Obama expects health industry to make good on $2T savings pledge

September 30th, 2009 Health care issues: Preventive measuresA look at key issues in the health care debate: THE ISSUE: Can preventive health measures not only improve the well-being of Americans, but also reduce the cost of health care? THE POLITICS: President Barack Obama wants insurance companies to cover routine checkups and screening tests such as mammograms and colonoscopies. "That makes sense, it saves lives, and it will also save money over the long run," he often says.

September 21st, 2009 SPIN METER: $2 trillion in health savings? Where?WASHINGTON — It was a watershed moment in the health care struggle: Leaders of the insurance, hospital and other medical industries stood with President Barack Obama at the White House and promised steps to save $2 trillion over the next decade. Whatever happened to those savings, announced with much fanfare well before Congress had written any of the costly health overhaul bills now in play? Industry groups say they're a work in progress.

September 9th, 2009 Geithner pushes changes to college savings plansWASHINGTON — The Obama administration wants states to make changes to college savings plans that it hopes will expand their use by middle class families. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner says the Section 529 savings plans can help Americans to save for college because of the tax savings they offer.

August 10th, 2009 Top insurance lobbyist: August key in health driveWASHINGTON —August will be a make-or-break month for the drive to revamp health care, as members of Congress use the recess to either sell the need for an overhaul to voters or continue criticism of the insurance industry, the chief of the insurers' main lobbying arm said Monday. Karen Ignagni, president of America's Health Insurance Plans, told editors and reporters from The Associated Press that if lawmakers use their break to vilify her industry, "members of Congress will come back to Washington without a strong sense that health care reform is doable.

July 29th, 2009 Obama delivers on pledge for $100 million in cutsWASHINGTON — It's not real money as measured by the Washington adage of "$1 billion here and $1 billion there," but President Barack Obama's Cabinet has just delivered on his demand for $100 million in budget savings. The release came late Monday with little of the fanfare that accompanied Obama's promise to deliver the savings, which was greeted with considerable ridicule since it amounted to a pledge to cut about $1 for every $10,000 of the $1 trillion budget for agency budgets approved by Congress in March.

July 23rd, 2009 Obama says Medicare benefits won't be cutWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama says cutting Medicare costs won't mean cuts in benefits to seniors. He says his goal instead is to change how those benefits are delivered, to make them more efficient.

July 21st, 2009 Budget chief: Docs fees not paid for in Obama billWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's pledge to make sure health care legislation is fully paid for excludes $245 billion to raise fees for doctors treating Medicare patients, a senior administration official said Tuesday. Peter Orszag, the budget director, said the administration always had assumed the money would be spent to prevent a cut of more than 20 percent in doctor fees that is scheduled to take effect.

June 28th, 2009 Axelrod expects Senate to tackle health care firstWASHINGTON — A top presidential adviser says it probably will be the fall before the Senate deals with a major climate change bill that just passed the House. White House aide David Axelrod says he thinks health care overhaul will be the first thing on senators' agenda.

June 1st, 2009 Health industry delivers plan to White HouseWASHINGTON — Health industry officials delivered a plan to the White House Monday documenting how they'll attempt to save $2 trillion over a decade through measures like reducing hospitalizations and cutting down on paperwork. They identified three big areas for savings: $150 billion to $180 billion from more efficient use of health care services, $350 billion to $850 billion from better managing chronic diseases, and $500 billion to $700 billion through administrative improvements such as standardizing claim forms.

June 1st, 2009 Health industry to deliver plan to White HouseWASHINGTON — Health industry officials pushed to get a plan to the White House Monday documenting how they'd save $2 trillion over a decade through measures like reducing hospitalizations and cutting down on paperwork. On Capitol Hill, Sen.

May 13th, 2009 Senators weigh tax increase to pay for health careWASHINGTON — Senators are considering limiting — but not eliminating — the tax-free status of employer-provided health benefits to help pay for President Barack Obama's plan to provide coverage to 50 million uninsured Americans. Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., said Tuesday that there are no easy options.

May 12th, 2009 Senators weigh tax hikes to pay for health careWASHINGTON — Senators are considering limiting — but not eliminating — the tax-free status of employer-provided health benefits to help pay for President Barack Obama's plan to provide coverage to 50 million uninsured Americans. Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., said Tuesday that there are no easy options.

May 12th, 2009 Health care industry makes effort to cut costsWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama praised the health care industry's promise to cut $2 trillion in costs over 10 years, but lawmakers questioned how much it really helps in coming up with a solution for the millions of uninsured. It's "a watershed event in the long and elusive quest for health care reform," Obama said Monday at the White House with representatives of the insurance industry, doctors, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and a top labor union at his side.

May 11th, 2009 Obama lauds industry offer to contain health costsWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has praised health industry groups for coming forward with an offer to reduce the growth of spending by $2 trillion a year to overhaul the system. Obama appeared at the White House with an array of industry figures, including union representatives, and called it the occasion "historic." Industry figures pledged that they would voluntarily slow their rate increases over the next 10 years.

May 10th, 2009 AP source: $2 trillion offered in health savingsWASHINGTON — Top representatives of the health care industry plan to offer $2 trillion in cost reductions over 10 years in a bid to help pass President Barack Obama's health overhaul, a source familiar with the negotiations said Sunday. Industry officials representing health insurers, hospitals, doctors, drug makers and a major labor union plan to be at White House on Monday to present the offer.