[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 8 (Monday, February 26, 2007)]
[Pages 186-187]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following a Meeting on Health Care

February 20, 2007

    I just had a very interesting discussion with people who are deeply 
concerned about the status of health care in America today. These men 
and women around the table are charged with designing products for 
businesses, both large and small, and individuals.

    And I discussed my health care plan that would allow--would equalize 
the Tax Code so that the individual would be more likely to be able to 
purchase a plan, because I believe a good health care system is one that 
rewards the consumer, encourages the consumer, and makes sure the 
consumer has got the capacity to make viable choices. And when you have 
consumers in charge of their health care decisions, it is a force that 
is likely to keep the health care costs down.

    And so part of our discussion was, how do we encourage the 
development of an individual market? And I thank you very much for your 
insights and your concerns about the current health--the state of health 
care today in America.

    I have the duty to talk to the American people about what I think 
will be a better alternative than one in which the Federal Government 
makes the health care decisions for the patient and the provider. And I 
laid out such a plan in my State of the Union.

    And now I call upon Members of the Congress to analyze this plan 
very carefully, to recognize the best decisions are made between the 
patients and their providers, and to work with the administration in a 
bipartisan fashion to make sure that health care is accessible and 
affordable for as many Americans as is possible.

    We have a duty here in Washington to take care of the poor, the 
disabled, and the elderly, and we're meeting that duty. And now we have 
a duty to make sure the health care system is responsive to the American 
people, and I look forward to working with Democrats and Republicans to 
do just that.

    Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at 1:53 p.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the 
White House. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish 
language transcript of these remarks.

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