By Crystal D. Swann
September 14, 2009

President Barack Obama delivered his address on September 10 on the healthcare reform to a joint session of Congress and the nation. After several months of very engaged discussions where thousands of local town hall meeting where held by members of Congress to discuss the current healthcare reform proposals under consideration, President Obama took this opportunity to reissue an urgent call for the passage of meaningful healthcare reform legislation this year. “The plan I’m announcing tonight would meet three basic goals. It will provide more security and stability to those who have health insurance. It will provide insurance for those who don’t. And it will slow the growth of healthcare costs for our families, our businesses and our government,” said President Obama.

During the speech, President Obama re-affirmed his commitment to supporting a healthcare plan that creates an insurance exchange for individuals and small businesses; institutes insurance mandates that would make it against the law for insurance companies to deny anyone coverage because of a pre-existing condition or to drop coverage when a person becomes ill. He also asserted that his plan would not add to the federal deficit. In addressing the concerns about a public option, President Obama stated, “But an additional step we can take to keep insurance companies honest is by making a not-for-profit public option available in the insurance exchange. Let me be clear - it would only be an option for those who don’t have insurance.”

In the audience was San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, co-chair of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Task Force on Health Care Reform. As Co-Chair, Newsom is spearheading a bold campaign urging mayors around the country to call on Congress to pass comprehensive healthcare reform this year. With over 146 cities across the country signed on, the U.S. Conference of Mayor’s letter calls comprehensive healthcare reform legislation that includes:

• Reduce long-term growth of healthcare costs for families, individuals, businesses and government

• Protect families from bankruptcy or debt because of healthcare costs

• Guarantee choice of doctors, hospitals and health plans and the choice of a private or public healthcare plan

• Invest in prevention and wellness

• Improve patient safety and quality of care for all Americans

• Maintain coverage when someone changes or loses a job

• End barriers to coverage for people with pre-existing medical conditions

• Eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse in government health programs

• Hold insurance and drug companies accountable by ensuring that people are not overcharged for prescription drugs, or discriminated against for pre-existing conditions.

• Support public hospitals and other providers in the healthcare safety net so that those who fall through the cracks of expanded health coverage may still receive care, and so that surge capacity is available in case of public health emergencies; and so that the cultural competencies achieved by providers serving diverse populations are preserved and enhanced in a reformed healthcare system.

“Mayors across America are joining together to ask our representatives to stand up to the special interests and act in America’s best interests. We call on Congress to pass real healthcare reform that drives down costs and provides coverage for the uninsured. The future of our cities and our economic recovery depends on it,” said Newsom. “In San Francisco we are proving that a public option works. We are covering the uninsured with quality care without negatively impacting the economy.”

As chief elected officials, mayors are acutely aware of the healthcare crisis with high rates of the uninsured seeking care in cities and rapidly escalating healthcare costs affecting residents, businesses, and workers. City governments spend billions of dollars to provide health coverage to millions of employees, dependents, and retirees, and rising health costs affect cities’ ability to provide other city services.

Currently, four out of the five Congressional Committees – the House’s Energy and Commerce; Education and Labor and Ways and Means Committees as well as Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committees have all completed work – only the Senate Finance Committee remains. They are set to release their bill by mid'september.