Obama: Health reform key to economic revival

U.S. President Barack Obamaurged legislatorsWednesdayto get behind his plan to reform the country's bloated $2.5-trillion health-care system, sayingdebate over the issue "is not a game" for millions of Americans struggling to afford medical coverage.

Ina nationally televised address marking his first six months in office, Obama saidoverhauling the U.S. health-care system is "central" to his prescription for rebuilding the economy and making it stronger.

Obama pressed members ofCongress, including those from hisown party,toapprove his comprehensive reform billbefore they head off on their August break, saying "the stars are aligned" to pass the legislation.

Members of both parties are balking at the proposed $1-trillion price tag and how to pay for it.

But Obama insisted the country'sbudget deficit will continue to grow unless skyrocketing health-care costs are brought under control. He saidthe consequence of inaction will be higher premiums and out-of-pocket costs and thousands more people losing coverage every day.

"Let me be clear if we do not control these costs, we will not be able to control our deficit," he said."If we do not act, 14,000 Americans will continue to lose their health insurance every single day.

"These are the consequences of inaction. These are the stakes of the debate were having right now.

He also hit out at opponents in Washingtonwho he saidhavebecome consumedwith turning every issue into "arunning tally of whos up and whos down" whileAmericansspend their life savings or take on crippling debtto have life-saving medical procedures.

"This debate is not a game for these Americans, and they cannot afford to wait for reform any longer," he said. "They are looking to us for leadership and we must not let them down."

'Blue Dog' Democrats balking

But even some moderate-to-conservative members of Obama's party the so-called Blue Dog Democrats say they are concerned about the potential side-effects of health-care reform, such as tax hikes, government control and an even larger deficit.

But Obama reiterated his pledge that any bill he signs will not add to the country's soaring deficit. "And I mean it," he said.

He also vowed to reject any measure "primarily funded through taxing middle class families."

But among the Blue Dog ranks, Jim Cooper, a Democratic congressman from Tennessee, said his sprinting president needs to slow down.

"We need to get all the payment from savings from the current system," Cooper said. "We're estimated to waste about $700 billion a year in payments that not only don't improve our health, but actually sometimes harm our health."

'Long way to go' before full economic recovery

Obama said thefinancial systemhas "stabilized,"but needs new regulations to curtail behaviour and practices that led to the meltdown that brought Wall Street to the brink of collapse.

In the meantime, the U.S. economystill has "a long way to go" before full recovery, he said.

"I realize this is little comfort to those Americans who are currently out of work, and Ill be honest with you, new hiring is always one of the last things to bounce back after a recession," he said.

Obama's approval rating stands at 55 per cent, according to a new Associated Press-GfK poll, down from 64 per cent in late May and early June.

Some 50 per cent of those polled said they approve of his handling of health care, but 43 per cent disapproved, and that number that has risen sharply since April.