Talking Points: Putting The American People In Control Of Their Own Health Care

• President Obama’s plan shifts power away from insurance companies and puts it in the hands of American families and small business owners – giving them more control over their own health care.

• The President’s plan takes the best ideas from both Republicans and Democrats and rejects extremes on both sides, a government run system on the left and free reign for insurance companies on the right.

• This plan gives consumers more protections and greater control over the insurance they have, but it does not take away choice – if you like the plan you have, you can keep it, if you like your doctor, you can keep that doctor.

• This plan will give small business owners and families the same choices and protections that Members of Congress get.

• The plan will give Americans more control over their health care with three key reforms:

o Reining in insurance companies – ending their worst practices and outlawing discrimination based on pre-existing conditions.
o Reducing costs for those who already have insurance and making coverage affordable for those who are currently uninsured.
o Establishing a new competitive insurance marketplace, giving small businesses and families the same buying power that big businesses and unions have and allowing them to shop for the plan that works best for them.

• This plan is based on the best ideas from Democrats and Republicans to give Americans more control over their own health care, not the insurance companies or the government.


The Plan - Giving American Families Greater Control Over Their Own Health Care

• Common-sense rules of the road will eliminate insurance industry abuses and denial of care by holding insurance companies accountable and keeping premiums down .

• The plan will end discrimination based on pre-existing conditions.

• It will establish a new competitive health insurance market – tens of millions of Americans and small business owners will get choices and purchasing power that big businesses, unions and members of Congress get.

• It provides the largest middle class tax cut for health care in history – making coverage more affordable and reducing costs for tens of millions of Americans and businesses who can’t afford coverage today
o This will make coverage affordable for an additional 31 million Americans

• By cutting waste, fraud and abuse, the plan will reduce the deficit by $100 billion in the next 10 years – stabilizing the economy and the budget.

• It puts our budget and economy on a more stable path by reducing the deficit by $100 billion over the next ten years by cutting government overspending and reining in waste, fraud and abuse.