During President Obama’s speech last Tuesday night, he noted the importance of health care reform in rebuilding our nation’s stability. Although he only discussed the issue briefly, President Obama made his health care goals quite clear. He started out with a few surprising statistics:

• The significant costs of health care cause a bankruptcy in America every thirty seconds

• By the end of the year, medical costs could cause 1.5 million Americans to lose their homes

• In the last eight years, health insurance premiums have grown four times faster than wages

The President then continued to mention that skyrocketing health insurance costs are one of the major reasons why small business can no longer afford to operate, and why American corporations are shipping jobs overseas. These facts, he says, are why we can no longer afford to put health care reform on hold. President Obama then went on to mention his plans for health care reform, including one accomplishment his administration has already achieved.

• Congress has already approved the renewed and expanded State Children’s Health Insurance Program, providing health insurance for millions of American children

• The economic recovery plan calls for an investment in electronic health records and new medical technology, which will reduce medical errors, lower medical costs, and ensure patient privacy.

• They will continue to search for the cure for cancer, a disease that has touched the life of nearly every American.

• Health care reform will emphasize a new focus on preventive care, an effort that should help to keep Americans healthy and keep health care costs under control.

President Obama plans to bring together a wide variety of resources to put health care reform into motion, including businesses, workers, doctors, health care providers, Democrats, and Republicans. This diverse group will provide an all-encompassing view of our nation’s health care needs; they will allow our country to approach health care reform from every angle possible.

And in a humbling admission, President Obama acknowledges that health care reform will be neither quick, nor easy. We were quite impressed with the way he ended his brief health care discussion:

I suffer no illusions that this will be an easy process. It will be hard. But I also know that nearly a century after Teddy Roosevelt first called for reform, the cost of our health care has weighed down our economy and the conscience of our nation long enough. So let there be no doubt: health care reform cannot wait, it must not wait, and it will not wait another year.

- President  Barack Obama

Alright, Mr. President, you’ve got our attention. We can’t wait to see where you go from here. It will be a long battle, but it needs to be fought – and our country should support you every step of the way. President Obama plans to hold an additional summit focused entirely on health care next week – we will certainly keep you updated as we hear more on his plans for health care reform.

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