Drug industry deal to cut costs for elderly - Just the Beginning...

Opinion of the Editor 'James' (Obamainthewhitehouse.US Blog)

In a strong gesture by the Nation's pharmaceutical industry, they have agreed to cut drug costs for the elderly Americans, proof that a compromise can be acquired to revamp the national health care system. Of course that is only the beginning of what must happen for a successful health reform package to become law. Citizens of all ages, especially the seniors are drastically hit with drug costs, especially when they do not have a secondary means to pay, other than Medicare.

Obama was quick to suggest that stopping here and not going through with his plans for health care reform will be almost as bad towards Americans as the effects of the economy. Drug costs especially affect the seniors, so “this significant breakthrough on the road to health care reform, one that will make the difference in the lives of many older Americans,” Obama said at the White House.

In another statement Obama says “Today marks a major step forward, but it will only be meaningful if we complete the journey. … I have to repeat and revive an old saying we had from the campaign: Yes, we can. We are going to get this done.” The nation's top drub manufacturers agreed over the weekend to at least a 50 percent discount for most beneficiaries for brand-name medicines purchased in the so-called “dough-nut hole” gap in coverage, Obama noted.

The gap involves medication costs of senior citizens between roughly $2,700 and $6,100 a year that are not covered by the Medicare part D plan.

At issue is how best to reduce the cost and increase the reach of the current health care system, which officials say is increasingly draining personal, corporate and government budgets while leaving 46 million Americans without health insurance. Obama says this is unacceptable, noting that he is left numb with the feeling that past U.S. Leaders failed to work on a bill that would provide health insurance to every American.

U.S. problems are monumental, but President Obama is tackling the issues head on, sometimes drawing conclusions from Democrats and Republicans alike that he is doing too much. The fact is that past presidents did half as much as what he is doing, and in President Bush's case, did nothing at all. The only thing President Bush had on his brain, was 'war and terrorists' President Obama would have allot less on his plate.

Critics continue to criticize him, but the critics need to be criticized, because most of them had an opportunity to be part of a nation in the past to try and change things that would have prevented the drastic measures that President Obama is taking today. But they did not act. Republicans are now putting the blame on the Democratic President, saying that it is because of his actions, the government is getting deeper and deeper in debt. Right now, President Obama is on the front lines, as he is on the offensive trying to cure the nations problems, finally stepping up to the plate where past presidents did not, and take whatever responsibility that he must to get the nation back on his feet.
No doubt the health care reform that President Obama is seeking will shoot waves of fear and criticism to people that talk against him and his liberal ideologies. That will never change. But the only word I can use here is 'hypocrite'. This is in reference to the people who supported strong conservative views in the past, and even up to now not realizing that the conservative ideals did not save this country from the economic conditions of the day.