Obama: The costs of a major health threat

Counting explosion of health expenditure among the greatest threats to the U.S. economy, President Obama has opened a summit of health care in the White House Thursday.

"We are here today to discuss one of the most serious threats not only for the well-being of our families and the prosperity of our businesses, but the very foundation of our economy - and the explosion of health care costs in America today, "Obama said before the participants went to break-out sessions to discuss ideas on how to lower health care costs and increase coverage.

Problems in the health care system of the United States "are a direct consequence of actions, we did not yesterday," Obama told the estimated 150 participants.

Since President Theodore Roosevelt called for a reform, there are nearly 100 years, "we tried and below, time and again blocked by failures of will, or the policy of Washington, or lobbying for industry, "he said.

For those who say that health care reform should wait until the economic crisis, subsidies, Obama said that the participants in the last week of the financial responsibility summit agreed "that the greatest threat to the financial health of America is no social security ... and these are not the investments we have done to save our economy ... it is the soaring cost of health care. It is not even close. "

Speaking of the attempt to achieve health care reform during the Clinton administration, Obama said: "This time, the call for reform coming from the bottom up, across the spectrum. .. ".

adminObama, stressing the aim was to shift the health care reform by the end of the year, said: "I am convinced that if we meet and work together, we finally arrive at this that generations of Americans have fought and to fulfill the promise of health care in our time. "
Copyright © 2009 United Press International Counting exploding health costs among the greatest threats to the U.S. economy, President Obama has opened a summit of health care in the White House Thursday.