President Obama outlines his proposal for health care reform in Chicago today at a meeting of the American Medical Association

        Here's a sample of how the plan is playing in Southern Arizona.

        For many people, health care means a trip to the E-R because they don't have insurance or regular medical care.

        That's just part of the problem the President's tying to cure.

        Steve Nash of the Pima County Medical Society says many doctors will applaud the Presidents pledge to allow Americans to choose their doctor and health plan.  But they'll be skeptical of whether the Presidents plan for government insurance to compete with private companies will create fair price competition to drive down costs.

        "If the government sets up this public plan so that it really does compete at realistic price levels, and yet includes many of the reforms the President was talking about to lower costs, then it's possible we could do that, if we really make it a real playing field."

       The president says many older Americans return to the hospital within a month of leaving it. He's calling for more comprehensive care to reduce that. To Jim Murphy of Pima Council on Aging says that means better home care.

        "It's mostly probably middle income to lower income who don't have the ability to buy everything they need when they get home from the hospital. And therefore they have to return.  And it's terrible for the them because their condition worsens and it's more costly for the system."

        Hospitals like UMC spend millions of dollars paying for care for uninsured patients.  President Obama wants to cut reimbursements for that sort of care but do it with the idea that more people would have insurance so there'd be less need for reimbursements in the first place.

        But patients like illegal immigrants hurt in accidents would still likely be uninsured and prompt Arizona hospitals to still need large re-imbursements.

        At Pima Council on Aging, they say too much freedom of choice become a problem.  Medicare recipients can choose from 30, 40, 50 drug and Medicare plans. 

        It's confusing, costly and four of five options should be plenty.