The White House has launched a major public relations campaign to counter the opposition to the president’s signature accomplishment in office, reform of the nation’s healthcare system.
We detailed this today in Obama fights back on health care reform
Not only has the president spoken often and forcefully about the topic at high profile events in recent days, the administration is blitzing the public with detailed information about the costs and benefits of new measures about to be implemented.
It doesn’t come a moment too soon.
Recent opinion polls show approval of the president’s performance slipping to a two-year low.
He needs all the good press he can get.
His most high profile appearance this week was with former President Bill Clinton (and Hillary) at the prestigious and widely covered Clinton Global Initiative in New York City.
In a transcript of remarks made available by the White House the president said: “I think it's important to remember that health care is the economy. A massive part of our economy.”
He noted that the battle to improve America’s health care system – which by many measures lags far behind those of other industrialized countries – has been ongoing for decades without any improvement.
“The fact is that we have been, up until recently, the only advanced industrialized nation on Earth that permits large numbers of its people to languish without health insurance,” Obama said.
“Not only is there the cruelty of people who are unable to get health insurance having to use the emergency room as their doctor or their health service, but … the structural [federal government budget] deficit that we have is primarily based on the fact that we have a hugely inefficient, wildly expensive health care system that does not produce better outcomes.”
The president is absolutely correct on all points so far.
He makes a convincing case.
A release intended to show the benefits of his plan, State-by-State Monthly Marketplace Premiums states: “A new report shows that the Affordable Care Act will deliver on its promise to make health insurance more affordable and accessible for Americans who need it.”
The report, released by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) finds that in state after state, affordable options will be available through the Health Insurance Marketplace in 2014.
“Nearly all eligible uninsured Americans (about 95 percent) live in states with average premiums below earlier projections. And nearly all consumers (about 95 percent) will have a choice of health insurance companies, each of which offers a number of different plans,” the release states.
There is much more to be had at the White Briefing Room.
The president is going to have to show uncommon leadership and tireless energy to educate the American public about how the new health care law will benefit them as it kicks into high gear next week.