Obama discusses health reform during internet town hall meeting

President Obama on Thursday fielded questions from U.S. residents on a range of topics, including health care, at a town hall meeting that was broadcast on the Internet and cable news channels, Politico reports (Gerstein, Politico, 3/26).

When asked why the U.S. could not implement a health care system similar to those of European countries, Obama said that the U.S. has a tradition of employer-based coverage that has met the needs of a lot of individuals for some time (AP/Kansas City Star [1], 3/26). He signaled that he opposes such a single-payer system because it would be too drastic a change from the current system, Politico reports. According to Obama, "It may not be the best system if we were designing it from scratch, but that's what everybody's accustomed to" (Politico, 3/26).

He said that he intends for Congress to find a system that works for the U.S. and that an overhaul needs to occur now rather than waiting for decades (AP/Kansas City Star [1], 3/26). He added, "I think we can accomplish [reform]. Whether we do it exactly the way European countries do it or Canada is a different question. There are a variety of ways to get to universal coverage" (Politico, 3/26). In addition, he said that Medicare and Medicaid are the leading causes of the nation's growing long term-deficit (AP/Kansas City Star [1], 3/26).

Obama also stressed the importance of nurses to the health care system and said they should have a key role in setting the nation's health policy. He also noted the shortage of nurses at a time when the country's unemployment rate is atypically high (AP/Kansas City Star [2], 3/26).

A video of the town hall meeting is available online. A transcript is also available online.