The US Government is working hard on  health reform to ensure Americans get the high-quality, affordable care they need and deserve. At this time, too many Americans can’t get the affordable care they need when they fall ill.

However President Obama’s health-care initiative may be a costly misstep in some eyes.

It was a long shot to think that a neophyte U.S. president, before celebrating the first anniversary of his inauguration, could radically transform the notoriously dysfunctional U.S. health-care system in a way Theodore Roosevelt first vowed to do in his losing bid for the presidency in 1912.

Obama will sign a reform bill later this year, which will require all Americans to purchase health-care coverage, including the close to 46 million Americans who have no coverage.  This will be subsidized by Uncle Sam to pay their premiums. Certain restrictions will be placed on private insurers, among them a prohibition against denying insurance to Americans with pre-existing medical conditions.

Powerful opposition to the health reform has become very vocal and many are up in arms.  The AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) has come out in favor of the reform but that has caused some members to resign in protest.

As many as 60,000 AARP members have left the group in protest over its stance on healthcare reform. The reforms did not sit well with the many AARP members who are upset over proposed cuts to Medicare that will total $313 billion over ten years.  They are in many cases defecting to the American Seniors Association, which bills itself as more conservative than AARP and solidly opposes President Obama’s healthcare reform proposals. 

Given this vociferous opposition, Obama has been promoting Health Reform on conservative radio.

The White House transformed its Diplomatic Reception Room into a radio studio Thursday, as President Obama took to the airwaves to promote his health care plan. He spoke directly with listeners of a nationally-syndicated radio program hosted by Michael Smerconish. Talk radio is a powerful vehicle for promoting political and social agendas in the United States. Conservatives have used the airwaves lately to aggressively attack Mr. Obama’s policies.

The fierce debate will certainly continue since in essence the Health Reform has some hidden victims.  These are some of them if anything like the existing Senate or House health plans become law:

• Young people will have to buy policies that don’t reflect the low risk they have of getting sick.
• Small Businesses will have to pay a tax up to 8% of their payroll, if they do not provide coverage
• Health Savings Account (HSA) holders covered by plans with low-cost premiums and high deductibles that are designed for large, unexpected medical costs will have to buy policies
• Medicare Advantage users will undoubtedly see changes

Although the objectives of the Health Reform are most laudable, President Obama will have to use all his diplomatic and persuasion skills if the Health Reform package is to be adopted without too many cuts and modifications.

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