Eight principles of Health Care Reform - from Obama Budget

• Guarantee Choice. The plan should provide Americans a choice of health plans and physicians. People will be allowed to keep their own doctor and their employer-based health plan.

• Make Health Coverage Affordable. The plan must reduce waste and fraud, high administrative costs, unnecessary tests and services, and other inefficiencies that drive up costs with no added health benefits.

• Protect Families’ Financial Health. The plan must reduce the growing premiums and other costs American citizens and businesses pay for health care. People must be protected from bankruptcy due to catastrophic illness.

• Invest in Prevention and Wellness. The plan must invest in public health measures proven to reduce cost drivers in our system—such as obesity, sedentary lifestyles, and smoking—as well as guarantee access to proven preventive treatments.

• Provide Portability of Coverage. People should not be locked into their job just to secure health coverage, and no American should be denied coverage because of preexisting conditions.

• Aim for Universality. The plan must put the United States on a clear path to cover all Americans.

• Improve Patient Safety and Quality Care. The plan must ensure the implementation of proven patient safety measures and provide incentives for changes in the delivery system to reduce unnecessary variability in patient care. It must support the widespread use of health information technology with rigorous privacy protections and the development of data on the effectiveness of medical interventions to improve the quality of care delivered.

• Maintain Long-Term Fiscal Sustainability. The plan must pay for itself by reducing the level of cost growth, improving productivity, and dedicating additional sources of revenue.

Nothing over the top in here. The principles, I think, are not very assailable.

The Politico offers their "translation" and I think zeroes in on what may become the critical throw down issue: Will we have a public insurance option to compete with private insurers in a system where all are required to have insurance?

Henry Waxman told AMA members in DC that a public option was in his plans, and Obama and Sen. Baucus have also indicated support for a public option.

Here is a link to the AMA National Advocacy Council news site. I have to say, the list of speakers is impressive. No Cato, Fraser, Heritage to be found (at least on the fist day - Tuesday) speaker list. Mostly progressive speakers.

Sphere: Related Content