Speaking to a roomful of health professionals yesterday, President Obama finally... FINALLY!... expressed specific support for what he termed "my proposal" for health care reform.

Per President Obama, his proposal incorporates ideas from both Democratic and Republican legislators, and "gives Americans more control over their health insurance and their health care by holding insurance companies more accountable." Railed the President:

"I don't believe we should give government bureaucrats or insurance company bureaucrats more control over health care in America...

"I don't believe we can afford to leave life-and-death decisions about health care to the discretion of insurance company executives alone. I believe that doctors and nurses and physician assistants like the ones in this room should be free to decide what's best for their patients."

The President believes that his health care reform proposal changes the current system in three vital ways:

• By ending certain insurance industry practices such as pre-existing conditions to deny coverage
• By giving coverage to 30 million uninsured Americans
• By bringing "down the cost of health care for millions -- (for) families, businesses, and the federal government."

Essentially, President Obama's proposal is the health care plan passed by the U.S. Senate in December 2009, but modified for certain elements in the more liberal House plan and incorporating a few Republican suggestions on fraud protections, malpractice compensation, and higher Medicaid payments for doctors.

In the next few days, I will address the politics and timeline of passing President Obama's health care reform plan.

Right now, take the time to absorb proposal details at Obama Urges Final Passage of Health Care Reform Bill... as I firmly believe President Obama will find a way to get his way: this plan WILL become the law of the land in 2010.

Obama Urges Passage of "My Proposal" for Health Care Reform originally appeared on About.com US Liberal Politics on Thursday, March 4th, 2010 at 14:50:19.

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