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Skriven 2007-02-24 23:31:20 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (070224) for Sat, 2007 Feb 24
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President's Radio Address
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For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary February 24, 2007

President's Radio Address

ÿÿPresident's Radio Address
ÿ Audio ÿÿEn Espa_

ÿÿÿÿÿ In Focus: Health Care

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This week, I traveled to a hospital in
Chattanooga, Tennessee, where I visited with doctors and health care
experts. We discussed an urgent priority for our Nation, how we can make
health care coverage more affordable and accessible for all Americans.

This week, the Department of Health and Human Services released a study
that showed why we must act now to reform our health care system. The study
forecast that our Nation's health care spending will almost double by the
year 2016. If this happens, health care spending will account for nearly
one out of every $5 spent in our economy. The study forecast that the
government's share of these costs will rise, as well. Unless the system is
reformed, within a decade taxpayers will be shouldering nearly half of all
health care spending in our Nation.

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There's also some encouraging news in this study. It provides fresh
evidence that the Medicare prescription drug benefit we enacted is working
to help get seniors the drugs they need. Millions of seniors are filling
more prescriptions because they now have coverage, yet overall national
spending on prescription drugs is lower than it would have been without
this program. This is because we set up a system where private drug plans
must compete for the business of Medicare beneficiaries. This competition
is delivering better prices for seniors and good results for taxpayers. We
need to maintain the gains we made by keeping competition in Medicare --
and by opposing any effort that would put the Federal government in charge
of "negotiating" and setting drug prices.

We should also apply the same market-based principles to other parts of our
health system. Today we have a big problem with our tax code: If you buy
health insurance on your own, you do not get the same tax advantages as
people who get their health insurance through their jobs. When it comes to
health care, everyone should get the same tax breaks.

So I proposed a standard tax deduction for health insurance that would be
like the standard deduction for dependents. This common-sense solution will
level the playing field for all Americans, whether you get your health
insurance through your job or on your own.

One person who would benefit from this plan is Danny Jennings, a father of
two who does not have health insurance for his family. I met Danny earlier
this week. Under my plan, Danny would save about $4,500 on his taxes. And
these tax savings would put basic coverage within the reach of his family.

Now imagine if this standard tax deduction were already in place for people
like Danny, and some politician suggested taking it away. Critics would say
that the politician was giving an unfair advantage to people who work for
big businesses that provide insurance, and harming millions of working
families who have to buy their own coverage. The critics would be right.

My proposal would provide the same deduction for all Americans who buy
health insurance, whether they get it through their job or on their own.
That is fair, and it's the right thing to do.

Another way we can reform our health care system is to support governors
who are coming up with innovative plans to help their citizens get health
coverage. These governors know their people, and they know their needs. As
a former governor, I believe the Federal government ought to help, not
hinder, our states as they innovate. So I have proposed the "Affordable
Choices" grants initiative. Under my proposal, states that make basic
private health insurance available to all their citizens would receive
Federal funds to help them provide this coverage to the poor and the sick.
By taking existing Federal funds and turning them into "Affordable Choices"
grants, we will give America's governors more money and more flexibility,
so they can help provide private health insurance for those who need it
most.

America has the best health care system in the world, because it puts
doctors and patients in charge, encourages new technologies, and finds new
ways to improve quality. By giving our states more flexibility and making
our tax code fairer, we can reform our health care system and restrain
costs. And by implementing these reforms now, we can help ensure every
American has a future with better choices, better care, and greater hope
for a healthy tomorrow.

Thank you for listening.

END

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