Days after celebrating the third anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, President Obama said on Friday that Obamacare is addressing the effects of poor health rather than being used as a proactive part of wellness.
“Right now what we’ve got a disease care system and we should have is a healthcare system,” Obama told late night host Bill Maher in a lengthy interview that aired on HBO Friday night.
Maher, known for his progressive views, tested the outgoing Democratic president on the progress his administration has made on a variety of controversial policies and issues.
“We eat too much corn because we grow too much corn because we subsidize too much corn,” Maher said. “Shouldn’t food be at top of the agenda when it comes to healthcare?”
Obama pointed toward the agricultural business, who has had a seat at the table for decades. He didn’t comment on whether the lobbyists have advocated for reforms that would improve consumers’ health, but called on the public to demand antibiotic-free, pesticide-free, GMO-free foods.
“Part of our strategy is how do we make sure the consumers are aware,” Obama said. “If it turns out that some of these genetically modified foods aren’t healthy, aren’t more productive and use more pesticides, we should follow the science. If in some cases, we find they’re not causing harm, we should follow the science, too.”
Maher asked if the president’s “yes, we can” motto did not encourage the public to become involved enough in issues like “food purity.”
“I have tried consistently to tell the American people, ‘this is only gonna work if you’re engaged,” Obama said.
