2nd Ld: Obama presses for quick action on health care reform

U.S. President Barack Obama pressed for quick actions on healthcare reform in a speech delivered at a joint session of Congress here Wednesday night.

"Our collective failure to meet this challenge -- year after year, decade after decade -- has led us to a breaking point," he said, warning of the consequence of inactions to reform the health care system.

Obama pointed out a key flaw of the existing system, reminding lawmakers that the United States is "the only wealthy nation" on earth without universal health insurance coverage.

Some 15 percent, or 45 million Americans, do not have health insurance, according to government statistics.

Moreover, Obama said, the problem that plagues the health care system is not just a problem of the uninsured, and "those who do have insurance have never had less security and stability than they do today."

Obama then went on to another major flaw of the U.S. healthcare system -- the skyrocketing costs.

"We spend one-and-a-half times more per person on health care than any other country, but we aren't any healthier for it."

The United States spends more money on health care than any other nation: 2.5 trillion U.S. dollars annually and over 8,000 U.S. dollars per person, and yet its average life expectancy ranks at the bottom of all developed nations.