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Cost, coverage, insurance reforms lead agenda for February 25 health reform meeting

In a letter addressed to the four top congressional leaders, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius outlined the format of the scheduled February 25 health care reform meeting requested by President Barack Obama.

The meeting, to be held at Blair House, in Washington, D.C., will begin at 10 a.m and will be televised live in its entirety. Almost 50 members of Congress and the Administration are invited.

According to the letter, Mr. Obama will provide opening remarks, followed by remarks by a Republican and a Democratic leader. This will be followed by a discussion, moderated by Mr. Obama, on four topics in health reform legislation:

• insurance reforms— "Does it provide adequate protection against abuses by the insurance industry?"
• cost containment— "Does it bring down costs for all Americans as well as for the federal government, which spends a huge amount on health care?"
• expanding coverage— "Does it make coverage affordable and available to the tens of millions of working Americans who don't have it right now?"
• the impact health reform legislation would have on deficit reduction— "Does it help us get on a path of fiscal sustainability?"

The letter also notes that the Democrats will post online the text of "a proposed health insurance reform package" before the meeting that will "put a stop to insurance company abuses, extend coverage to millions of Americans, get control of skyrocketing premiums and out-of-pocket costs, and reduce the deficit."

Mr. Emanuel and Ms. Sebelius write that "it is the President's hope that the Republican congressional leadership will also put forward their own comprehensive bill to achieve those goals and make it available online as well."

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