‘We all make mistakes’: Obama accepts apology after Republican calls him a liar during Congress healthcare reforms speech



President Barack Obama says he accepts Republican Joe Wilson's apology for shouting ‘You lie!’ at him during his speech to Congress on Wednesday.



Mr Obama said Mr Wilson apologised ‘quickly and without equivocation.’ He added that he is a big believer that ‘we all make mistakes.’



Mr Wilson, a South Carolina Republican, shouted at Mr Obama during his speech on plans to fix the health system, which was delivered in the House chamber.



Outburst: Joe Wilson shouts out 'You lie' at Barack Obama as the US president defends his health care reform package to Congress



The outburst was an extraordinary breach of decorum for which Mr Wilson swiftly apologized.



Mr Obama addressed the incident with reporters after meeting with his Cabinet on Thursday.



Mr Wilson apologised after his outburst afterwards, saying: ‘I let my emotions get the better of me.’



Despite this, he was criticised by both Democrat and Republican leaders.



Well done, Mr President: Senators congratulate Obama on his speech

'His behaviour was disrespectful,' said former Republican presidential candidate John McCain. 'There is no place for it.'



Vice President Joe Biden said Mr Wilson's outburst 'demeaned the institution'.



A key message in the 45-minute speech was the President's insistence that 'the time for bickering is over'.



Washington analysts suggested 62-year-old Mr Wilson's 'insult' could backfire on the Republicans, who were cast by Mr Obama as more interested in killing healthcare reforms than improving the system.



See Obama's reaction to the attack here

Embedded video from CNN Video





Tempers have been running high over plans to overhaul America's healthcare system.

By addressing a joint meeting of U.S. Congress, Mr Obama was hoping his televised speech would allay fears he was going to 'nationalise' health services.



To rapturous applause from Democrat lawmakers, Mr Obama said: 'I am not the first President to take up this cause, but I am determined to be the last.'

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, left, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton greet President Obama as he arrives

Mr Wilson's slur could be heard clearly in the chamber in response to the President's remark that his health insurance proposals would not provide benefits to illegal immigrants.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi directed a fierce frown at Mr Wilson, who spent much of the rest of the speech with his head down consulting his Blackberry before bolting from his seat as soon as it finished.

First Lady Michelle Obama (L) stands with Victoria Kennedy, wife of the late Senator Edward Kennedy prior to her husband's speech

The so-called Obamacare option has caused uproar across the country and led to Republican opponents of the President's plan making unflattering comparisons with the NHS.

Mr Obama stopped short of insisting that a controversial-government-run insurance alternative-must be part of the final bill. He hinted he was amenable to refining that part of the plan, which has been a lightening rod for criticism from Republicans who accused him of trying to nationalise the country's primarily private health system.

With wife Michelle watching in the packed chamber alongside Edward Kennedy's widow, Vicki, the President put a $900billion price tag on his plan over the next decade. He underlined the need for urgent action to control the nation's spiralling health costs.

Barack Obama smiles as he pauses while delivering his historic speech

'If we do nothing, our deficit will grow,' he said. 'More families will go bankrupt. More businesses will close.

'More will lose their coverage when they are sick and could die as a result.'

The President hit out at 'scare tactics' that have derailed his hopes for bipartisan support.

He singled out 'bogus' claims by former Republican vice president candidate Sarah Palin that his plan includes the formation of 'death panels' with 'the power to kill off senior citizens'.

US Senator John McCain (C) arrives on the floor for the speech. He later defended the president and criticised Joe Wilson

Republicans hold copies of their heath care proposals as U.S. President Barack Obama speaks

Q&A: What are main points in Obama's healthcare reform plan?

HOW WOULD THE HEALTHCARE REFORMS BE PAID FOR?



Obama said the plan would not add to the U.S. budget deficit, but did not offer many specifics on how it would be financed.



He said it would be paid for by eliminating hundreds of billions of dollars in waste and fraud, as well as subsidies in Medicare that go to insurance companies. The rest of the cost would be covered by revenues from drug and insurance companies, Obama said, and the plan would charge insurance companies an unspecified fee for their most expensive policies.



It will include a provision requiring more spending cuts if promised savings do not materialize. It would create an independent commission of doctors and medical experts charged with identifying more waste in the years ahead.



DOES THE PLAN CREATE A PUBLIC OPTION?



It proposes a not-for-profit government-run healthcare insurance program to be part of new 'insurance exchange' and compete with private insurers.



The public option - which has been strongly resisted by insurance companies - would be available only to those without insurance. Obama said less than 5 percent of Americans would sign up for it, based on Congressional Budget Office estimates.



The public option would not be taxpayer subsidized, and would have to be self-sufficient and rely on premiums it collects.



The insurance exchange, a marketplace where individuals and small businesses would be able to shop for health insurance, would take effect in four years. Obama said customers would benefit because they would bargain with insurers as a large group.



The plan would provide need-based tax credits for those who could not afford insurance from the exchange.



WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR INSURANCE COMPANIES?



The plan would make it illegal for insurance companies to deny healthcare coverage because a customer has a pre-existing condition, or to drop or water down coverage to those who get sick. Insurance companies would also be barred from placing annual or lifetime caps on coverage.



It would also limit how much Americans could be charged for out-of-pocket expenses and require insurance companies to cover, at no extra charge, routine check-ups and preventive care like mammograms and colonoscopies.



But the plan would also greatly expand insurance companies' customer base by requiring individuals to carry basic health insurance. It would also require that businesses offer workers healthcare, or chip in to cover the cost for their workers.



There would be a 'hardship waiver' for those who still could not afford coverage, and 95 percent of small businesses would be exempt from the requirements.



WHAT HAPPENS BEFORE THE INSURANCE EXCHANGE STARTS?



Because it would be four years before the exchange starts, the government would offer low-cost coverage to those who cannot get insurance because they have pre-existing conditions, to protect them against financial ruin if they become seriously ill. Obama said that plan was proposed by Senator John McCain, his Republican rival in the 2008 presidential election.



DOES THE PLAN CAP MALPRACTICE SUITS?



Many Republicans have asked that Obama's healthcare plan limit or cap malpractice awards. Obama did not offer any such caps or limits. He said he was proposing that 'we move forward on a range of ideas,' on malpractice suits. He said that his predecessor, Republican President George W.



Bush, considered authorizing demonstration projects in individuals states to test ways to limit doctors' fears of lawsuits, and said he was directing his Secretary of Health and Human Services to move forward on that initiative.



