Health reform critical to US' long-term economic growth: Obama

I / Washington August 8, 2009, 12:17 IST

President Barack Obama today said the health insurance reform was critical to the US' long-term economic strength and vowed to carry it out by the year-end.     

Obama said the reform will protect people against unfair insurance practices; provide quality, affordable insurance to every American; and bring down rising costs that are swamping families, businesses and budgets.     

"Health insurance reform shouldn't be about Washington politics. It's about American lives, businesses and our future," he said in his weekly radio address to the nation.     

Obama said reform is essential for the 46 million Americans who do not have health insurance. At the same time, it will also provide more stability and security to the hundreds of millions who do.     

"Right now, we have a system that works well for the insurance industry, but that doesn't always work well for you. What we need, and what we will have when we pass health insurance reform, are consumer protections to make sure that those who have insurance are treated fairly and those insurance companies are held accountable," Obama said.  

Giving details, Obama said this will require insurance companies to cover routine checkups and preventive care, like mammograms, colonoscopies, or eye and foot exams for diabetics. This is needed to avoid chronic illnesses that cost too many lives and too much money.     

"We will stop insurance companies from denying coverage because of a person's medical history. I will never forget watching my own mother, as she fought cancer in her final days, worrying about whether her insurer would claim her illness was a pre-existing condition," Obama said.     

He renewed his commitment to get the health care reform by the end of this year and dispelled the outlandish claims being promoted by those who are defending the status quo.