“Even as we rescue this economy from a full-blown crisis, we must rebuild it stronger than before — and health insurance reform is central to that effort,” Obama said.
“If we do not control these costs, we will not be able to control our deficit. If we do not reform health care, your premiums and out-of-pocket costs will continue to skyrocket,” he said.
As he laid out the list of benefits that health care reform offers, he dropped a direct reference to a government-funded public health insurance option.
Until now, Obama has consistently touted the government-funded public option as competition for private insurers in expanding access to health coverage.
It was unclear if Obama changed the wording to avoid a label opposed by Republican supporters, or if he was signaling a policy shift toward a compromise being negotiated by the Senate Finance Committee to have health insurance cooperatives rather than a government-funded public option.
Republican Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa told CNN on Wednesday that the Finance Committee was not considering a public option.
Later in the news conference, Obama responded to a question about the public option by saying it was intended to “keep the insurance companies honest.”