In a meeting with the National Governor's Association, President Barack Obama called for a serious conversation about healthcare, but said it might have to happen when he leaves office because the debate has become "toxic."
"Maybe it will have to happen once I’m gone, because the Affordable Care Act and the debate around healthcare has gotten so politicized, so toxic that we can't have a sensible conversation about it, despite the fact that I implemented a measure that was passed by a Republican governor," he said while addressing the nation's governors.
Tackling healthcare spending long-term is a top issue, President Obama said, because even with cuts to discretionary spending, like education programs and food stamps, Medicare and Medicaid will continue to be the "big ticket" items.
"Maybe once I'm gone, we can go back to have a sensible conversation between Democrats and Republicans about how we should incentivize greater efficiency, better outcomes, higher quality for lower cost in our healthcare system," President Obama said. In his presidency, he said the biggest accomplishment was bringing down additions to the national debt by keeping healthcare inflation at its lowest rate in 50 years after passing the ACA.
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