News tagged with 'President Obama'

President Obama went out on a limb when he promised people would be able to keep their current health plans, now comes the hard work of hammering out the details.

The public option, considered a key to health care reform, that would force insurance giants to become more competitive, appears to be in critical condition as the administration now appears to be backing insurance co-operatives as an alternative.

Health care reform in the U.S. is heating up with three bills being considered by Congress and President Obama addressing the nation tonight. Requiring everyone to purchase insurance is a common thread, while a system that eliminates insurance companies as middle men is advocated by many physicians, including the president's former physician. 

President Obama has nominated Dr. Regina Benjamin to be the surgeon general. Her background is in delivering health care to rural areas even remortgaging her home to finance a clinic. She must be confirmed by the Senate.  

Breaking with the business community, Wal-Mart is backing President Obama’s plan to require employer-back health insurance coverage for all employees. The nation's largest retailer currently employs 1.4 million in the U.S.

Comcast, the largest cable-television corporation, has pulled ads critical of General Motors bankruptcy plan that leaves injured consumers or their survivors uncompensated.  The media giant says it wants to check them for accuracy, even though the New Chrysler required it be "free and clear of all liens and claims” as a condition of bankruptcy. 

Big Insurance has issued a strong statement opposing the public health insurance option. In a letter to Sen. Edward Kennedy, the companies say a public plan would dismantle employer-based coverage. Meanwhile, an insurance whistleblower will testify Wednesday about the abuses he's seen by insurance executives at the expense of consumers. 

The only agreement in recent years has been that health care costs are not sustainable and cannot continue to rise.  Look to efficiency to be the buzzword as the Obama administration meets with a wide range of players on how to trim $2 trillion from the U.S. health care system over the next 10 years.