Obama’s Campaign For Healthcare

Published in Le Figaro
(France) on 21 July 2009
by Nathalie Mattheiem (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Valentina Castillo. Edited by Caitlin Krieck.
For the past few weeks, the Senate and the House of Representatives have been debating health care reform in the United States. Thus far, discussions have yielded as many as 10 amendments. Below are the three main goals of the health care reform bill.

1. Healthcare coverage for all Americans:

Barack Obama supports universal, mandatory insurance for everyone. His plan would make this possible by offering a public insurance option through the government. The plan also requires all employers, except those who employ less than 25 employees, provide comprehensive insurance to their workforce.

2. Improving healthcare while keeping the deficit in check:

President Obama promises that his health care reform will not worsen the deficit in the coming ten years. He expects to fund his plan by using current monies designated for Medicaid, which provides medical care for those below the poverty line, and Medicare, which covers medical expenses for the elderly. In addition, President Obama is pursuing other policies to reduce costs. For example, the president recently reached an agreement with the hospital industry that should save 155 billion dollars over the next ten years. The government is also considering capping reimbursement for insurance providers in cases where the total amount is above $250,000.

3. Encourage the practice of preventive medicine:

By advocating the use of community hospitals, which help to deal with the scarcity of doctors, and encouraging preventive medicine, Obama hopes to reduce healthcare costs. It is estimated that 80% of healthcare costs can be attributed to certain chronic diseases that could be better controlled by preventative medicine and regular visits to community hospitals and clinics.


Les débats de la Chambre et du Sénat portent sur de multiples propositions de loi qui s'accompagnent de dizaines d'amendements. Voici les trois points forts autour desquels s'articule la réforme :

1.Assurer tous les Américains :

Barack Obama s'est rallié à l'idée d'une assurance « obligatoire » pour tous. Le plan prévoit une «option publique» et l'obligation pour tous les employeurs d'assurer leurs employés, à l'exception des entreprises de moins de 25 personnes.

2. Ne pas aggraver le déficit :

Le président américain s'est engagé à ce que la réforme n'aggrave pas le déficit dans les dix années à venir. Il espère trouver les deux tiers du financement par des économies dans les programmes actuels, Medicaid (assurance publique des plus démunis) et Medicare (pour les seniors). Barack Obama a conclu un premier accord avec des réseaux hospitaliers pour économiser 155 milliards de dollars sur dix ans. Certaines propositions suggèrent une imposition spécifique pour les assureurs ; d'autres, pour les contribuables dont le revenu dépasse 250 000 dollars.

3. Encourager la pratique de la médecine préventive :

En favorisant une médecine de proximité, qui fait défaut dans bien des régions du pays vu la pénurie de généralistes, et en privilégiant la médecine préventive, Barack Obama espère faire baisser les coûts. On estime que 80 % de ceux-ci sont imputables à des maladies chroniques dont certaines (comme le diabète, dont la poussée est vertigineuse) pourraient être mieux contrôlées.

This post appeared on the front page as a direct link to the original article with the above link .

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