1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,000 Thank you. 2 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:09,000 , thank you. 3 00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:26,360 Hello, Ohio! 4 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:35,660 It is good to be here in the Buckeye State. 5 00:00:35,660 --> 00:00:39,700 Congratulations on winning the Big Ten Championship. 6 00:00:39,700 --> 00:00:47,020 I'm filling out my brackets now. 7 00:00:47,020 --> 00:00:49,020 The President's The President's The President's The President's 8 00:00:49,020 --> 00:00:54,720 The President, no wait, yeah, that kid, Turner looks pretty good. 9 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:58,420 You guys are doing all right. 10 00:00:58,420 --> 00:01:02,780 It is wonderful to be here. 11 00:01:02,780 --> 00:01:06,420 I love you back. 12 00:01:08,580 --> 00:01:10,260 I do. 13 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:15,720 A couple of people I just want to make sure I give special mention 14 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:16,220 to. 15 00:01:16,220 --> 00:01:18,880 We saw him Governor Ted Strickland in the House. 16 00:01:25,020 --> 00:01:28,360 Ted is fighting every day to bring jobs and economic 17 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:30,160 development to Ohio. 18 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:34,280 So is your terrific United States Senator Sherrod Brown. 19 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:37,280 Love Sherrod Brown. 20 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:42,280 The President's name is the President's name. 21 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:50,280 Your own Congressman, who is tireless on behalf of working 22 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:53,280 people, Dennis Kucinich. 23 00:01:57,280 --> 00:01:59,280 Did you hear that, Dennis? 24 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:02,280 Go and say that again. 25 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:09,280 The President and the President, the President and the President. 26 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:14,280 A couple of other members of Congress are here. 27 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:20,280 U.S. Representative Betty Sutton. 28 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:25,280 U.S. Representative Marsha Fudge. 29 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:29,280 U.S. Representative Tim Ryan. 30 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:35,040 I want to thank Mayor Tom Persiak. 31 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:37,280 Hear Strong's bill, please, Mr. Mayor. 32 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:39,280 You're on. 33 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:50,820 That's a good bunch of folks we got here in Ohio, working hard. 34 00:02:50,820 --> 00:02:52,580 Which is why I'm glad to be back. 35 00:02:52,580 --> 00:02:55,680 And let's face it, it's nice to be out of Washington once in a 36 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:56,680 while. 37 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:02,080 I want to thank Connie. 38 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:04,280 I want to thank Connie who introduced me. 39 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:09,220 I want to thank her and her family for being here on behalf 40 00:03:09,220 --> 00:03:10,780 of her sister, Natoma. 41 00:03:10,780 --> 00:03:16,540 I don't know if everybody understood that Natoma is in 42 00:03:16,540 --> 00:03:19,680 the hospital right now. 43 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:23,120 So Connie was filling in. 44 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:28,380 It's not easy to share such a personal story when your sister 45 00:03:28,380 --> 00:03:30,880 you love so much is sick. 46 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:35,380 And so I appreciate Connie being willing to do so here today. 47 00:03:45,380 --> 00:03:48,680 And I want everybody to understand that Connie and her 48 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:51,380 sister are the reason that I'm here today. 49 00:03:51,380 --> 00:03:55,380 The President's name is the President's name. 50 00:03:55,380 --> 00:03:59,380 See, Connie felt it was important that her sister's 51 00:03:59,380 --> 00:04:01,380 story be told. 52 00:04:01,380 --> 00:04:05,380 But I want to just repeat what happened here. 53 00:04:05,380 --> 00:04:10,380 Last month, I got a letter from Connie's sister, Natoma. 54 00:04:10,380 --> 00:04:14,380 She's self-employed, she's trying to make ends meet, 55 00:04:14,380 --> 00:04:17,380 and for years she's done the responsible thing, 56 00:04:17,380 --> 00:04:19,380 just like most of you have. 57 00:04:19,380 --> 00:04:22,780 She didn't have a big employer who provided her insurance, 58 00:04:22,780 --> 00:04:27,620 so she bought her health insurance through the individual market. 59 00:04:27,620 --> 00:04:30,780 And it was important for her to have insurance because 16 years 60 00:04:30,780 --> 00:04:36,280 ago she was diagnosed with a treatable form of cancer. 61 00:04:36,280 --> 00:04:39,480 And even though she had been cancer-free for more than a 62 00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:44,440 decade, the insurance companies kept on jacking up her rates, 63 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:46,340 year after year. 64 00:04:46,340 --> 00:04:49,440 So she increased her out-of-pocket expenses. 65 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:51,740 She raised her deductible. 66 00:04:51,740 --> 00:04:55,880 She did everything she could to maintain her health insurance that 67 00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:57,700 would be there just in case she got sick, 68 00:04:57,700 --> 00:05:01,880 because she figured I didn't want to be in a position where if she 69 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:04,580 did get sick, somebody else would have to pick up the tank, 70 00:05:04,580 --> 00:05:06,080 that she'd have to go to the emergency room, 71 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:10,680 that the cost would be shifted onto folks through their higher 72 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:13,680 insurance premiums or hospitals charging higher rates. 73 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:17,180 she tried to do the right thing. 74 00:05:17,180 --> 00:05:21,820 And she upped her deductible last year to the minimum, 75 00:05:21,820 --> 00:05:25,220 the highest possible deductible. 76 00:05:25,220 --> 00:05:28,940 But despite that, the Tomas Insurance Company raised her 77 00:05:28,940 --> 00:05:33,020 premiums by more than 25 percent. 78 00:05:33,020 --> 00:05:36,880 And over the past year, she paid more than $6,000 in monthly 79 00:05:36,880 --> 00:05:37,880 premiums. 80 00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:48,480 She paid more than $4,000 in out-of-pocket medical costs for co-pays and medical care 81 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:57,240 and prescriptions. So altogether, this woman paid $10,000 one year. But because she never 82 00:05:57,240 --> 00:06:03,640 hit her deductible, her insurance company only spent $900 on her care. All right, so 83 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:08,440 So the insurance company is making, getting $10,000, 84 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:11,780 paying out $900. 85 00:06:11,780 --> 00:06:17,100 Now, what comes in the mail at the end of last year? 86 00:06:17,100 --> 00:06:21,780 It's a letter telling Natoma that her premiums would go up 87 00:06:21,780 --> 00:06:26,540 again by more than 40 percent. 88 00:06:26,540 --> 00:06:29,480 So here's what happens. 89 00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:32,180 She just couldn't afford it. 90 00:06:32,180 --> 00:06:35,080 She didn't have the money. 91 00:06:35,080 --> 00:06:39,880 She realized that if she paid those health insurance premiums 92 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:42,380 that had been jacked up by 40 percent, 93 00:06:42,380 --> 00:06:45,820 she couldn't make her mortgage. 94 00:06:45,820 --> 00:06:48,780 And despite her desire to keep her coverage, 95 00:06:48,780 --> 00:06:52,240 despite her fears that she would get sick and lose the home that 96 00:06:52,240 --> 00:06:56,740 her parents built, she finally surrendered, 97 00:06:56,740 --> 00:06:58,820 she finally gave up her health insurance. 98 00:06:58,820 --> 00:06:59,820 She stopped paying it. 99 00:06:59,820 --> 00:07:02,140 She couldn't make ends meet. 100 00:07:02,140 --> 00:07:06,540 January was her last month of being insured. 101 00:07:06,540 --> 00:07:09,040 Like so many responsible Americans, 102 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:12,640 folks who work hard every day, who try to do the right thing, 103 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:17,480 she was forced to hang her fortunes on chance. 104 00:07:17,480 --> 00:07:20,480 Just to take a chance, that's all she could do. 105 00:07:20,480 --> 00:07:24,180 She hoped against hope that she would stay healthy. 106 00:07:24,180 --> 00:07:27,780 She feared terribly that she might not stay healthy. 107 00:07:27,780 --> 00:07:31,840 That was the letter that I read to the insurance companies, 108 00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:36,300 including the person responsible for raising her rates. 109 00:07:36,300 --> 00:07:38,700 Now, I understand Natoma was pretty surprised when she found 110 00:07:38,700 --> 00:07:43,440 out that I'd read it to these CEOs. 111 00:07:43,440 --> 00:07:46,500 But I thought it was important for them to understand the human 112 00:07:46,500 --> 00:07:52,680 dimensions of this problem. 113 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:56,680 Her rates had been hyped more than 40 percent. 114 00:07:56,680 --> 00:07:58,640 This was less than two weeks ago. 115 00:07:58,640 --> 00:08:02,100 Unfortunately, Natoma's worst fears were realized. 116 00:08:02,100 --> 00:08:05,480 And just last week, she was working on a nearby farm, 117 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:09,040 walking outside, apparently chasing after a cow, 118 00:08:11,040 --> 00:08:20,885 when she collapsed And she was rushed to the hospital She was very sick 119 00:08:20,885 --> 00:08:23,285 She needed two blood transfusions. 120 00:08:23,285 --> 00:08:25,685 Doctors performed a battery of tests. 121 00:08:25,685 --> 00:08:30,085 And on Saturday, Natoma was diagnosed with leukemia. 122 00:08:30,085 --> 00:08:34,085 Now, the reason Natoma is not here today is that she's lying 123 00:08:34,085 --> 00:08:37,685 in a hospital bed, suddenly faced with this emergency, 124 00:08:37,685 --> 00:08:43,145 to face more than a month of aggressive chemotherapy. 125 00:08:43,145 --> 00:08:46,345 She's wracked with worry not only about her illness, 126 00:08:46,345 --> 00:08:49,345 but about the costs of the tests and the treatment that she's 127 00:08:49,345 --> 00:08:53,225 surely going to need to beat it. 128 00:08:53,225 --> 00:08:55,825 So you want to know why I'm here, Ohio? 129 00:08:55,825 --> 00:08:58,185 I'm here because of Natoma. 130 00:08:58,185 --> 00:09:00,985 I'm here because of the countless others who have been 131 00:09:00,985 --> 00:09:05,325 forced to face the most terrifying challenges in their 132 00:09:05,325 --> 00:09:09,025 with the added burden of medical bills they can't pay. 133 00:09:09,025 --> 00:09:10,825 I don't think that's right. 134 00:09:10,825 --> 00:09:11,825 Neither do you. 135 00:09:11,825 --> 00:09:14,825 That's why we need health insurance right now. 136 00:09:14,825 --> 00:09:17,325 Health insurance reform right now. 137 00:09:29,625 --> 00:09:33,325 I'm here because of my own mother's story. 138 00:09:35,325 --> 00:09:39,385 She died of cancer, and in the last six months of her life, 139 00:09:39,385 --> 00:09:41,685 she was on the phone in her hospital room arguing with 140 00:09:41,685 --> 00:09:46,785 insurance companies instead of focusing on getting well and 141 00:09:46,785 --> 00:09:49,885 spending time with her family. 142 00:09:49,885 --> 00:09:52,885 I'm here because of the millions who are denied coverage because 143 00:09:52,885 --> 00:09:57,925 of preexisting conditions, or dropped from coverage when they 144 00:09:57,925 --> 00:09:58,825 get sick. 145 00:09:58,825 --> 00:10:06,125 I'm here because of the small businesses who are forced to 146 00:10:06,125 --> 00:10:09,125 choose between health care and hiring. 147 00:10:12,125 --> 00:10:15,065 I'm here because of the seniors unable to afford the 148 00:10:15,065 --> 00:10:17,125 prescriptions that they need. 149 00:10:20,625 --> 00:10:23,465 I'm here because of the folks seeing their premiums go up 20 150 00:10:23,465 --> 00:10:27,865 and 30 and 40 and 50 and 60 percent in a year. 151 00:10:28,825 --> 00:10:38,585 Ohio, I am here because that is not the America I believe in. 152 00:10:38,585 --> 00:10:43,825 And that's not the America that you believe in. 153 00:10:43,825 --> 00:10:54,225 So when you hear people say, start over, I want you to think about Natoma. 154 00:10:54,225 --> 00:10:58,785 When you hear people saying that this isn't the right time, 155 00:10:58,785 --> 00:11:02,185 you think about what she's going through. 156 00:11:02,185 --> 00:11:04,325 When you hear people talk about, well, 157 00:11:04,325 --> 00:11:05,785 what does this mean for the Democrats? 158 00:11:05,785 --> 00:11:07,565 What does this mean for the Republicans? 159 00:11:07,565 --> 00:11:10,485 I don't know how the polls are doing. 160 00:11:10,485 --> 00:11:14,485 When you hear people more worried about the politics of it than 161 00:11:14,485 --> 00:11:18,785 what's right and what's wrong, I want you to think about Natoma 162 00:11:18,785 --> 00:11:21,625 and the millions of people all across this country who are 163 00:11:21,625 --> 00:11:24,725 looking for some help and looking for some relief. 164 00:11:24,725 --> 00:11:27,865 That's why we need health insurance reform right now. 165 00:11:40,685 --> 00:11:46,125 You know, part of what makes this issue difficult is most of us 166 00:11:46,125 --> 00:11:47,885 do have health insurance. 167 00:11:47,885 --> 00:11:50,025 We still do. 168 00:11:50,025 --> 00:11:54,765 And so we kind of feel like, well, I don't know, 169 00:11:54,765 --> 00:11:55,765 it's kind of working for me. 170 00:11:55,765 --> 00:11:58,225 I'm not worrying too much. 171 00:11:58,225 --> 00:12:01,785 But what we have to understand is that what's happened in 172 00:12:01,785 --> 00:12:07,165 Natoma, there but for the grace of God go any one of us. 173 00:12:07,165 --> 00:12:23,905 Anybody here, if you lost your job right now? 174 00:12:23,905 --> 00:12:27,665 And after the Cobra ran out, looks like we've got somebody 175 00:12:27,665 --> 00:12:29,165 who might have fainted down there. 176 00:12:29,165 --> 00:12:31,965 So if we've got a medic. 177 00:12:31,965 --> 00:12:32,965 No, no, no, hold on. 178 00:12:32,965 --> 00:12:34,905 I'm talking about there's somebody who might have fainted 179 00:12:34,905 --> 00:12:37,105 right down here. 180 00:12:37,105 --> 00:12:39,965 So if we can get a medic just back here. 181 00:12:39,965 --> 00:12:40,965 They're probably okay. 182 00:12:40,965 --> 00:12:42,765 Just give her or him some space. 183 00:12:42,765 --> 00:12:45,765 The Pressure of the President. 184 00:12:49,765 --> 00:12:58,845 So let's just think about if you lost your job right now. 185 00:12:58,845 --> 00:13:01,345 How many people here might have had a preexisting condition that 186 00:13:01,345 --> 00:13:04,885 would mean it would be very hard to get health insurance on the 187 00:13:04,885 --> 00:13:06,945 individual market. 188 00:13:06,945 --> 00:13:09,985 Think about if you wanted to change jobs. 189 00:13:09,985 --> 00:13:12,405 Think about if you wanted to start your own business, 190 00:13:12,405 --> 00:13:16,605 but you suddenly had to give up your health insurance on your job. 191 00:13:16,605 --> 00:13:18,945 Think about what happens if a child of yours, 192 00:13:18,945 --> 00:13:22,145 heaven forbid, got diagnosed with something that made it hard 193 00:13:22,145 --> 00:13:25,745 for them to insure. 194 00:13:25,745 --> 00:13:30,345 For so many people, it may not be a problem right now, 195 00:13:30,345 --> 00:13:34,045 But it's going to be a problem later at any point. 196 00:13:34,045 --> 00:13:36,705 And even if you've got good health insurance, 197 00:13:36,705 --> 00:13:38,085 what's happening to your premiums? 198 00:13:38,085 --> 00:13:39,305 What's happening to your co-payments? 199 00:13:39,305 --> 00:13:40,985 What's happening to your deductibles? 200 00:13:40,985 --> 00:13:42,045 They're all going up. 201 00:13:42,045 --> 00:13:45,785 That's money straight out of your pocket. 202 00:13:45,785 --> 00:13:47,905 So the bottom line is this. 203 00:13:47,905 --> 00:13:51,605 The status quo on health care is simply unsustainable. 204 00:13:54,285 --> 00:14:00,305 We can't have 205 00:14:00,305 --> 00:14:05,105 We can't have a system that works better for the insurance 206 00:14:05,105 --> 00:14:07,665 companies than it does for the American people. 207 00:14:19,665 --> 00:14:24,065 And we know what will happen if we fail to act. 208 00:14:24,065 --> 00:14:28,465 We know that our government will be plunged deeper into debt. 209 00:14:28,465 --> 00:14:32,005 We know that millions more people will lose their coverage. 210 00:14:32,005 --> 00:14:36,065 We know that rising costs will saddle millions more families 211 00:14:36,065 --> 00:14:37,805 with unaffordable expenses. 212 00:14:37,805 --> 00:14:40,025 And a lot of small businesses are just going to drop their 213 00:14:40,025 --> 00:14:41,565 coverage altogether. 214 00:14:41,565 --> 00:14:43,965 That's already what's been happening. 215 00:14:43,965 --> 00:14:45,965 A study came out just yesterday. 216 00:14:45,965 --> 00:14:48,305 This is a nonpartisan study. 217 00:14:48,305 --> 00:14:53,125 It's found that without reform, premiums could more than double 218 00:14:53,125 --> 00:14:57,225 for individuals and families over the next decade. 219 00:14:57,225 --> 00:15:01,785 Family policies could go to an average of $25,000 or more. 220 00:15:01,785 --> 00:15:03,085 Can you afford that? 221 00:15:03,085 --> 00:15:04,285 No. 222 00:15:04,285 --> 00:15:04,585 The President's office. 223 00:15:04,585 --> 00:15:05,965 You think your employer can afford that? 224 00:15:05,965 --> 00:15:07,365 No. 225 00:15:07,365 --> 00:15:07,525 The President's office. 226 00:15:07,525 --> 00:15:09,365 Your employer can't sustain that. 227 00:15:09,365 --> 00:15:13,465 So what's going to happen is they're basically, more and more 228 00:15:13,465 --> 00:15:18,985 of them are just going to say, you know what, you're on your own on this. 229 00:15:18,985 --> 00:15:24,765 We have debated this issue now for more than a year. 230 00:15:24,765 --> 00:15:27,125 Every proposal has been put on the table. 231 00:15:27,125 --> 00:15:30,805 Every argument has been made. 232 00:15:30,805 --> 00:15:34,205 I know a lot of people view this as a partisan issue. 233 00:15:34,205 --> 00:15:40,305 But look, the fact is both parties have a lot of areas 234 00:15:40,305 --> 00:15:43,465 where we agree, it's just politics are getting in the way 235 00:15:43,465 --> 00:15:44,865 of actually getting it done. 236 00:15:54,765 --> 00:15:57,665 Somebody asked, what's our plan? 237 00:15:57,665 --> 00:16:02,405 Let me describe exactly what we're doing. 238 00:16:02,405 --> 00:16:06,605 Because we've ended up with a proposal that incorporates the 239 00:16:06,605 --> 00:16:09,505 best ideas from Democrats and Republicans, 240 00:16:09,505 --> 00:16:12,225 even though Republicans don't give us any credit. 241 00:16:12,225 --> 00:16:15,125 That's all right. 242 00:16:15,125 --> 00:16:17,965 You know, if you think about the debate around health care 243 00:16:17,965 --> 00:16:23,665 reform, there were some who wanted to scrap the system of 244 00:16:23,665 --> 00:16:38,471 private insurance and replace it with government care And look that works in a number of places But I did not see that being practical to get help right away 245 00:16:38,471 --> 00:16:40,911 for people who really need it. 246 00:16:40,911 --> 00:16:43,431 And on the other end of the spectrum, 247 00:16:43,431 --> 00:16:47,011 and this is what a lot of the Republicans are saying right now, 248 00:16:47,011 --> 00:16:49,411 there are those who simply believe that the answer is to 249 00:16:49,411 --> 00:16:52,911 unleash the insurance industry, to deregulate them further, 250 00:16:52,911 --> 00:16:55,551 provide them less oversight and fewer rules. 251 00:16:58,551 --> 00:17:05,071 This is called the Fox Garden, the henhouse approach to health 252 00:17:05,071 --> 00:17:06,071 insurance reform. 253 00:17:09,271 --> 00:17:11,751 So what it would do is it would give insurance companies more 254 00:17:11,751 --> 00:17:15,871 leeway to raise premiums, more leeway to deny care. 255 00:17:15,871 --> 00:17:18,651 It would segment the market further. 256 00:17:18,651 --> 00:17:21,671 It would be good if you were rich and healthy. 257 00:17:21,671 --> 00:17:24,711 You'd save money, but if you're an ordinary person, 258 00:17:24,711 --> 00:17:27,531 if you get older, if you get a little sicker, 259 00:17:27,531 --> 00:17:29,671 you'd be paying more. 260 00:17:29,671 --> 00:17:32,911 Now, I don't believe we should give the government or insurance 261 00:17:32,911 --> 00:17:35,631 companies more control over health care in America. 262 00:17:35,631 --> 00:17:38,211 I believe it's time to give you, the American people, 263 00:17:38,211 --> 00:17:40,511 more control over your own health insurance. 264 00:17:40,511 --> 00:17:52,571 And that's what our proposal does. 265 00:17:52,571 --> 00:17:55,871 Our proposal builds on the current system where most 266 00:17:55,871 --> 00:17:58,951 Americans get their health insurance from their employer. 267 00:17:58,951 --> 00:18:03,811 So if you like your plan, you can keep your plan. 268 00:18:03,811 --> 00:18:07,451 If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. 269 00:18:07,451 --> 00:18:11,951 I don't want to interfere with people's relationships between 270 00:18:11,951 --> 00:18:14,811 them and their doctors. 271 00:18:14,811 --> 00:18:17,411 Essentially, here's what my proposal would change. 272 00:18:17,411 --> 00:18:19,711 Three things about the current health care system, 273 00:18:19,711 --> 00:18:22,091 but three important things. 274 00:18:22,091 --> 00:18:26,011 Number one, it would end the worst practices of the insurance 275 00:18:26,011 --> 00:18:27,011 companies. 276 00:18:33,011 --> 00:18:36,011 This is like a patient's bill of rights on steroids. 277 00:18:37,451 --> 00:18:40,851 The President, I'm going to say, 278 00:18:40,851 --> 00:18:44,591 within the first year of signing health care reform, 279 00:18:44,591 --> 00:18:47,711 thousands of uninsured Americans with preexisting conditions 280 00:18:47,711 --> 00:18:50,711 will be able to purchase health insurance for the first time in 281 00:18:50,711 --> 00:18:53,311 their lives or the first time since they got sick. 282 00:19:00,311 --> 00:19:04,411 This year, insurance companies will be banned forever from 283 00:19:04,411 --> 00:19:11,411 denying coverage to children with preexisting conditions so parents can have a little bit 284 00:19:11,411 --> 00:19:16,111 of security. 285 00:19:16,111 --> 00:19:20,211 This year, under this legislation, insurance companies will be banned from dropping your 286 00:19:20,211 --> 00:19:30,371 coverage when you get sick. Those practices would end. 287 00:19:30,371 --> 00:19:35,031 With this reform package, all new insurance plans would be 288 00:19:35,031 --> 00:19:38,231 required to offer free preventive care to their customers 289 00:19:38,231 --> 00:19:39,231 starting this year. 290 00:19:39,231 --> 00:19:42,911 So free checkups to catch preventable diseases on the 291 00:19:42,911 --> 00:19:43,911 front end. 292 00:19:43,911 --> 00:19:45,331 That's a smart thing to do. 293 00:19:53,271 --> 00:19:56,211 Starting this year, if you buy a new plan, 294 00:19:56,211 --> 00:19:59,671 there won't be lifetime or restrictive annual limits on the 295 00:19:59,671 --> 00:20:02,431 the amount of care you receive from your insurance company, 296 00:20:02,431 --> 00:20:07,611 so you won't be surprised by the fine print that says suddenly 297 00:20:07,611 --> 00:20:10,871 they've stopped paying and you now suddenly are $50,000 or $100,000 298 00:20:10,871 --> 00:20:13,211 or $200,000 out of pocket. 299 00:20:13,211 --> 00:20:17,771 That won't, that will not happen if this becomes law this year. 300 00:20:23,771 --> 00:20:27,271 I see some young people in the audience. 301 00:20:29,671 --> 00:20:38,311 If you're an uninsured young adult, you will be able to stay on your parents' policy until 302 00:20:38,311 --> 00:20:43,111 you're 26 years old under this law. 303 00:20:49,111 --> 00:20:57,631 So number one, number one is insurance reform. 304 00:20:57,631 --> 00:21:02,591 The second thing that this plan would change about the current 305 00:21:02,591 --> 00:21:04,371 system is this. 306 00:21:04,371 --> 00:21:09,631 For the first time, uninsured individuals, small businesses, 307 00:21:09,631 --> 00:21:12,171 they'd have the same kind of choice of private health 308 00:21:12,171 --> 00:21:15,231 insurance that members of Congress get for themselves. 309 00:21:15,231 --> 00:21:18,231 And I think that's the only thing that we can do. 310 00:21:26,231 --> 00:21:29,231 Understand, if this reform becomes law, members of Congress, 311 00:21:29,231 --> 00:21:31,231 they'll be getting their insurance from the same place 312 00:21:31,231 --> 00:21:33,231 that the uninsured get theirs. 313 00:21:33,231 --> 00:21:35,231 Because if it's good enough for the American people, 314 00:21:35,231 --> 00:21:38,231 it's good enough for the people who send us to Washington. 315 00:21:45,231 --> 00:21:50,291 Simply, what would happen is we'd set up a pool of people, 316 00:21:50,291 --> 00:21:52,791 millions of people across the country would all buy into these 317 00:21:52,791 --> 00:21:55,431 pools that give them more negotiating power. 318 00:21:55,431 --> 00:21:57,931 If you work for a big company, you've got a better insurance 319 00:21:57,931 --> 00:22:02,391 deal because you've got more bargaining power as a whole. 320 00:22:02,391 --> 00:22:04,971 We want you to have all the bargaining power that the 321 00:22:04,971 --> 00:22:08,391 federal employees have, that big companies have, 322 00:22:08,391 --> 00:22:10,831 so you'll be able to buy in or small business will be able to 323 00:22:10,831 --> 00:22:12,631 buy into this pool. 324 00:22:12,631 --> 00:22:17,391 And that will lower rates as estimated by up to 14 to 20% 325 00:22:17,391 --> 00:22:18,991 over what you're currently getting. 326 00:22:18,991 --> 00:22:21,191 That's money out of pocket. 327 00:22:21,191 --> 00:22:24,271 And what my proposal says is if you still can't afford the 328 00:22:24,271 --> 00:22:26,131 insurance in this new marketplace, 329 00:22:26,131 --> 00:22:28,331 then we're going to offer you tax credits to do so. 330 00:22:28,331 --> 00:22:31,891 And that will add up to the largest middle-class tax cut for 331 00:22:31,891 --> 00:22:34,071 health care in history. 332 00:22:34,071 --> 00:22:36,071 That's what we're going to do. 333 00:22:42,631 --> 00:22:47,191 Now, when I was talking about this at that health care summit, 334 00:22:47,191 --> 00:22:48,691 some of you saw it. 335 00:22:48,691 --> 00:22:50,131 I sat there for about seven hours. 336 00:22:50,131 --> 00:22:51,491 I know you guys watched the whole thing. 337 00:22:54,491 --> 00:22:59,891 But some of these folks said, well, we just, that's a nice idea, 338 00:22:59,891 --> 00:23:02,871 but we just can't afford to do that. 339 00:23:02,871 --> 00:23:04,831 Look, I want everybody to understand, 340 00:23:04,831 --> 00:23:07,831 the wealthiest among us can already buy the best insurance 341 00:23:07,831 --> 00:23:10,131 there is. 342 00:23:10,131 --> 00:23:13,791 least well among us, the poorest among us, 343 00:23:13,791 --> 00:23:17,031 they get their health care through Medicaid. 344 00:23:17,031 --> 00:23:20,871 So it's the middle class, it's working people that are getting 345 00:23:20,871 --> 00:23:23,931 squeezed, and that's who we have to help, 346 00:23:23,931 --> 00:23:25,371 and we can afford to do it. 347 00:23:33,591 --> 00:23:40,091 Now, it is true that providing these tax credits, 348 00:23:40,091 --> 00:23:43,331 to middle-class families and small businesses, 349 00:23:43,331 --> 00:23:44,391 that's going to cost some money. 350 00:23:44,391 --> 00:23:47,451 It's going to cost about $100 billion per year. 351 00:23:47,451 --> 00:23:52,591 But most of this comes from the nearly $2.5 trillion a year that 352 00:23:52,591 --> 00:23:56,031 Americans already spend on health care. 353 00:23:56,031 --> 00:23:58,951 It's just right now a lot of that money is being spent badly. 354 00:23:58,951 --> 00:24:02,451 So with this plan, we're going to make sure the dollars we make 355 00:24:02,451 --> 00:24:06,231 the dollars that we spend on health care are going to make 356 00:24:06,231 --> 00:24:08,091 insurance more affordable and more secure. 357 00:24:08,091 --> 00:24:10,731 we're going to eliminate wasteful taxpayer subsidies that 358 00:24:10,731 --> 00:24:12,551 currently go to insurance companies. 359 00:24:12,551 --> 00:24:17,191 Insurance companies are making billions of dollars on subsidies 360 00:24:17,191 --> 00:24:20,931 from you, the taxpayer, and if we take those subsidies away, 361 00:24:20,931 --> 00:24:25,391 we can use them to help folks like Lentoma get health insurance 362 00:24:25,391 --> 00:24:26,891 so she doesn't lose her house. 363 00:24:26,891 --> 00:24:39,651 And yes, we will set a new fee on insurance companies because they 364 00:24:39,651 --> 00:24:51,196 stand to gain millions more customers who are buying insurance There nothing wrong with them giving something back But here the bottom line Our proposal is paid for 365 00:24:51,196 --> 00:24:57,116 Which, by the way, is more than can be said for our colleagues on 366 00:24:57,116 --> 00:24:59,496 the other side of the aisle when they passed that big prescription 367 00:24:59,496 --> 00:25:03,096 drug plan that costs about as much as my health care plan, 368 00:25:03,096 --> 00:25:06,096 and they didn't pay for any of it and went straight to the deficit, 369 00:25:06,096 --> 00:25:09,416 and now they're up there on their high horse talking about, 370 00:25:09,416 --> 00:25:11,676 we don't want to expand the deficit. 371 00:25:11,676 --> 00:25:13,956 This plan doesn't expand the deficit. 372 00:25:13,956 --> 00:25:16,276 Their plan expanded the deficit. 373 00:25:16,276 --> 00:25:19,176 That's why we pay for what we do. 374 00:25:19,176 --> 00:25:20,876 That's the responsible thing to do. 375 00:25:31,316 --> 00:25:33,516 So let me talk about the third thing, 376 00:25:33,516 --> 00:25:37,256 which is my proposal would bring down the cost of health care 377 00:25:37,256 --> 00:25:41,816 for families, for businesses, and for the federal government. 378 00:25:41,816 --> 00:25:47,216 So Americans buying comparable coverage to what they have today, 379 00:25:47,216 --> 00:25:52,516 I already said this, would see premiums fall by 14 to 20 percent. 380 00:25:52,516 --> 00:25:54,096 That's not my numbers. 381 00:25:54,096 --> 00:25:59,156 That's what the Nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says. 382 00:25:59,156 --> 00:26:01,716 For Americans who get their insurance through the workplace, 383 00:26:01,716 --> 00:26:03,856 how many people are getting insurance through their jobs 384 00:26:03,856 --> 00:26:04,996 right now? 385 00:26:04,996 --> 00:26:07,216 Raise your hands. 386 00:26:07,216 --> 00:26:11,676 Well, a lot of those folks, your employer, 387 00:26:11,676 --> 00:26:15,356 it's estimated, would see premiums fall by as much as 3,000 388 00:26:15,356 --> 00:26:17,676 percent, which means they could give you a raise. 389 00:26:28,416 --> 00:26:31,956 We have incorporated most of the serious ideas from across the 390 00:26:31,956 --> 00:26:35,156 political spectrum about how to contain the rising costs of 391 00:26:35,156 --> 00:26:36,156 health care. 392 00:26:36,156 --> 00:26:40,916 We go after waste and abuse in the system, especially in Medicare. 393 00:26:40,916 --> 00:26:44,656 Our cost-cutting measures would reduce most people's premiums and 394 00:26:44,656 --> 00:26:48,896 bring down our deficit by up to a trillion dollars over the next 395 00:26:48,896 --> 00:26:49,896 two decades. 396 00:26:49,896 --> 00:26:50,896 Those aren't my numbers. 397 00:26:50,896 --> 00:26:53,596 Those are the numbers determined by the Congressional Budget 398 00:26:53,596 --> 00:26:54,596 Office. 399 00:26:54,596 --> 00:26:55,996 They're the referee. 400 00:26:55,996 --> 00:26:58,916 That's what they say, not what I say. 401 00:26:58,916 --> 00:27:02,956 Now, the opponents of reform, they've tried to make a lot of 402 00:27:02,956 --> 00:27:05,556 different arguments to stop these changes. 403 00:27:05,556 --> 00:27:06,956 You remember, first they said, well, 404 00:27:06,956 --> 00:27:08,856 there's a government takeover of health care. 405 00:27:08,856 --> 00:27:10,796 Well, that wasn't true. 406 00:27:10,796 --> 00:27:13,496 Then they said, well, what about death panels? 407 00:27:13,496 --> 00:27:17,496 Well, that turned out to be true. 408 00:27:17,496 --> 00:27:22,556 The most insidious argument they're making is the idea that 409 00:27:22,556 --> 00:27:25,296 somehow this would hurt Medicare. 410 00:27:25,296 --> 00:27:29,456 I know we've got some seniors here with us today, 411 00:27:29,456 --> 00:27:32,356 So I couldn't tell you guys look great. 412 00:27:34,356 --> 00:27:36,356 I wouldn't have guessed. 413 00:27:38,156 --> 00:27:44,356 But I want to tell you directly, this proposal adds almost a decade 414 00:27:44,356 --> 00:27:47,356 of solvency to Medicare. 415 00:27:47,356 --> 00:27:58,956 This proposal would close the gap in prescription drug coverage 416 00:27:58,956 --> 00:28:01,696 called the donut hole, you know something about that, 417 00:28:01,696 --> 00:28:05,656 that sticks seniors with thousands of dollars of drug costs. 418 00:28:05,656 --> 00:28:08,356 This proposal will over time help to reduce the cost of 419 00:28:08,356 --> 00:28:11,716 Medicare that you pay every month. 420 00:28:11,716 --> 00:28:14,556 This proposal would make preventive care free so you 421 00:28:14,556 --> 00:28:18,096 don't have to pay out of pocket for tests to keep you healthy. 422 00:28:23,996 --> 00:28:27,796 So, yes, we're going after the waste, the fraud, 423 00:28:27,796 --> 00:28:29,736 abuse in Medicare. 424 00:28:29,736 --> 00:28:32,436 We are eliminating some of the insurance subsidies that should 425 00:28:32,436 --> 00:28:35,396 be going to your care. 426 00:28:35,396 --> 00:28:38,796 That's because these dollars should be spent on care for 427 00:28:38,796 --> 00:28:41,396 seniors, not on the care and feeding of the insurance 428 00:28:41,396 --> 00:28:44,256 companies through sweetheart deals. 429 00:28:44,256 --> 00:28:47,396 And every senior should know there is no cutting of your 430 00:28:47,396 --> 00:28:50,596 guaranteed Medicare benefits, period. 431 00:28:50,596 --> 00:28:52,396 No ifs, ands, or buts. 432 00:28:57,796 --> 00:29:05,296 This proposal makes Medicare stronger, it makes the coverage better, and it makes the 433 00:29:05,296 --> 00:29:10,516 finances more secure. And anybody who says otherwise is either misinformed or they're 434 00:29:10,516 --> 00:29:19,036 trying to misinform you. Don't let them hoodwink you. They're trying to hoodwink him. 435 00:29:19,036 --> 00:29:22,036 The President's not going to be a vote. 436 00:29:26,036 --> 00:29:27,036 No. 437 00:29:27,036 --> 00:29:30,696 So, look, Ohio, that's the proposal. 438 00:29:30,696 --> 00:29:35,376 And I believe Congress owes the American people a final up or 439 00:29:35,376 --> 00:29:36,376 down vote. 440 00:29:40,376 --> 00:29:41,696 We need an up or down vote. 441 00:29:44,876 --> 00:29:46,076 It's time to vote. 442 00:29:46,076 --> 00:29:49,616 And now, as we get closer to the vote, 443 00:29:49,616 --> 00:29:52,676 there is a lot of hand-wringing going on. 444 00:29:52,676 --> 00:29:55,776 We hear a lot of people in Washington talking about politics, 445 00:29:55,776 --> 00:29:57,616 talking about what this means in November, 446 00:29:57,616 --> 00:30:03,716 talking about the poll numbers for Democrats and Republicans. 447 00:30:03,716 --> 00:30:04,936 We need courage. 448 00:30:06,436 --> 00:30:11,016 Did you hear what somebody just said? 449 00:30:11,016 --> 00:30:13,436 That's what we need. 450 00:30:13,436 --> 00:30:16,436 That's why I came here today. 451 00:30:16,436 --> 00:30:17,436 We need courage. 452 00:30:25,876 --> 00:30:28,076 We need courage. 453 00:30:28,076 --> 00:30:36,196 You know, in the end, this debate is about far more than politics. 454 00:30:36,196 --> 00:30:43,096 It comes down to what kind of country do we want to be. 455 00:30:43,096 --> 00:30:45,456 It's about the millions of lives that would be touched, 456 00:30:45,456 --> 00:30:49,656 and in some cases saved, by making health insurance more 457 00:30:49,656 --> 00:30:50,956 secure and more affordable. 458 00:30:52,656 --> 00:30:56,896 And it's about a woman who is lying in a hospital bed who just 459 00:30:56,896 --> 00:31:01,336 wants to be able to pay for the care she needs. 460 00:31:01,336 --> 00:31:04,256 And the truth is, what's at stake in this debate, 461 00:31:04,256 --> 00:31:07,696 it's not just our ability to solve this problem, 462 00:31:07,696 --> 00:31:09,356 it's about our ability to solve any problem. 463 00:31:09,356 --> 00:31:11,836 I was talking to Dennis Kucinich on the way over here about this. 464 00:31:11,836 --> 00:31:20,936 I say, you know what, it's been such a long time since we made 465 00:31:20,936 --> 00:31:28,896 government on the side of ordinary working folks, 466 00:31:28,896 --> 00:31:40,576 where we did something for them that relieved some of their 467 00:31:40,576 --> 00:31:45,636 struggles that made folks who work hard every day and are 468 00:31:45,636 --> 00:31:48,136 doing the right thing and were looking out for their families 469 00:31:48,136 --> 00:31:51,036 and contributing to their communities that just gave them 470 00:31:51,036 --> 00:31:54,176 a little bit of a better chance to live out their American dream. 471 00:31:56,316 --> 00:31:59,736 The American people want to know if it's still possible for 472 00:31:59,736 --> 00:32:03,976 Washington to look out for their interests, for their future. 473 00:32:05,976 --> 00:32:09,336 So what they're looking for is some courage. 474 00:32:09,336 --> 00:32:11,736 They're waiting for us to act. 475 00:32:11,736 --> 00:32:13,876 They're waiting for us to lead. 476 00:32:13,876 --> 00:32:16,836 They don't want us putting our finger out to the wind. 477 00:32:16,836 --> 00:32:19,536 They don't want us reading polls. 478 00:32:19,536 --> 00:32:24,836 They want us to look and see what is the best thing for America 479 00:32:24,836 --> 00:32:27,276 and then do what's right. 480 00:32:27,276 --> 00:32:30,276 And as long as I hold this office, 481 00:32:30,276 --> 00:32:33,196 I intend to provide that leadership. 482 00:32:33,196 --> 00:32:36,096 And I know these members of Congress are going to provide 483 00:32:36,096 --> 00:32:37,596 that leadership. 484 00:32:37,596 --> 00:32:42,896 I don't know about the politics, but I know what's the right thing to do. 485 00:32:42,896 --> 00:32:46,396 And so I'm calling on Congress to pass these reforms, 486 00:32:46,396 --> 00:32:48,656 and I'm going to sign them into law. 487 00:32:48,656 --> 00:32:50,536 I want some courage. 488 00:32:50,536 --> 00:32:53,696 I want us to do the right thing, Ohio. 489 00:32:53,696 --> 00:32:56,256 And with your help, we're going to make it happen. 490 00:32:56,256 --> 00:33:00,296 God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.