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Reader reaction to Reuters news
The cost of health care
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Obama health plan to cost $75 billion -analysis
WASHINGTON, Nov 12 (Reuters) – President-elect Barack Obama’s plans to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system would cost the federal government $75 billion the first year but would provide health insurance for 95 percent of Americans, consulting firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers said on Wednesday.
“The plan would increase to $1 trillion cumulatively by 2018 or approximately $130 billion per year,” the report said.
I found your headline on the cost of the O’Bama health plan very misleading. The $75 Billion” figure doesn’t specify if this the total cost or annual cost. Only by reading the article, does the reader learn that the cost will go over $1 Trillion and be $130 Billion annually by 2018, less than 10 years away.
This is very important information for all online users, whether they read the article or not. The majority will read the headline and be mislead by the true cost of the program.
Please don’t mislead the readers, either intentionally or otherwise.
M.L.
Several readers wrote in to say the headline should have put the $75 billion figure into context: GBU Editor
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I would have to agree with you M.L. First, I would wonder where this money is actually coming from? Surely, I hope he does not plan to raise taxes in order to pay for this, and I would find it wrong for the government to simlpy “print” more money for this. Especially, because of the condition the U.S economy is already in. While i would love better health insurance, it wouldn’t do me well if the cost to get it is more than actually paying the doctor myself. I hope Barack knows what he is doing. May the Force be with him!
I’m absolutely sure Obama clearly realize what he does. I’m sure our health care system will change for better.