Obama ploughs on with sweeping changes to health care system

Washington: Four days before his planned health summit with congressional leaders, US President Obama on Monday morning unveiled his proposal to overhaul the nation's health care system, building on the legislation developed by Senate Democrats last year.

The proposal, which the White House has posted on its website, includes all the major provisions backed by congressional Democrats, including a major expansion in coverage, broad new insurance regulations and initiatives to make the health care system more efficient.

It also represents the president's stated commitment to move forward with sweeping health-care changes in the face of public anxiety and calls from Republicans to scrap the sweeping legislation and pursue more limited changes.

No different

House Minority Leader John A. Boehner of Ohio was quick to contend on Monday that the White House's new push for a health care bill modelled largely on the versions that already had cleared the House and Senate would undermine this week's bipartisan summit.

"The president has crippled the credibility of this week's summit by proposing the same massive government takeover of health care based on a partisan bill the American people have already rejected," Boehner said in a statement issued by his office.

"This new Democrats-only backroom deal doubles down on the same failed approach that will drive up premiums, destroy jobs, raise taxes and slash Medicare benefits."