Tom,
The harsh truth is that health care is in DIRE need of reform.
Too many are "earning" too much at the expense of too many.
Whether that funding comes from you and me, or Wall Street,
or the insurance giants, or mysteriously appears in big bags,
the argument for socialized medicine grows old as Americans
young and old, poor and wealthy, die and or go bankrupt just
to pay outrageous medical expenses.
I do not have the answers, nor do I pretend to understand the enormity
of the situation. I only know the US health care system fails to provide
for it's people.

Reform is necessary period. The scare tactics of nationalized care are just that : scare tactics. I know an awful lot of people in countries with NHS and let me tell you, not one would give it up for our system. Not one. We've had plenty of conversations about it. I have GREAT coverage, and still can't always see the specialist I am advised to. SO there goes the theory of being able to choose your doctor. People need to get over the fact that we may need to change how this is paid for, but if we don't, the economy will never improve. This is proven, by numbers. IMO, only the insurance companies and the pharmaceuticals will lose out.

The truth is is that as a country we are already paying an enormous
price for our current health care system. All of us. From people being financially ruined because of high costs, to lack of preventive care resulting in people becoming a burden on the welfare system, we are ALL paying dearly. Also people currently with health insurance may not be aware that the quality of their care has declined significantly. The amount of time a doctor is allowed for each patient, the difficulties getting diagnostic testing, rising co- payments, the lack of quality controls in the system, the list goes on. As long as our health care is a "for profit" system we will suffer. We ,as a result, are one of the unhealthiest countries in the world. It is criminal that people are suffering as a result.

We need to wake up.....

Our health insurance co sent us a nice letter of intent...71 % increase September 1, 2009....what is next?

As long as there is profit in keeping people sick, and giving them medication they do not need, then there will always be a problem with outrageous costs in healthcare.

The scare tactics of republicans apposing and criticizing a government run system as a choice to citizens is hilarious no wonder no one takes their comments serious any more. By the way, isn't Medicare a government run system? AND, aren’t Gingrich and his republican friends in congress and the Senate using a government system for their own personal healthcare??????

Voters need to educate themselves and vote out those who appose healthcare reform.

The gap between qualifying for Medicaid and being able to pay for comprehensive insurance is HUGE. THAT's what needs to be fixed. All the homeless and poverty-stricken people in this country already have "nationalized insurance:" Medicaid. All the retired people who want it can get Medicare, another "nationalized insurance." But what about all the people in the working class and in the lower middle class who can't afford to pay the increasingly outrageously high medical insurance premiums plus pay their co-payments plus pay for medications? It's a patently unfair system we have now, and that's what I'm hoping Obama will fix. The only way it will affect ME personally is that I'll have to pay higher taxes. But it will be worth it if fewer people die because they can't afford medical care or prescription medications.