Bill Clinton: “First, let me say that if you go back to that study, it also says that people are more literate now than they ever have…”

“First, let me say that if you go back to that study, it also says that people are more literate now than they ever have been, but there are more challenges for them now than ever before. All of the research indicates that one of the things people know a lot about is the health care benefits they have and the problems with it. As a matter of fact, one of the problems that I'm having convincing you that we can save money in this system is that you know an enormous amount about your own health situation or that of your employees, and you know it costs more every year. But you've never had a chance to know about how the system itself operates; so it's hard for you to imagine that we can actually save any money--especially where the Government's involved, right? But when you come back to the basic thing, I believe if you simplify the system and you tell everybody you get three different plans at least and here's what the plans do, I think people have had enough experience negotiating their way through the mine field of the American health care system that most of them will do quite well. [A participant asked if abortion would be covered under the new plan.]”