That Happened!

Los Angeles - Barack Obama will certainly have his work cut out for him when he steps into the Oval Office on Jan. 20th. Not only must he deal with the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression and find a way to end the war in Iraq; he must also confront the health care debacle that has been placed on the back burner since Bill Clinton’s failed attempt to reform the system nearly 15 years ago.

Will he be able to achieve what his democratic predecessor could not? The jury is still out, but one thing is for certain people are hurting and putting more faith in this President- elect, than any before him.

Implementing a universal health care system will present many challenges; Obama will have the benefit of learning from Clinton’s failures.

Many contribute the downfall of the Clinton plan to the former President being over ambitious. Health care reform will not be achieved in one grand battle; it has to be won as result of a culmination of numerous small victories.

Barack Obama has vowed to roll back George Bush’s tax cuts on the top American tax payers making over $250,000 a year, as well as retaining the estate tax at its current level through next year.

This will free up the $ 50-$65 billion proposed cost to provide affordable health care to every American. He seeks to strengthen employer based health care by assisting business with cost they must pay to lower their employee’s premiums. He also intends to give small businesses a tax credit so that they will be able to offer insurance to their employees.

Cleaning up the system as it exists will be the hardest part of reforming health care, and taking on the industry is sure to get ugly.

Requiring insurers to cover pre- existing conditions and preventing them from overcharging doctors for malpractice will not go over well with a powerful industry. This will require steadfast leadership on the part of the President- elect as he moves to usher legislation through congress.

This election was denunciations of the status quo, illustrating that working people overwhelmingly disapprove of this country’s current direction. Health care is one of the many problems that Americans expect to be fixed.

Barack Obama ran his campaign on the promise of change; anything short of delivering on this promise would be deeply disheartening and could possibly alienate the democratic base.