--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We right now give $15 billion every year…" description: "\"We right now give $15 billion every year as subsidies to private insurers under the Medicare system. Doesn't work any better through the private insure..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f15/barack-obama-17_billions_we-right-now-give-15-billion-every-year_1207409.jpg" --- # We right now give $15 billion every year as subsidies to… ![“We right now give $15 billion every year as subsidies to private insurers under the Medicare system. Doesn't work any better through the private insurers. They just skim off $15 billion.” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f15/barack-obama-17_billions_we-right-now-give-15-billion-every-year_1207409.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f15/barack-obama-17_billions_we-right-now-give-15-billion-every-year_1207409.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f15/barack-obama-17_billions_we-right-now-give-15-billion-every-year_1207409.jpg) > “We right now give $15 billion every year as subsidies to private insurers under the Medicare system. Doesn't work any better through the private insurers. They just skim off $15 billion.” [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Private insurers receive $15 billion in subsidies that are skimmed off. **In simple terms:** Subsidies to private insurers waste $15 billion. Key Takeaway Reevaluate Medicare subsidy structure. Themes healthcare policy economics Mood concerned analytical Type policy economic When to use this quote - budget analysis - legislative hearings - public forums Key Concepts subsidy inefficiency private vs public debate Questions to Reflect On - What alternatives exist for efficient healthcare funding? - How can public opinion shift policy? A Different Perspective Political opposition may stall reforms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Billions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/billions/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Insurers Medicare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insurers-medicare-3645685/) [Medicare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medicare/) [Medicare Doesn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medicare-doesn-3645686/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Right now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-now/) [Subsidies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subsidies/) [Subsidies Private](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subsidies-private-3645683/) [Year Subsidies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/year-subsidies-3645684/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [President Obama, through health care reform, strengthened Medicare. How did he do that? Well, he found savings by cutting subsidies to insurance companies, ensuring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-cutter/president-obama-through-health-care-reform-strengthened-medicare-how/) [Stephanie Cutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-cutter/) > [When corporations get special handouts from the government, subsidies and tax breaks, it costs you. It means you have to pay more in taxes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/when-corporations-get-special-handouts-from-the-government-subsidies/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [We need to reduce our dependence on foreign oil by ending the subsidies for oil companies, and doubling down on clean energy that generates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-need-to-reduce-our-dependence-on-foreign-oil-by-ending-the/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Insurance companies, drug companies are going to have to be ponying up, partly because right now they're receiving huge subsidies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/insurance-companies-drug-companies-are-going-to-have-to-be-ponying-up/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We'll reduce taxpayer subsidies to prescription drug companies and ask more from the wealthiest seniors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-ll-reduce-taxpayer-subsidies-to-prescription-drug-companies-and/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Medicare in particular will run out of money, and we will not be able to sustain that program no matter how much taxes go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/medicare-in-particular-will-run-out-of-money-and-we-will-not-be-able-2/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [People who have health insurance are benefiting in all sorts of ways that they may not be aware of, everything from no longer having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/people-who-have-health-insurance-are-benefiting-in-all-sorts-of-ways/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [If we are enforcing what should be the rules around Medicare and making sure the people are getting the bang for the buck, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/if-we-are-enforcing-what-should-be-the-rules-around-medicare-and/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Medicare in particular, will run out of money, and we will not be able to sustain that program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/medicare-in-particular-will-run-out-of-money-and-we-will-not-be-able/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I will never turn Medicare into a voucher. No American should ever have to spend their golden years at the mercy of insurance companies.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-will-never-turn-medicare-into-a-voucher-no-american-should-ever/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The rise in health care costs since Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act was passed, have been at their lowest rate in 50 years. Those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-rise-in-health-care-costs-since-obamacare-the-affordable-care-act/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [It was the labor movement that helped secure so much of what we take for granted today. The 40-hour work week, the minimum wage,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-was-the-labor-movement-that-helped-secure-so-much-of-what-we-take/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I think when ordinary working people come home, turn on the TV and see a gala of a bunch of people at, you know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-harper/i-think-when-ordinary-working-people-come-home-turn-on-the-tv-and-see/) [Stephen Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-harper/) > [Every coercive monopoly was created by government intervention into the economy: by special privileges, such as franchises or subsidies, which closed the entry of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/every-coercive-monopoly-was-created-by-government-intervention-into/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) ## More by Barack Obama > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/donald-trump-is-temperamentally-unfit/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What we've said to the girls is: 'If you guys ever decide that you're going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-ve-said-to-the-girls-is-if-you-guys-ever-decide-that-you-re/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Nobody is listening to your telephone calls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/nobody-is-listening-to-your-telephone-calls/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/all-of-us-take-offense-to-anyone-who-reaps-the-rewards-of-living-in/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I want to thank the Greek people publicly for their humanitarian response to the crisis of so many migrants and refugees seeking safety in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-to-thank-the-greek-people-publicly-for-their-humanitarian/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We had a farewell dinner for some of my senior staff, and generally everybody likes to talk about how cool I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-had-a-farewell-dinner-for-some-of-my-senior-staff-and-generally/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ It's good to get fresh legs in \[the White house\]. I think that it refreshes our democracy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-s-good-to-get-fresh-legs-in-the-white-house-i-think-that-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/believe-it-or-not-entertainment-is-part-of-our-american-diplomacy-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Explore all 3,624 Barack Obama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More Billions quotes > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [As far as Japan is concerned, I want to help all of our allies, but we are losing billions and billions of dollars. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/as-far-as-japan-is-concerned-i-want-to-help-all-of-our-allies-but-we/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [The universe is simmering down, like a giant stew left to cook for four billion years. Sooner or later we won’t be able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-bloch/the-universe-is-simmering-down-like-a-giant-stew-left-to-cook-for/) [Arthur Bloch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-bloch/) > [Right now, the government is spending billions of dollars supporting the problem-makers in the U.S. economy - the polluters, despoilers, incarcerators, and warmongers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/right-now-the-government-is-spending-billions-of-dollars-supporting/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [If Jesus is the Son of God in human flesh, He's one of a kind of the 13 billions of people who have ever lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-lahaye/if-jesus-is-the-son-of-god-in-human-flesh-he-s-one-of-a-kind-of-the/) [Tim LaHaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-lahaye/) > [Here we were talking about economic development, about investing billions of dollars in various programs, and I could see it wasn't billions of dollars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-yunus/here-we-were-talking-about-economic-development-about-investing/) [Muhammad Yunus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-yunus/) > [Everyone thinks they've won the Magical Belief Lottery. Everyone thinks they more or less have a handle on things, that they, as opposed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-scott-bakker/everyone-thinks-they-ve-won-the-magical-belief-lottery-everyone/) [R. Scott Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-scott-bakker/) > [Most neuroses and some psychoses can be traced to the unnecessary and unhealthy habit of daily wallowing in the troubles and sins of five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/most-neuroses-and-some-psychoses-can-be-traced-to-the-unnecessary-and/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [The technology involved in making anything invisible is so infinitely complex that nine hundred and ninety-nine billion, nine hundred and ninety-nine million, nine hundred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-technology-involved-in-making-anything-invisible-is-so-infinitely/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [The idea of spontaneous generation of life in its present form is therefore highly improbable even to the scale of the billions of years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilya-prigogine/the-idea-of-spontaneous-generation-of-life-in-its-present-form-is/) [Ilya Prigogine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilya-prigogine/) > [To defy heredity is to defy billions of years, to defy the first cell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/to-defy-heredity-is-to-defy-billions-of-years-to-defy-the-first-cell/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > [When I look at the human brain I'm still in awe of it. Every single time you lift off the bone and open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-carson/when-i-look-at-the-human-brain-i-m-still-in-awe-of-it-every-single/) [Benjamin Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-carson/) > [Every one of us is, in the cosmic perspective, precious. If a human disagrees with you, let him live. In a hundred billion galaxies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/every-one-of-us-is-in-the-cosmic-perspective-precious-if-a-human/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [ We have the ability to take him \[President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez\] out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/we-have-the-ability-to-take-him-president-of-venezuela-hugo-chavez/) [Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/) > [The buildings that were in question, they said in the same report, which was - actually, it wasn't even a bad story, to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/the-buildings-that-were-in-question-they-said-in-the-same-report/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) [Browse all 1,864 Billions quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/billions/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We right now give $15 billion every year as subsidies to private insurers under the Medicare system. Doesn't work any better through the private insurers. They just skim off $15 billion.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-right-now-give-15-billion-every-year-as-subsidies-to-private/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Billions" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-right-now-give-15-billion-every-year-as-subsidies-to-private/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f15/barack-obama-17_billions_we-right-now-give-15-billion-every-year_1207409.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f15/barack-obama-17_billions_we-right-now-give-15-billion-every-year_1207409.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f15/barack-obama-17_billions_we-right-now-give-15-billion-every-year_1207409.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We right now give $15 billion every year as subsidies to private insurers under the Medicare system. Doesn't…” — Barack Obama", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Barack Obama", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We right now give $15 billion...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-right-now-give-15-billion-every-year-as-subsidies-to-private/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-right-now-give-15-billion-every-year-as-subsidies-to-private/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```