Obama Stumps for Health Care Reform Plan in Upcoming Visits
On Thursday, President Obama will visit Wisconsin and Illinois to speak directly to residents and physicians about health care in an attempt to build momentum for reform efforts, the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Obama is expected to hear from medical professionals on efficient care strategies and listen to personal stories, which he hopes will build a convincing case for quick action by Congress.
According to Obama's political aides, personal stories might be the key to selling a final health reform package.
Dan Grandone, an aide to Obama, said, "When the debate heats up ... the most powerful thing that we have at the grassroots level are people's stories."
The president on Thursday will travel to Green Bay, Wis., to discuss with voters his proposal to use $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years to cover uninsured U.S. residents (Elliot, AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 6/11).
Significance of Green Bay
According to the Washington Post, Green Bay is a model for health care reform because it has managed to control medical spending while improving health outcomes.
The federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has given Wisconsin high scores in 100 different categories, including the treatment of heart disease and childhood asthma.
In addition, research from the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice has found that patients in Green Bay in their last two years of life on average accumulate $33,334 in health care costs, and spend 14.1 days in the hospital and 2.1 days in the intensive care unit, compared with the national average of $46,412 per patient with 19.6 days in the hospital and 5.1 days in the ICU.
Obama Schedule
Obama will attend a town-hall-style meeting that is expected to focus on the city's strategy for eliminating waste and maintaining quality. Obama will hear testimony from Green Bay-area medical professionals on the value of digital records, physician collaboration, preventive care and transparency (Connolly, Washington Post, 6/11).
Next week, Obama is scheduled to address the American Medical Association's policy making House of Delegates in Chicago.
According to the Chicago Tribune, it is unusual for a president -- or even a non-physician -- to address AMA delegates (Japsen, Chicago Tribune, 6/10). This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.