Prospects for Health Care Reform in 2009

Abstract

President Barack Obama has entered a White House burdened by myriad challenges. From the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to global climate change, his administration faces a host of issues that will require strong bipartisan solutions in order to put our country back on track. Among the most daunting domestic policy crises is our crumbling health care system. Today, more than forty-five million people are uninsured in our country. For those with insurance, the status quo is not much better; twenty-two million people incurred high costs relative to their income for medical expenses and coverage in 2007. President Obama appreciates the unsustainable burden this places on everyday Americans and therefore has made reform of our health care system a top policy priority of his administration.