White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs on Wednesday said that the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama has prioritized reforming the country's health care system, but has no firm date as to when any plans would be implemented. Gibbs' comments came a day after Obama addressed for the first time, a joint session of the U.S. Congress, where he set health care reform as a top priority. “We must also address the crushing cost of health care,” Obama said on Tuesday night. “This is a cost that now causes a bankruptcy in America every 30 seconds. By the end of the year, it could cause 1.5 million Americans to lose their homes.” Obama's comments also came ahead of a health care summit that is set to take place in the White House sometime next week. Obama and Gibbs both said that the summit will host businesses, workers, doctors and health care providers, Democrats and Republicans in the White House. “So let there be no doubt: Health care reform cannot wait, it must not wait, and it will not wait another year,” Obama said. When asked for a clarification on the timing of when health care policy reform would take place, Gibbs said “I don't think we'd set any artificial deadline” for reform.
