Obama wants healthcare ideas

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone,

    This isn't exactly related to RA, but all of us have very strong opinions

about healthcare. President-Elect Obama is asking for our opinions. As someone

with RA, I have plenty of opinions on how to make healthcare better. I imagine

all of you do too.

Take care,

Steph in Virginia

Obama asks nation for health-care reform input Tactic aims to circumvent special

interests that quashed previous efforts

By Ceci Connolly updated 6:10 a.m. ET, Sat., Dec. 6, 2008

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between the tree trimming and gift-giving, President-elect Barack Obama

is inviting Americans to spend part of the holiday season talking about

health care — and report back to him.

As

he gears up for major health reform legislation next year, Obama is

encouraging average Americans to host informal gatherings to brainstorm

about how to improve the U.S. system. The

sessions, which could take place at a party, over a Menorah-lighting or

at the annual Christmas cookie bake-off, are to be held Dec. 15 to Dec.

31. Former senator A. Daschle, Obama's point person on health,

will attend at least one and prepare a detailed report, complete with

video, to present to the next president.

" In order for us to reform our health care

system, we must first begin reforming how government communicates with

the American people, " Obama said in a statement yesterday. " These

Health Care Community Discussions are a great way for the American

people to have a direct say in our health reform efforts. "

By

applying the high-tech tools and grass-roots activism that helped him

win the White House, Obama hopes to circumvent many of the

traditionally powerful special interests that have quashed previous

health-care reform efforts.

During

the campaign, he recruited some 13 million supporters to his Web site,

using the list to turn out record-setting crowds at rallies, find

babysitters for Election Day and solicit ideas for the Democratic Party

platform.

'We want your exact ideas'

With

the transition team contemplating how to deliver on his campaign

promise to expand health coverage and lower costs, " what we want to do

now is to move to a discussion across the country, " Daschle said in a

speech yesterday in Denver. " We want your exact ideas. "

In

addition to the house parties, Obama's transition Web site, Change.gov,

is collecting thousands of comments on health-care reform.

By

seeking broad public input early in the process, the incoming

administration hopes to avoid some of the mistakes of President

Clinton's failed initiative 15 years ago, said Daschle, who is also

Obama's choice for secretary of health and human services.

" Details

kill, " he said, recounting that opponents picked apart Clinton's

thousand-page bill. " Once we get started, we have to stay focused.

Let's finish it, let's not put it down. "