Obama rules out reversal of affordable health care

Says the glitch-riven debut of the project will be fixed to achieve the ultimate aim

Barack Obama
Press Trust of India Washington
Last Updated : Dec 04 2013 | 8:38 AM IST
US President Barack Obama has ruled out any reversal of his landmark health care law, which he said has changed the face of healthcare system in the country and makes it affordable for everyone.

"My main message today is: We're not going back," Obama said in his speech on affordable health care act.

Because of the Affordable Care Act, more than seven million seniors and Americans with disabilities have saved an average of $1,200 on their prescription medicine, he said.

Also Read

"This year alone, 8.5 million families have actually gotten an average of $100 back from their insurance company. Health care costs are rising at the slowest rate in 50 years. So we're actually bending the cost of health care overall, which benefits everybody," he said.

Obama said the glitch-riven debut of the project will be fixed to achieve the ultimate aim.

"We are going to keep on working to fix whatever problems come up in any startup, any launch of a project this big that has an impact on one-sixth of our economy, whatever comes up we're going to just fix it because we know that the ultimate goal, the ultimate aim, is to make sure that people have basic security and the foundation for the good health that they need," Obama said.

Responding to the critics of the Obama care, the US President said such people have already convinced themselves that the law has failed, regardless of the evidence.

"But I would advise them to check with the people who are here today and the people that they represent all across the country whose lives have been changed for the better by the Affordable Care Act," he said.

"We believe that, in America, nobody should have to worry about going broke just because somebody in their family or they get sick. We believe that nobody should have to choose between putting food on their kids' table or taking them to see a doctor," he said.

"We believe we're a better country than a country where we allow, every day, 14,000 Americans to lose their health coverage; or where every year, tens of thousands of Americans died because they didn't have health care; or where out-of-pocket costs drove millions of citizens into poverty in the wealthiest nation on Earth," Obama said.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Dec 04 2013 | 7:35 AM IST

Next Story