What the President Said Versus What He Meant

What the President Said in His Speech
1. If you currently have coverage, nothing will change - same plan, same doctors.
2. The bill will disallow insurance companies to deny for pre-existings and/or drop coverage in the middle of treatment.
3. Insurance companies will not be allowed to cap benefits in a given year.
4. All plans will require out-of-pocket maximums to protect consumers.
5. An insurance exchange will be created for those who do not currently carry coverage, and private companies will compete against one another.
6. Tax credits will be provided for those who cannot afford coverage.
7. Individuals will be mandated to carry coverage.
8. Businesses will be required to offer coverage if operating at a certain level in gross revenue.
9. "Death panels" are a fabrication proposed by those who desire to derail reform efforts.
10. Illegals will not be covered, even though opponents purport the lie that they will.
11. Abortions will not be funded by federal dollars.
12. A public option will be used potentially by 5% of uninsureds and must be self-sustainable.
13. President Obama will NOT sign into law a bill that adds to our current deficit.
14. He will create a commission to identify waste and best practices, and most of the money to pay for the bill will come from this identification process.
15. He will panel together experts for beta-testing purposes to examine the effects of tort reform in certain areas.

What the President Meant in His Speech
1. If you currently have coverage at a small employer and they'd rather be fined 8% than offer health coverage because it's less expensive that way, they'll drop you and force you to go into the insurance exchange.
2. If you eat Cheetos and bon-bons all day and down a 12 pack of Coke at work 5 days a week, never exercise and smoke 3 packs of Reds a day, insurance companies cannot deny you coverage.
3. It's okay if one person causes everyone else's premiums to rise.
4. I'm okay with an out-of-pocket max (indemnity plans are out!)
5. Private companies must agree to the government's requirements for coverage, can't deny you, can't rate you up, but must still compete with the cheaper government plan.
6. Tax credits should be provided for EVERYONE, not just the poor!
7. Mandating coverage = one step closer to Big Brother being more than just reality TV.
8. But we know you really won't want to offer coverage when it's cheaper to take the fine - come on over to the government plan, employees of businesses of all sizes!
9. Mandating end of life counseling by government bureaucrats is IN THE BILL - page 425-430, read it for yourself!!!
10. That was the best, when some jabronee yelled "LIE!" and all the Dems went, "ooooohhh."
11. Abortions are already funded by federal dollars (hello, Planned Parenthood).
12. Does the President really think that if 5% of the sickest, poorest people pull their resources together for a health care co-op that it would really be self-sustaining?
13. CBO says otherwise.
14. This is the quintessential kicker of the speech - the President wants us to believe that he can identify waste created by a government agency (Medicare and Medicaid) to pay for another government agency (Public Option)? Does he sincerely believe we're that idiotic?
15. Still not sure why Dems are so opposed to tort reform.

As an insurance agent, if people are forced to buy a policy, it will line my pockets, but it's not the right answer for our health care crisis. Even more, the weakest portion of the President's speech was his half-hearted attempt at convincing us how he'll pay for it - MOST of his proposals are paid for by eliminating waste? Then why haven't we done that already? Is a government mandate really necessary? And where's the other money coming from? And what about the increasing debt indicated by the non-partisan CBO? And when did government EVER streamline anything?

FINAL VERDICT
President Obama, though charismatic and verbosely articulate, failed to answer the glaringly obvious question on every concerned Americans mind - how on earth will we pay for this?

I want reform as much as everyone else; I see good folk denied coverage nearly every week. But until we as individuals start taking responsibility for our health, our choices, and demand our voices be heard by those in Washington who look to genuinely represent their constituents, true health care reform is as fleeting as the morning mist on a summer Florida morning. And quite frankly, the way things are going, we have bigger fish to fry than simply reforming America's health care.