Obama presses lawmakers on healthcare

WASHINGTON, July 18 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama Saturday urged Congress to pass healthcare reform that would improve care and lower costs without increasing the deficit.

In his weekly address, Obama called healthcare reform an "issue that affects the health and financial well-being of every single American and the stability of our entire economy."

His address came after 22 House Democrats said they opposed a surtax on the richest Americans to help pay for reform, expected to cost more than $1 trillion over a decade.

Obama, who did not mention the surtax in his address, disputed claims reform would increase deficits and took aim at "special interests" and other opponents who he said "would oppose reform no matter what."

He said families struggle to keep up with soaring out-of-pocket insurance costs and premiums rising three times faster than waves; workers worry about losing health insurance if they lose or change jobs; patients are denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions.

Democrats' reform proposals, Obama said, would cut hundreds of billions of dollars in unnecessary spending and "giveaways" to insurance companies in Medicare and Medicaid.

Obama repeated his assertion that offering a public health insurance option would increase competition and "keep insurance companies honest," and rejected arguments that reform would bring about government-run healthcare.

"I don't believe government can or should run healthcare," he said.