Health hustings on 17 February and update on parties’ health policies

Listen here for my Drivetime radio slot on health hustings and anything new the parties had to say on health

Obama’s pledge of universal health coverage is no more

In Obama’s State of the Union address, the president acknowledged mistakes made in his first 12 months in office and pledged to persist with health insurance reform. So where has Obama got to with his health reforms and how has his promise of universal health insurance coverage changed and diminished?

After nearly a century of trying — Democratic administrations, Republican administrations — we are closer than ever to bringing more security to the lives of so many Americans. The approach we’ve taken would protect every American from the worst practices of the insurance industry. It would give small businesses and uninsured Americans a chance to choose an affordable health care plan in a competitive market.

This quote from Obama’s speech gives it all away….