Obama Makes his Act of Contrition on Health Reform

 

Washington – Barack Obama made amends Thursday, saying he heard “loud” complaints of Americans on his overhaul of health insurance, which he announced a change, a concession to extinguish fire including in his camp.

Delivering four times the word “misfires” at a press conference at the White House, the U.S. president did what he had refused to do so far: Change the Obama care, the mainstay of the program reform, which has withstood more than three years of parliamentary assaults and has been validated by the Supreme Court, but now finds himself the victim of a stormy start on 1 October.

“It is legitimate for [Americans] to expect that I regained some confidence on health reform in particular and in general,” commented the president, whose approval rating has plunged into opinion in recent weeks. “I am responsible. We missed the launch of this reform, “he confessed.

In front of Congress

Barack Obama sought to take short Congress, where even some of his Democratic allies began to release threatening to change themselves the Health Act, by law.

At issue: the situation about 5% of Americans who are insured for their health from private insurers and without having to employers, including insurance packages were terminated because they became illegal under the new law. These Americans have received in recent week’s notice of termination of office of their insurance contracts, while Barack Obama had publicly promised that the law does not affect.

The solution announced by the President, that does not require Congressional approval, will allow insurers to extend these contracts in 2014. “I understand how [termination] can cause distress many Americans, he has said. And these Americans, I mean, I hear you loud and clear. I said that I will do my best to solve this problem and today I present an idea that will help to do so. ”

Obama also acknowledged that Obamacare, its flagship social assessment was made recently a “burden” for his Democratic allies, a year before the laws of the mid-term.”It’s going in the right direction, welcomed Sen. Joe Manchin after the announcement. You know, we need to rebuild the credibility that we have lost. ”

But Republicans saw in the presidential admission an admission of weakness, and did not intend to end their battering. “The president has absolutely no credibility on that promise,” responded John Boehner, the Republican leader of the House of Representatives.

On Friday, the House dominated by Republicans vote to go further than the proposed administrative solution. Democrats also said they persist, particularly to sustain beyond a year the president’s plan.

Failures of the Internet portal

The furor by insurance cancellations was compounded by serious malfunctions of the Internet portal launched on 1 October, where every American uninsured should in theory be able to sign up for insurance. Although the capacity of the main site, managed by the federal government, have been increased and many bugs have been fixed, only about 27,000 people have managed to take out insurance in October (in total, counting sites directly managed by 14 States, only about 106 000 people).

Other political complications could come from private insurers themselves, who relied on the transfer in 2014 of millions of Americans to more remunerative insurance, which the plan the White House may deprive. “Changing the rules [...] could destabilize the market and lead to higher prices for consumers,” regretted in a statement Karen Ignagni, president of the trade association America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP).

Obama Makes his Act of Contrition on Health Reform