President Obama plans to help reshape healthcare in the United States

June 4, 10:37 AMSeattle Women's Health ExaminerKellie Fielding

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U.S. President Barack Obama addresses an audience at the Cairo University
in Cairo, Egypt Thursday, June 4, 2009. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

 President Obama future plans may include plans to help reshape the nation’s healthcare in the United States. During Obama’s 2008 campaign, he’d rejected the idea of having coverage mandated, but with the current economy, he is now expressing the need for the American people to have the option of a government-run plan as an option when choosing healthcare insurance.

In a two-page letter to Senator Edward M. Kennedy and Senator Max Baucus, Obama wrote: “I strongly believe that Americans should have the choice of a public health insurance option operating alongside private plans. This will give them a better range of choices, make the healthcare market more competitive and keep insurance companies honest."

Some experts believe that that nation’s healthcare bills may reach $2.2 trillion dollars in 2009 and President Obama is making healthcare costs one of his top priorities. "I want to stress that reform cannot mean focusing on expanded coverage alone," Obama said. "Indeed, without a serious, sustained effort to reduce the growth rate of healthcare costs, affordable healthcare coverage will remain out of reach."

The President also appears to be open to the idea of requiring the cost of providing health insurance to be shared by larger businesses. This has many companies concerned. If this new requirement takes effect, the businesses believe it will result in additional job cuts in order to be able to pay for this cost. Over the past year many employees have seen their company benefits decline. Several companies made the decision to decrease their percentage of monetary coverage for employee benefits. The result of this was a direct increase in cost that the employee must now pay.

Should businesses be required to share more of the cost for employee health benefits? How do you fell about having a government-run health care plan? Please share your thoughts and comments.