President Barach Obama again displayed his audacity of hope (and boosted ours) as he announced in his weekly radio address that interest groups, such as insurance companies, drug companies, doctors and labor unions, have promised to shave trillions of dollars in savings from the health care system.
Their collaborative efforts could save families up to $2,500 in the coming years, Obama said, noting that this new approach signals that change is coming to Washington.
" I have always believed that it is better to talk than not to talk; that it is far more productive to reach over a divide than to shake your fist across it. This has been an alien notion in Washington for far too long, but we are seeing that the ways of Washington are beginning to change," Obama said.
Meanwhile, the Republican response was guarded, agreeing with President Obama that the healthcare system needs an overhaul that will provide affordable health insurance and include preventive measures, but warning against any option for government-run health insurance or replacing employer-based insurance. However, the Republican message warned about government intervention.
"A government takeover of health care will put bureaucrats in charge of health care decisions that should be made by families and doctors," Rep. Charles Boustany (R-LA) said in the Republican radio and Internet address. Boustany said it would also limit healthcare options and could lead to increased taxes to pay for the system.
We have to start somewhere and the new efforts to trim costs suggests a commitment from the interest groups that offers consumers the hope that a change for the better is coming. Even a compromise suggests that the consumer gets something out of the deal!
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