Health care reform is the hot topic right now as the Obama Administration has begun an aggressive push toward reform. In an effort to keep you informed on the simple, straightforward facts, this initial post on health care pulls key points from President Obama’s speech and condenses the information for a quick, unbiased overview of the intentions of Obama’s Health Care Plan.
This is intended to be a discussion, so please also leave your comments and any links to additional information that you feel will benefit all readers in the pursuit of fully understanding the issues at hand.
President Obama’s Speech on Health Care
During President Obama’s speech he outlined the specifics of the health care plan. He addressed some of the controversies surrounding the plan and below are the main points. Again, this is an unbiased post where we are simply bullet-pointing portions of the speech for quick reference for those that are interested.
Diversity in the Types of Health Care Options Available
President Obama’s health care plan does not automatically lump everyone into the same health care plan. Rather, there are allowances for those that already have insurance and those that do not.
For those that have insurance they will be allowed to keep the insurance that they are either paying for out-of-pocket, or their employer is providing for them. However, with the reform, they will have more stability and security as the plan will ensure that the insurance will work better for them. It will do this in the following ways:
- Insurance companies can no longer deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions.
- Insurance companies can no longer refuse or drop coverage when you need it.
- There will be a cap placed on out-of-pocket expenses.
- Insurance companies will be required to cover routine checkups and preventative care with no additional charge.
For those that do not have health insurance the second part of Obama’s health care plan will offer financially affordable options for health insurance coverage. It will do so in the following ways:
- Creation of a new insurance exchange. The exchange is “a marketplace where individuals and small businesses will be able to shop for health insurance at competitive prices.”
- Tax credits will be available to individuals and small businesses that are still not able to afford health insurance at the exchange.
Other Key Points of the Plan
- The plan won’t go into effect for 4 years.
- For those that can’t get insurance in the interim, due to pre-existing conditions, there will be an immediate solution for low-cost coverage for those people.
- Every individual will be required to carry basic health insurance and businesses will be required to offer health care or financial assistance toward health care for all their employees. This is to make sure that the plan will in fact pay for itself in the long-run. There will be a hardship waiver that will be offered when appropriate.
- Medicare and Medicaid benefits will not be taken away.
- There will be a significant increase in accountability for insurance companies.
Fiscal Deficit
Health care represents 1/6 of the economy and reforming health care will also aid in lowering the national deficit. The administration asserts that the savings that they’ll be able to find through the reforms of the plan will in fact pay for itself.
Closing Thoughts
This post is intended to simply summarize the main points of Obama’s health care plan and the President’s speech on health care reform with absolutely no bias attached. There are obviously controversial opinions on this topic, as there was even a member of the audience during the speech that yelled out “Liar!” Our intention with this post is to offer you a quick reference point to what the plan is so you have a foundation to build on as you are deciding your opinion on this issue.
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Source: Obama’s Health Care Plan
Photo Credit: ListOwn.com
During this final interview with South Dakota Leaders, Dennis McCuistion has the opportunity to speak with Senator Tim Johnson of the South Dakota Senate. Beginning his interview, he notes Senator Johnson’s method of intentionally asking questions and listening and asks Senator Johnson to comment on that.
He then touches on the banking committee and their the upcoming decision of who the regulator will be. To learn more about Senator Tim Johnson’s rich history in United States politics, visit his website.
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Dennis McCuistion is joined once again by Fawaz Gerges, Ph.D. to talk about the situation in the Middle East and the past and future of Jihadists. Fawaz Gerges is the author of Journey of the Jihadist: Inside Muslim Militancy and the Christian A. Johnson Chairholder in International Affairs and Middle East Studies at Sarah Lawrence College.
Dr. Gerges joins us once again to discuss the impact of Jihadists. He states, “A Jihadist is an Islamic activist who wants to replace the secular state with Islamic Sharia Law with all means at their disposal including violence and terrorism to bring about their Utopia.” But he says, “we’re talking about a tiny group, thousands, not millions.”
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Dr. Gerges goes on to talk about the limited group of extremists such as Al Qaeda,“who manipulate and distort Islam in order to garner political support at home.” He acquaints viewers further with why he conducted his studies, spending over 16 months in the Middle East region, interviewing Jihadists as well as mainstream Muslims. Dr. Gerges helps us to better understand what caused this problem.
Join us to get a clearer perspective on how the Jihadist movement has changed since its inception in the 1970’s beginning in Egyptian Universities as a socialist movement. Through this episode you’ll also gain a more thorough understanding of how we got to 9/11 and where the dangers still remain.
Niki Nicastro McCuistion
Executive Producer/Producer
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Senator John Thune, South Dakota Senator, joined Dennis McCuistion for a quick interview during his time with the South Dakota Bankers Association in August 2009.
During Senator John Thune’s interview they discuss the budget deficit and the staggering numbers that should concern all Americans, reiterating the importance of politicians and Congress restraining spending. Before they conclude, they touch on “cap and trade” and what it means to the average American.
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While with the South Dakota Bankers Association in August 2009, Dennis McCuistion had the opportunity to speak with a few of the country’s leaders. During part one of this three part interview series, we hear from Congresswoman Stephanie Sandlin, of the U.S. House of Representatives.
To begin this session with Congresswoman Stephanie Sandlin, Dennis McCuistion asks her to explain and clarify the role of a blue dog democrat.* She explains and then expounds on what they are doing to ensure that all the people (including rural communities) are being fairly represented, even if that includes moving across party lines in some cases. She asserts that the primary focus is fiscal responsibility and fiscal health. She continues on to explain the role that they have had thus far in influencing the healthcare debate.
Join us as we hear from Congresswoman Stephanie Sandlin.
* A short 3 second blackout occurs at the beginning of the clip.
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During this episode of McCuistion Television’s, “How America Is Seen in the Arab and Muslim World,” Dennis McCuistion is joined by Fawaz Gerges, Ph.D. Fawaz Gerges is the author of Journey of the Jihadist: Inside Muslim Militancy and the Christian A. Johnson Chairholder in International Affairs and Middle East Studies at Sarah Lawrence College.
In the wake of 9/11, Americans were seen favorably by most people in the Middle East. Dr. Gerges, a Middle East scholar, who spends time researching how America is viewed in the Arab and Muslim world has traveled from Lebanon, to Yemen, Syria to Jordan and Algeria. He believes that today the feeling against America has both consolidated and hardened. According to Dr. Gerges,
“There is a deep anger and rage, some of which has come about as a result of the Iraq war… There is a problem. We are losing the average Muslim, the floating middle ground, and this is a red flag.”
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Dr. Gerges, who spent over 16 months in the region, interviewed hundreds of policy makers, opinion makers and Jihadists. He talks about his work as, “a book of voices. I let militants and Jihadists tell their own stories.”
Join us and Dr. Gerges as he shares his ideas as to why America was attacked on 9/11 and illuminates the differences between Jihadists and Islamists. He talks about why we should care about not alienating Muslim public opinion and why we are seen as a colonial power.
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Podcast: Play in new window | Download
