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the president:right now in washington,our senate and house of representatives are bothdebating proposals for health insurance reform. today, i want to speak with youabout the stakes of this debate, for our people and forthe future of our nation. this is an issue that affectsthe health and financial well-being of every singleamerican and the stability of our entire economy. it's about every family unableto keep up with soaring out of

pocket costs and premiums risingthree times faster than wages. every worker afraid of losinghealth insurance if they lose their job, or change jobs. everyone who's worried that theymay not be able to get insurance or change insurance ifsomeone in their family has a pre-existing condition. it's about a woman in coloradowho told us that when she was diagnosed with breast cancer,her insurance company -- the one she'd paidover $700 a month to --

refused to payfor her treatment. she had to use up her retirementfunds to save her own life. it's about a man from marylandwho sent us his story -- a middle class college graduatewhose health insurance expired when he changed jobs. during that time, heneeded emergency surgery, and woke up $10,000 in debt -- a debt that has left him unable to save, buy a home, ormake a career change. it's about every businessforced to shut their doors,

or shed jobs, orship them overseas. it's about state governmentsoverwhelmed by medicaid, federal budgetsconsumed by medicare, and deficits pilinghigher year after year. this is the status quo. this is the systemwe have today. this is what the debate incongress is all about: whether we'll keep talking and tinkeringand letting this problem fester as more families andbusinesses go under,

and more americanslose their coverage. or whether we'll seizethis opportunity -- one we might not haveagain for generations -- and finally pass healthinsurance reform this year, in 2009. now we know there are those whowill oppose reform no matter what. we know the same specialinterests and their agents in congress will make thesame old arguments, and use the same scare tacticsthat have stopped reform before

because they profit from thisrelentless escalation in health care costs. and i know that once you've seenenough ads and heard enough people yelling on tv, you mightbegin to wonder whether there's a grain of truth towhat they're saying. so let me take a moment toanswer a few of their arguments. first, the same folks whocontrolled the white house and congress for the past eightyears as we ran up record deficits will argue --believe it or not -- that health reform willlead to record deficits.

that's simply not true. our proposals cut hundredsof billions of dollars in unnecessary spending andunwarranted giveaways to insurance companies inmedicare and medicaid. they change incentives soproviders will give patients the best care, not just themost expensive care, which will mean bigsavings over time. and we've urged congressto include a proposal for a standing commission of doctorsand medical experts to oversee

cost-savings measures. i want to be very clear: i willnot sign on to any health plan that adds to our deficitsover the next decade. and by helping improvequality and efficiency, the reforms we make will helpbring our deficits under control in the long-term. those who oppose reform willalso tell you that under our plan, you won't get tochoose your doctor -- that some bureaucratwill choose for you.

that's also not true. michelle and i don't want anyonetelling us who our family doctor should be -- and no one should decide that for you either. under our proposal, ifyou like your doctor, you keep your doctor. if you like yourcurrent insurance, you keep that insurance. period, end of story. finally, opponents of healthreform warn that this is all

some big plot for socializedmedicine or government-run health care with longlines and rationed care. that's not true either. i don't believe that governmentcan or should run health care. but i also don't think insurancecompanies should have free reign to do as they please. that's why any plan i sign mustinclude an insurance exchange: a one-stop shopping marketplacewhere you can compare the benefits, costs, and track records of a variety of plans --

including a public option toincrease competition and keep insurance companies honest -- and choose what's best for your family. and that's why we'll put an endto the worst practices of the insurance industry: no moreyearly caps or lifetime caps; no more denying people carebecause of pre-existing conditions; and no more droppingpeople from a plan when they get too sick. no longer will you bewithout health insurance, even if you lose yourjob or change your jobs. the good news is that peoplewho know the system best are

rallying to the cause of change. just this past week, theamerican nurses association, representing millions ofnurses across america, and the americanmedical association, representing doctorsacross our nation, announced their support becausethey've seen first-hand the need for health insurance reform. they know we cannot continueto cling to health industry practices that arebankrupting families,

and undermining americanbusinesses, large and small. they know we cannot let specialinterests and partisan politics stand in the way of reform-- not this time around. the opponents of healthinsurance reform would have us do nothing. but think aboutwhat doing nothing, in the face of everincreasing costs, will do to you and your family. so today, i'm urgingthe house and the senate,

democrats and republicans,to seize this opportunity, and vote for reform that givesthe american people the best care at the lowest cost; thatreins in insurance companies, strengthens businesses andfinally gives families the choices they need and thesecurity they deserve. thanks.