a notre sante

In the face of the Republican onslaught against the Health Care Reform Bill, here's a speech I'd consider if I were President Obama.

[The Oval Office]

My fellow Americans, good evening. Almost 30 years ago, President Reagan delivered his first speech to the nation from this very desk in the Oval Office. His speech was about the economy, and the tough times ahead. I wish I could report that tough times are coming to an end, but I can't. Turning our economy around is my highest priority, and today I wish to focus on our health and how it affects the economy. To paraphrase President Reagan, I regret to say that Americans have never been more unhealthy than they are today - there is no comparison in our history; this despite the fact that we spend more on health care than almost every nation in the world.

I recently asked for a health care report card, and here are some high (or low) lights. You won't like it. I didn't like it. But we have to face the truth and then go to work to turn things around. And make no mistake, we can and will turn it around.

The incidence of obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and others is highest our history. Today more American children are at risk of chronic health issues than ever before; we spend more per person on health care than ever before; and we waste more per person on health care than we can afford. Focusing on our children, 14.5 million (over 20%) live in poverty; over 16.7 million live with anxiety and depression and do worse in reading and math because there isn't enough food to eat. More than 1.5 million American children are homeless, resulting in a lack of safety, comfort, privacy, reassuring routines, adequate health care, uninterrupted schooling, sustaining relationships, and a sense of community. And things are not improving; two million children will be affected by the housing crisis and resulting foreclosures; and in 2000, 39% of children lived in low-income housing, by 2009, it was 42%.

These are shocking numbers, as are their consequences.

Children who begin life in difficult circumstances are most likely to end up struggling throughout their lives, most likely to run afoul of the law, and most likely to become a burden to society to the tune of about $500 billion per year. It breaks down to $160 billion in increased health care costs, and $170 billion each in increased law enforcement costs and lost economic productivity.

Setting aside the moral obligation to ensure that every child in this country has shelter above their heads, is well-fed, healthy, and well-educated, can we afford the economic impact of sick and impoverished children? I know the incoming Congress pledged to cut our budgets by $100 billion, and I'm very interested to see where they propose to make these cuts. But I'd like to up the ante - let's find a way to save $500 billion/year! With deficits ballooning and rising defense and social services costs, I challenge our Congress to make a real and sustainable dent in our budgets, with an impact that will last for generations.

Many will claim that America has the best hospitals, doctors, and nurses; the best technology; the most innovative researchers and the best treatment options available in the world. I agree. There is no better place to be than the United States if you need any kind of medical help, provided you can afford it. But as we've seen, millions of our children can't.

The definition of health care is the prevention, treatment, and management of illness and the preservation of mental and physical well-being through the services offered by the medical and allied health professions. I believe we have the best management and treatment system in the world, but we fail when it comes to prevention and preservation.

Why? As with many things, it comes down to money. The current health care system from pharmacology to treatment to long-term care gets paid when you get treatment. Their success is dependent on your ill-health. Let's think about that for a minute - if you don't go to the doctor, he or she doesn't get paid. If you don't need any medicine, the pharmacist and the pharmaceutical companies don't get paid. For them to be successful, you have to be sick.

Now you might say that being healthy favors the insurance companies, and I thought so as well, but it's not the case. People who are healthy don't buy as much insurance, and don't contribute to rising costs, which help justify premium increases; people who are unhealthy buy more. Insurance companies might prefer not to pay claims, but they realize that they have to keep the machine running - the more people visit doctors, go to hospitals, and seek treatment, the more they can keep raising premiums and growing profits.

Last year, we passed the Health Care Reform Bill, which aimed the state of our - your health care. While it does help, we must do more to address our children's struggles, and to improve the overall state of our economy.

So I challenge us all to find ways to save $500 billion a year, every year by investing in prevention and preservation for our children. From pre-natal to early childhood to young adults, by providing every child with free health care and a great education, we can not only save $500 billion/year, but also lower unemployment, decrease crime, and increase income taxes; all of which will help accelerate our path towards a stronger, healthier and wealthier country.

To close, once again in the words of President Reagan, my fellow citizens, let us join in a new determination to rebuild the foundation of our society, to work together, to act responsibly. Let us do so with the most profound respect for that which must be preserved as well as with sensitive understanding and compassion for those who must be protected.

We can leave our children in poverty, with an un-repayable massive debt and a shattered economy, or we can leave them liberty in a land where every individual has the opportunity to achieve their greatest potential. All it takes is a little common sense and recognition of our own ability. Together we can forge a new beginning for America.

Thank you and good night.