Obama Officially Establishes White House Office of Health Reform
Filed under: Health Policy Community, Health Reform, Proposed Legislation
President Obama signed an executive order yesterday establishing the White House Office of Health Reform, taking an important first step in formalizing his plans for U.S. health care reform. The Washington Post reports that the office will be headed by Nancy-Ann DeParle, a former Clinton administration health official.
Photo by Bethany L King via Flickr
According to the executive order, the White House Office of Health Reform will work with executive branch agencies, state and local officials, and Congress to enact health reform legislation.
The Office of Health Reform is also charged with bringing to the President’s attention “concerns, ideas, and policy options for strengthening, increasing the efficiency, and improving the quality of the health care system.” Additionally, the order calls for the office to “develop and implement strategic initiatives under the President’s agenda to strengthen the public agencies and private organizations that can improve the performance of the health care system.”
Said President Obama in his executive order,
“The health care system suffers from serious and pervasive problems; access to health care is constrained by high and rising costs; and the quality of care is not consistent and must be improved, in order to improve the health of our citizens and our economic security.”
Obama’s executive order also calls for the establishment of an Office of Health Reform within the Department of Health and Human Services. Visit HealthReform.gov for more information.
Read the executive order in its entirety here.
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