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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010
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 OPINION 
3

To Cut Deficit, Rein in Health Costs: Orszag

Budget director makes White House's case for cutting expenses

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(Newser) – With the future of Medicare and Social Security in the headlines, the Obama administration is jumping at the chance to push its health care reform agenda. Up today: budget director Peter Orszag. "Slower growth rate in overall health-care spending would help to promote and sustain a slowdown in Medicare and Medicaid spending, too," Orszag writes in the Wall Street Journal.

Orszag makes his case with relatable examples—"families across America who have health insurance are seeing their take-home pay reduced and their household budgets strained"—and argues, "there appear to be significant opportunities to reduce health-care costs over time without impairing the quality of care or outcomes." He concludes bluntly: "We need to undertake comprehensive health-care reform, and the president is committed to getting that done this year."

Democratic presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., talks with Dr. Mark Anderson while touring a cardiology research lab before speaking about his health care plan on Tuesday, May 29, 2007.
Democratic presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., talks with Dr. Mark Anderson while touring a cardiology research lab before speaking about his health care plan on Tuesday, May 29, 2007.   (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag says that focusing on trimming health care costs is one of the critical steps to fixing the national budget.
Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag says that focusing on trimming health care costs is one of the critical steps to fixing the national budget.   (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
It's not just everyday people feeling the pinch of rising insurance payments and more expensive health care: the costs are spiraling on a state and federal level, too.
It's not just everyday people feeling the pinch of rising insurance payments and more expensive health care: the costs are spiraling on a state and federal level, too.   (©Paul Keleher)
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Derni
May 15, 09 10:38 AM CDT
Its about time-health care costs have been responsible for higher cists and medical plans. The medical field needs to be monitored and controlled. Reply
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Robert_Dada
May 15, 09 11:51 AM CDT
When you leave health care in the hands of the private sector, you run the risk of excessive fees and medically dangerous denials/reductions in coverage due to an uncontrolled profit incentive. Insurance companies routinely deny coverage, often by a person who does not even have any medical training, and they are financially incented to do so. Reply
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ClearSight
May 15, 09 2:16 PM CDT
Bull, you left leaning lemmings know nothing about health care. My family since the late sixties dealt with existing illnesses for my two sisters out of pocket. Being both free bleeders no one would insure them, so like good "responsible" parents they "took care of it themselves"( no they would not be considered rich) and guess what my sisters were never denied care. Keep in mind their treatment required specialist but never did my parents default, no matter how many transfusions or surgeries Sure we never had new cars but I can say we still managed to be happy. As time progressed we began seeing changes in the 80s with care for my sisters. It got progressively worst so we started asking providers ourselves questions about what was changing. We consistently would hear about ever increasing regulations and paperwork and how insurance rates were skyrocketing. We heard this all the way up to the present. I can tell you its Government control and a take care of me mentality that has screwed the system. The government is the problem or should say the pusher and the take care of me crowd are the addicts.....Want a good idea how Government run health care will be? Just look at the VA and the problems they have and you will runaway from the idea of Government control / interference.Talk about being denied care, the VA is the poster child for denied care. I really think most of you pro government control nuts need to grow up and take responsibility for yourselves.....
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