Obama Tries to Fine Tune Health Care Message
EmailABC News' Rachel Martin reports: If the President came to Portsmouth New Hampshire today armed and ready for a knock down drag 'em out fight on health care – akin to the congressional town halls of late – he didn't get it. The high school gymnasium was packed and the President answered nine questions but there wasn't a heckler in sight and even the skeptics in the crowd were well behaved and even deferential – a far cry from the scene outside the high school.
Hundreds of people carried signs protesting health care reform and attacked the president himself with depictions of Obama as Hitler and slogans like "No Government Takeover of Health Care". There were probably an equal number of supporters lining the street as well, trying to out-chant the competition and carrying signs like "Euthanize Ignorance". It was the biggest and most vocal crowd yet to turn out at one of the President's health care town halls.
The President's opening remarks focused on a new streamlined message. Trying to cut through some of the confusion over the five house bills floating around Capitol Hill, Obama today honed in on three primary reforms: preventing health care insurance denials because of pre-existing conditions, scaling down out-of-pocket expenses and making sure patients don't lose their insurance when they are sick. It's the first of three health care town halls the President will hold this week as the administration tries to step up its offensive on health care reform.
At the outset of the q&a the President referenced the recent chaos at congressional town halls and confusion over the facts and fiction of the health care reform bill.
"Where we do disagree, let's disagree over things that are real, not these wild misrepresentations that bear no resemblance to anything that's actually been proposed" he said. Because the way politics works sometimes is that people who want to keep things the way they are will try to scare the heck out of folks, and they'll create bogeymen out there that just aren't real."
The President seemed anxious to tackle some of the rhetoric circulating about reform plans, including a criticism by Sarah Palin who wrote on Facebook recently that she feared an "Obama death panel" that would decide who gets treatment and who doesn’t. When Obama called on high school student, Julia Hall, who commented on the "mean signs" about health care reform being waved about outside by protesters, the President pivoted and took it upon himself to explain the confusion over the provision in the House bill that would let Medicare cover consultations on end of care issues.
"The rumor that's been circulating a lot lately is this idea that somehow the House of Representatives voted for death panels that will basically pull the plug on Grandma…I am not in favor of that."
But the President may have overstated support for his plan in one instance. When asked about the potential impact of the reform plan on Medicare, the President said, "The AARP would not be endorsing a bill if it was undermining Medicare." Problem is – the AARP has not yet endorsed the plan. The New Hampshire head of the AARP chapter here told ABC's Lisa Chinn today that the AARP hasn't yet made up its mind as an organization whether to endorse the bill.
After a few soft ball questions, the President said he wanted to talk explicitly to skeptics. He did get one. Republican Ben Hershenson asked Obama if he was at his core, in favor of a single-payer system and he raised concerns about how a so-called public option could suffocate the private health insurance industry. Obama said he didn't support a single-payer option and he believes the public option won't cripple the private market.
After the town hall, Hershenson told ABC he still has doubts. "The cost factor…how do you maintain benefits without somehow rationing? I don't understand how he can do it."
When asked if he would pass health care without bi-partisan support, the President said this, "I think we have to get it done. My hope is that we do it in a bi- partisan fashion but most important, is to get it done."
At one point near the end Obama said he wanted to find someone who had a bone to pick over health care reform, because he wanted to be sure to dispel any perception that the audience was filled with "plants."
So where were all the protesters? Even White House spokesman Robert Gibbs yesterday said the President was ready for a "spirited" debate on the issue. But there was not a heckler in sight. The White House insisted that none of the attendees were pre-screened, although many people who spoke to ABC said they got their tickets through their local lawmakers or through a White House lottery at whitehouse.gov.
If the President wanted to hear fighting words, he should have taken a walk outside. Throughout the town hall, hundreds of protesters rallied outside in a carnival atmosphere complete with bongos, balloons and megaphones. But the President didn't see that scene – his motorcade took the back road on the way in and on the way out.
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What a flat out LIAR Obama is!
Obama today: “I have not said that I am a supporter of a single-payer system…”
Obama at a town hall in front of 1,800 people on 8/19/08 : “If I were designing a system from scratch, I would probably go ahead with a single-payer system…”
So not only was his position on single payer in 2008 consistent with the video of his position in 2003, he somehow thinks that we are too stupid to realize he is either changing his position or lying to our face about it now.
Posted by: Mike in Costa Mesa | August 11, 2009, 5:23 pm 5:23 pm
If you hear obama at the town hall, you still came away with more questions from his answers.
Case in point:
Question: from the young man, asking how they going to pay for the plan and will they raise taxes?
Obama mentioned how they would create savings of about 60 billion a year (of a 100 billion a year cost for the health plan). But then he never explained how he is going to get the other 40 billion dollars to pay for the plan, but went on his high horse of not taxing families below 250k. What is this, the campaign???
Second moment when the lady asked Obama a bunch of questions INCLUDING, how will the current number of doctors/nurses/health professions service 38 million NEW patients from the plan. A big dougnut. Nothing. He had no answer.
Listen to your eyes, and think people. If you think that all this stuff will be paid for and be ‘budget neutral” (obama’s favorite saying), you guys are being really silly. 38 million new patients to healthcare, someone has to pay. And its going to be us.
Posted by: cpasux | August 11, 2009, 5:35 pm 5:35 pm
Why must Obama lie? We have all heard him say that he supported a single-payer system. Many times. It’s been recorded and played over and over again. Why can’t he just say, “I did support the single-payer system and now I don’t” Why must he lie to us?
Posted by: mesquito | August 11, 2009, 5:37 pm 5:37 pm
Talk about fishy…
What a tough townhall for Obama.
People chanted “Yes We Can” and a kid asked why people outside carried mean signs.
Compare all the other townhalls to Obama’s.
He’s a joke in so many ways.
It’s no wonder he’s losing credibility.
Posted by: max | August 11, 2009, 5:39 pm 5:39 pm
For the WH to say Obama’s townhall wasn’t staged is another insult to our intelligence.
They just don’t get it.
Posted by: larry | August 11, 2009, 5:43 pm 5:43 pm
“Obama today honed in on three primary reforms: preventing health care insurance denials because of pre-existing conditions, scaling down out-of-pocket expenses and making sure patients don’t lose their insurance when they are sick.”
The first and third are very easy to fix, and could be done with far less than 1000+ pages. Of course, insurance companies would go broke unless these two items are simultaneously combined with a mandate for universal, or near universal coverage. This is where things get tricky, because a lot of the uninsured are young, healthy adults who would rather pay for their cell phone plans than basic, catastrophic health insurance. They especially don’t want to have to pay more than the $100 or so per month it would cost them to voluntarily purchase a plan in today’s market in order to subsidize older and sicker people.
I’m not sure I understand the reference to scaling down out of pocket costs. Health insurance math is pretty simple. The more you scale down out of pocket costs, the higher the premiums you have to pay. Either that, or care is rationed. I’d certainly like to hear Obama ‘splaining which one he favors.
Posted by: Bridget | August 11, 2009, 5:43 pm 5:43 pm
Just who is the “Boogey Man” obama refered to today?
Posted by: ZK | August 11, 2009, 5:43 pm 5:43 pm
This health plan needs to be put to rest. There is no reason that 83% of
the public should have their insurance private insurance taken away by the government. Who asked for a national health plan at all. I think that Obama better stick to what kinds of insurance that the government already legally runs and quit sticking his nose into our private insurance.
Posted by: elainekramer | August 11, 2009, 5:44 pm 5:44 pm
Obama spoke of three operations- Fedex, UPS and the US Post Office. He cleaarly stated that it was the USPS that was always in trouble.
And which one is government operated?
THE ONE ALWAYS IN TROUBLE
Someone forgot his teleprompter!
Barry, this was one heck of a reason NOT to let you control health care. Obama will do for health care as the Post Office does for itself.
He said so.
Sooner or later the truth was bound spill out.
Posted by: drjohn | August 11, 2009, 5:45 pm 5:45 pm
Most of us know that Medicare will go bust. Too many promises or too little money or both and it will not get better on its own. However, there has been nobody that has explained how taking billions from medicare and putting it into a another Government ran program without cutting someone elses healthcare? In addition if this is such a good idea why are our representatives and apparently some unions exempt from the plan? If one is happy with their plan they can keep it but if current plans can’t change or add new people how do those plans stay in business?(They don’t)
Making health insurance affordable is important but Government does not seem to be the answer. Our President needs to surround himself with people in the business and not with science fiction writers.
Posted by: david | August 11, 2009, 5:46 pm 5:46 pm
Bridget
You’re on target.
“preventing health care insurance denials because of pre-existing conditions, scaling down out-of-pocket expenses and making sure patients don’t lose their insurance when they are sick.”
These are incompatible with cost reduction without strict rationing or enormous increases in taxes.
It is a LIE.
Also- if there is the slightest change in your plan, you won’t be able to keep it. This Obama also lies about that. even the NY Times notes it.
Posted by: drjohn | August 11, 2009, 5:48 pm 5:48 pm
In the health care plan, Democrats want to raise your kids too……..
It’s outlined in sections 440 and 1904 of the House bill (Page 838), under the heading “home visitation programs for families with young children and families expecting children.” The programs (provided via grants to states) would educate parents on child behavior and parenting skills. The bill says that the government agents, “well-trained and competent staff,” would “provide parents with knowledge of age-appropriate child development in cognitive, language, social, emotional, and motor domains … modeling, consulting, and coaching on parenting practices,” and “skills to interact with their child to enhance age-appropriate development.”
Posted by: Tammy | August 11, 2009, 5:49 pm 5:49 pm
Obama also said “the public option has to be self-sustaining.”
Earth to Obama:
NONE OF IT IS SELF-SUSTAINING.
It’s ALL tax funded.
I don’t know how news people fail to grasp and note any of this.
Posted by: drjohn | August 11, 2009, 5:51 pm 5:51 pm
As outlined in 440 & 1904 – page 838, who will be doing the re education of our children?
Could ACORN be involved?
Posted by: ZK | August 11, 2009, 5:58 pm 5:58 pm
Jack
You ever wonder how much health care Obama could provide with the billions he handed over to AIG in bonuses?
Posted by: drjohn | August 11, 2009, 5:59 pm 5:59 pm
“Obama also said “the public option has to be self-sustaining.”
Earth to Obama:
NONE OF IT IS SELF-SUSTAINING.
It’s ALL tax funded.
I don’t know how news people fail to grasp and note any of this.”
Posted by: drjohn | Aug 11, 2009 5:51:04 PM
I still can’t believe he said it. With a straight face, no less.
Posted by: Bridget | August 11, 2009, 6:00 pm 6:00 pm
jack smith – where are you getting your make believe numbers from? They sure aren’t from the polls released this past week. The fact of the matter is that Republicans can’t block anything right now. If the health care bills coming out of the house and senate are what congress wants, then they should just go ahead and ram them through like they did with the stimulus and stop blaming Republicans for holding this up. What are you waiting for? All the crying and whining in the world about Republicans and Astroturf should not matter whatsoever to you if you really believe in the bills you are trying to scare people into passing immediately. So what’s REALLY bothering you? The fact that many DEMOCRATS are not on board with this health care coups.
The figures never lie but liars sure can figure.
Posted by: Mike in Costa Mesa | August 11, 2009, 6:02 pm 6:02 pm
How dare they release a document like the House bill without clear statements in plain English about what the bill would do?
I am serious. How DARE they give that monstrosity that contains amendments to existing laws that the reader knows little about?
Nothing is said straightforwardly in that bill.
How dare they try to cram a program down our throats without telling us what is IN it and what it will actually DO?
How dare they??????
It’s no wonder misunderstandings were the result. When a section says “shall” do something, people are going to read that as something MANDATORY. There is nothing in the bill that says otherwise.
Shame on the incompetent people in Washington — ALL of them. Special mention for the pres/congressional leadership.
Posted by: tanarg | August 11, 2009, 6:24 pm 6:24 pm
Health care insurance reform needs to be done intelligently. The farce going on now reflects that the Obama machine did not approach this task intelligently at all.
Real reform that benefits everyone needs to be deliberated over for more than a few weeks. And what is given to the public to read in order to learn what the proposals actually are cannot be in the dismal shape the House bill is in.
Whatever is made public has to be readable and understandable. It is outrageous that what we have been given is a monstrosity that cannot be read as a stand-alone document. Instead, it is filled with amendments to existing laws. The reader becomes easily lost.
But discussion of health care insurance reform needs to take place over months, not weeks. Rushing this kind of thing is simply not very smart. It is very stupid.
Posted by: tanarg | August 11, 2009, 7:01 pm 7:01 pm
If you would be honest and say the townhall was stacked with Pres. Obama supporter, then we could believe that for ONCE you actually report the truth.
Pres. obama could not handle people who disagree with his agenda and he needed this for his EGO. And the evening news tells the american people that this was an unbiased group. Were your legs tingling when he spoke???????????
Posted by: Lizzie | August 11, 2009, 7:08 pm 7:08 pm
How do you know when Obama is lying? He only lies when his lips are moving!
All this stuff does not make any sense and does not pass the sniff test. People KNOW that he can’t do what he is saying. People KNOW that the bills in front of Congress bear no resemblance in the slightest to the promises he is making here, nor to the promises he made on the campaign. People KNOW that this is merely a power grab by the power elite. People KNOW that we have the greatest healthcare system in the world. People KNOW that these bills will kill it. People KNOW that 1000 page bills that are horrible at saying exactly what they mean are BAD GOVERNMENT. People KNOW that the Federal Government has too much power already. Why is it then that people are stupid enough to vote for these scallywags?
We need to get back to the Federal Government that the framers intended. That will require a radical change.
Do you have the guts for that?
Posted by: Medbob | August 11, 2009, 7:08 pm 7:08 pm
The little girl who asked the second question at the town hall (the one about seeing ‘mean signs’ outside), was obviously a plant. Her Mom (sitting next to her) is a huge Obama supporter and so is her law firm.
Posted by: Elaina | August 11, 2009, 8:01 pm 8:01 pm
Today’s event showed what a disconnect there is between the screaming mobs against health care and most rational Americans.
Posted by: matt | August 11, 2009, 8:06 pm 8:06 pm
Obama just making stuff up to sound good–and clueless lemmings believe him.
AARP has not officially endorsed BO.
But it sure sounds good to help convince granny to believe him.
I don’t think the elderly are as naive as Obama is hoping they are.
Posted by: tyler | August 11, 2009, 8:16 pm 8:16 pm
David Letterman is probably going to make fun of that little girl who asked the set up question… Wha? No?
Posted by: Don't Tread on Me! | August 11, 2009, 9:23 pm 9:23 pm
OBAMA: “Under the reform we’re proposing, if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. If you like your healthcare plan, you can keep your healthcare plan.”
At least one of the healthcare plans being discussed will assess a fee of 8% of the total payroll if employers don’t insure (or drop current insurance) for their employees.
According to information on the National Coalition on Health Care website, the annual premium for an employee health plan covering a family of four averaged nearly $12,700. The annual premium for single coverage averaged over $4,700.
So IF an employer has 20 employees making an average of $50,000, half with the family plan and half with single coverage, based on the above figures that would be a total cost for one year of around $174,000. That would amount to 17.4% of the annual payroll of $1,000,000. As you can see it would be A WHOLE LOT CHEAPER for the employer to just pay the 8% fee and drop healthcare coverage for his employees.
Posted by: James Danley | August 11, 2009, 10:28 pm 10:28 pm
OBAMA: “Under the reform we’re proposing, if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. If you like your healthcare plan, you can keep your healthcare plan.”
Question for the President: If a person’s health care plan is through an employer and the employer decides to stop health care coverage, how does the employee get to “keep” their coverage?
Posted by: Hal Meeks | August 11, 2009, 11:29 pm 11:29 pm
Hal Meeks,
As far as I can tell….
The idea that you can keep you health plan if you like it is another lie:
It certainly appears to be the case that after five years, ALL plans have to have government approval (p. 17):
(b) GRACE PERIOD FOR CURRENT EMPLOYMENT BASED HEALTH PLANS.—
(1) GRACE PERIOD.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Commissioner
shall establish a grace period whereby, for plan years beginning after the end of the 5-year period beginning with Y1, an employment-based health plan in operation as of the day before the first day of Y1 must meet the same require ments as apply to a qualified health benefits plan under section 101, including the essential benefit package requirement under section 121.
Posted by: tanarg | August 12, 2009, 12:05 am 12:05 am
Question: Has Obama said anything since being in office that WASN’T a lie, a libel, or the distortions of an enemy of America?
Anyone remember the self-proclaimed “student of history” who drooled lie after lie after lie in that lovely Cairo speech?
Why would anyone believe ANYTHING that liar says?
Going…going…GONE!!!
Posted by: tanarg | August 12, 2009, 12:11 am 12:11 am
I think the rally was planned to keep out any of us mobsters. They didn’t want anyone there to embarrass the President — he can do that all by himself, thank you very much!
Posted by: Beavis | August 12, 2009, 12:33 am 12:33 am
“Obama said he didn’t support a single-payer option and he believes the public option won’t cripple the private market.”
Attention Rachel Martin (ABC News):
I found it interesting (actually, disappointing) that you did not mention that on two occasions (in speeches caught on tape in 2003 and 2007) Obama stated he was in FAVOR of single-payer (i.e., government) option. You either (a.) let him off the hook/covered for him, or (b.) were shoddy in your reporting. I hope it was the latter.
Posted by: tjp612 | August 12, 2009, 1:50 am 1:50 am
It isn’t easier for Obama to satisfy healthcare this time due to national debt and recession. First Aid Management
Posted by: health14 | August 12, 2009, 5:58 am 5:58 am
Obama did it again. He claimed that doctors would rather cut off limbs than counsel patients.
For Obama to infer that doctors don’t monitor what their patients are taking is disgraceful and pathetic!
Ilnesses are often a matter of COMPLIANCE! If diabetics do not take their meds as prescribed NOTHING CHANGES.
The internist does NOT benefit from a surgical amputation! Once again Obama the liar demonizes physicians with lies.
It is a greater disgrace that the no one in the press bothers to call him on these lies. Barack Obama lies straightfaced to America and no one has the guts to tell it like it is.
Posted by: drjohn | August 12, 2009, 7:23 am 7:23 am
I think the administration would have had a better response to Heath Care Reform from the American people if they had taken the time to explain what they were trying to do instead of trying to put a 1000+ page document on the fast track. A lot of the decent that we are seeing is people not trusting government officials due to their pathetic past performance.
Posted by: World Vitamins Online | August 12, 2009, 8:40 am 8:40 am
We already have “death panels” – courtesy of Insurance companies.
They only make money by DENYING benefits and treatment.
Since some people believe the “government can’t do anything right” – let’s allow the private Insurance industry to prove it.
Posted by: joseyj | August 12, 2009, 8:44 am 8:44 am
>>>>on two occasions (in speeches caught on tape in 2003 and 2007) Obama stated he was in FAVOR of single-payer
Yes, Obama was in FAVOR of single-payer in 2007 to get the gullible 0bots onboard.
Of all the presidential candidates in 2008 – Obama received the MOST donations from the Insurance and Pharma industries.
Posted by: joseyj | August 12, 2009, 8:49 am 8:49 am
Interesting article! Thanks for posting.
Posted by: paul | August 12, 2009, 12:52 pm 12:52 pm