Benefits of Obama's Health Care Plan

Health care is a concerning issue for many Americans. President Barack Obama has long emphasized aggressive plans to overhaul America's health care system.

Expanded coverage

• A new, affordable national health care plan would be created for any individual American and small business, with benefits similar to government employees. All Americans would be eligible for coverage, regardless of illness or pre-existing condition, and monetary assistance would be provided by the government for those in need of it.

Lowered costs

• Premiums would not rise for those with pre-existing conditions. Employers would be required to alleviate health care costs for their employees, and COBRA would be made more affordable. Competition in the insurance and medicine field would increase, thereby decreasing costs. Distribution of drugs from other countries that have been proven to be safe and effective would also be legalized.

Increased choices

• Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), a government program that matches state money for health insurance to uninsured children who don't qualify for Medicaid, would be expanded and made more readily available to those in need. President Obama signed the legislation, called the Children's Health Insurance Reauthorization Act, in February 2009.

Improved quality

• An alarming number of mistakes in the health care system leads to deaths every year in the nation's hospitals. Money would be spent for the best medical technology available to decrease the amount of errors and increase the quality of care.

Advanced medical research

• Hospitals would be required to keep computer records of health care expenses and the quality of care given to their patients. Emphasis would be made on medical research and training to provide doctors and other medical workers with the best knowledge possible.

Increased preventive care

• Access to important information and programs on preventive care (such as health screenings) and chronic illnesses would be expanded and improved. Preventive care would be covered by insurance. The importance of better nutrition would also be emphasized, leading to a decrease in America's problem with obesity and, therefore, a reduction in the cost of health care.