A National Health Care Debate

By Liz Sidoti

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama summoned allies, skeptics and health care figures of all stripes to the White House Thursday to debate ideas for overhauling the nation's costly system and declared, "The status quo is the one option that is not on the table."

The big Washington session -- Obama called it a health care summit -- and meetings to follow around the country show the new president's push for universal health care coverage will be more open and inclusive than the Clinton administration's failed attempt of 15 years ago.

"In this effort, every voice has to be heard. Every idea must be considered. ... There should be no sacred cows," Obama said as he opened his White House forum on what he calls the greatest threat to the U.S. economy -- rising health care costs. Mindful that opponents derailed the Clinton plan, Obama also issued a warning: "Those who seek to block any reform at all, any reform at any cost, will not prevail this time around." ...