3rd Ld Writethru: Obama presses for quick action on health care reform

U.S. President Barack Obama pressed for quick actions on health care 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.

Moreover, the president said the current system is simply unsustainable in a fiscal sense.

"Our health care system is placing an unsustainable burden on taxpayers. Put simply, our health care problem is our deficit problem," he said.

Presenting his reform plan, Obama said there are three objectives.

"It will provide more security and stability to those who have health insurance. It will provide insurance to those who don't. And it will slow the growth of health care costs for our families, our businesses, and our government."

Obama then went to the details of his plan:

First, for those who already have health insurance through their jobs, "nothing in this plan will require you or your employer to change the coverage or the doctor you have," and what this plan will do is to "make the insurance you have work better for you."

Second, for those who do not have health insurance, the plan "will finally offer you quality, affordable choices."

Thirdly, for those individuals and small businesses who still can not afford the lower-priced insurance, "we will provide tax credits, the size of which will be based on your need."

Obama said under his plan, individuals will be required to carry basic health insurance and businesses will be required to either offer their workers health care, or chip in to help cover the cost of their workers.

"While there remain some significant details to be ironed out, I believe a broad consensus exists for the aspects of the plan I just outlined: consumer protections for those with insurance, an exchange that allows individuals and small businesses to purchase affordable coverage, and a requirement that people who can afford insurance get insurance," he said.