meets their needs. And as the President said, one of those options needs to be a public plan.
We will end a system that locks Americans into their jobs to keep their health coverage, or that denies coverage based on pre-existing conditions. We will better inform and empower doctors and nurses to make decisions that meet their patients' individual needs, and make prevention and wellness care the foundation for a healthier America.