Nothings going to work until you get the dishonest people out of it.
Mr. President you should know this ,you have been on Capitol Hill long enough to see the outrages behing the scenes politics we are facing. lets see the change dem. and rep. lets see the change act like a united people. Ask not what this country can do for you but what
what you can do for this country, lets stand up for the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

Just think the democratic leadership and and the White House wanted to cram this down our throats this summer before we the people had a chance to know what they were doing. Thank God for those who stood in their way. We can get to true health insurance reform;.it's called compromise.

I havent read the bill proposal, but I think a national medical system is a top political status that most democracies around the world have achieved, it is time the US comply with it.

I am so glad you confess to not having read the entire document and isn't it sad that most of the Democratic party is guilty of the same thing – their leader pushed it upon them and wanted them to vote on it in record time, how could they have read it – in fact, how can any American honestly support such a huge piece of legislation that most people do not understand and most of the public is in the dark about how it could possibly effect them. This will change all of our lives and it should be given the proper amount of time to be digested. The President should not bully his party and America to accept something they know little about – this was the President that talked a great talk on Transparency – everything has seemed very cloudy to me.

Isn't that the way to kill a bill? Bombard the elected officials with paper that they won't possibly read. Pity for the poor people who can't afford health care.

The Obama plan for healthcare is a plan for disaster. It will seriously degrade the quality of healthcare in this country. Obama's plan has a hidden trap that everyone needs to be aware of – the plan will require us to make a "choice" of whether we want to remain with our current company-provided healthcare plans (for the many of us who are working and already have healthcare coverage) or switch to the new Obama healthcare plan. Everyone not currently covered by a company-provided healthcare plan will be automatically enrolled in the Obama healthcare plan – and – even if you've made the "choice" to stay with your current company-provided plan – if you change jobs, or leave the company, or get let go – you will lose your company-provided healthcare (No More COBRA ! ! !) and you will then be automatically enrolled into the Obama plan – AND – once you are enrolled into the Obama plan – you can NEVER leave the plan and go back to a company-provided healthcare plan! So as you can see – the Obama plan is eventually going to entrap ALL of us and systematically wipe out all company-provided healthcare plans! Even WORSE – those of us who have company-provided healthcare plans are going to be taxed on that company-provided benefit – to help pay for the Obama healthcare plan! With the Obama healthcare plan – you will lose your choice of doctors and healthcare facilities – all of us will be fed through a government controlled "healthcare mill" where the quality of our healthcare will fall into the pits. I've worked in the healthcare industry for over 34 years and I sincerely hope that everyone who wants to maintain their choice and quality in healthcare will rise up and firmly oppose the Obama healthcare proposal – it will forever ruin the high quality healthcare standards in this country that have become the envy of the rest of the world. I don't want to be told who my doctors will be and have virtually no options as to which hospitals and facilities that I could be treated at – I want to choose my own doctor, hospital and other healthcare facilities – and I absolutely do not want Obama to take my healthcare choices away from me! And I DON'T want him to tax me on my company-provided healthcare plan! If you feel the same – contact your representatives in Washington and Let Them Know!!!

""Palin and the BLue HAIRS have never gone to Europe to use the HEALTH SYSTEM there, so how would they know it is socialism. Furthermore, blue hairs are too old to learn the language in order to get the FACTS".

CNN and activist journalist Anderson Cooper enjoy dismissing and marginalizing the American People, he and CNN will suffer through their poor ratings and more importantly their credibility in the eyes of the American people. Instead of tanking for this new administration maybe CNN should do their job and report on the tremendous grass roots movement occuring all around them....what a shame when their is only one major network doing their job!

If your feeling dizzy from all of this you can thank the right wing nuts!! I agree the wording on some of the pieces of the bill need to be redone no doubt! But don't tell me we don't need this important bill passed. Why because the greed of the health care companies over the last 20 years is what is out of control not Obama and his administration!! 400% over the last 8 Bush years. Anybody with brains knew George took care of his friends in big business and health care companies or banks were no exception. What make me dizzy is to think we went through corrupt banks
only 10 months ago and not one republican rep or voter was mad about that were they!! They loved to see their 401k go down the toilet!! Your all crazy!!! I am for free enterprise oh yea well it is costing the entire middle class daily no job no house no insurance and what is left!!! Nothing!! Your all ANTI Americans

rich

We, the commentators, receive bits and pieces of the new health care program but nobody really knows what is included or excluded, yet we talk and we protest and we approve and disapprove. When are we going to get the details and not just promisses and assurances so that we can REALLY decide for ourselves...oh wait...there will be no "us making any decisions". The big boys do it for us and we are sheep having to follow, whether we like it or not.

It’s funny we hear Republicans say that they do not want “faceless bureaucrats” making medical decisions but they have no problem with “private sector” “faceless bureaucrats” daily declining medical coverage and financially ruining good hard working people (honestly where can they go with a pre-condition). And who says that the “private sector” is always right, do we forget failures like Long-Term Capital, WorldCom, Global Crossing, Enron, Tyco, AIG and Lehman Brothers. Of course the federal government will destroy heathcare by getting involved, Oh but wait, Medicare and Medicaid and our military men and women and the Senate and Congress get the best heathcare in the world, and oh, that’s right, its run by our federal government. I can understand why some may think that the federal government will fail, if you look at the past eight years as a current history, with failures like the financial meltdown and Katrina but the facts is they can and if we support them they will succeed.

How does shouting down to stop the conversation of the healthcare debate at town hall meetings, endears them to anyone. Especially when the organizations that are telling them where to go and what to do and say are Republicans political operatives, not real grassroots. How does shouting someone down or chasing them out like a “lynch mob” advanced the debate, it does not. So I think the American people will see through all of this and know, like the teabagger, the birthers, these lynch mobs types AKA “screamers” are just the same, people who have to resort to these tactics because they have no leadership to articulate what they real want. It’s easy to pickup a bus load of people who hate, and that’s all I been seeing, they hate and can’t debate. Too bad.

Once again, I think the public option is being very blatantly and deliberately misrepresented, as a Republican scare tactic.

The public option has a means test, and no one over 300-400% of the federal poverty level will even be able to get on it.

To repeat: it is not a universal system. It is not a single payer, national health insurance or a government takeover of health care.

Why is no one talking about these means tests?

I am 68 have Cancer, am on Medicare and start Chemo 08/172009. So far the system has worked for me.
We already have a National Health Care System. It is Medicare, Medicaid and Private health insurance.
The problems are the cost , the delivery system, cost shifting, inequitable distribution and service and fiscal sustainability.
Just as a failure to educate the population -leads to more misfits who become criminals that we have to spend to protect ourselves from and eventually for 2 M million + we have to lock up and spend $35000+ per year to keep in jail. A failure to provide Accessible Health Care for everyone does not save money, it costs more in the long run. Building the Dam correctly upfront, is always better than attempting to repair the breach and deal with the consequences – just look at New Orleans.
So with Health Care. " If not now – When? "

No its the People thats oppising it thats making my head hurt. Everythime i hear People say we cant afford healthcare Reform it makes me sick . People whining about the government taking over, you didnt say that when G. W. Bush gave you a rebate check that contributed to the deficit did you send the check back and say we cant afford it no, i bet you spent it well. and i bet it did benefit the poor as much as the rich NO! the poor they are on their own in this country .THANK YOU PRESIDENT OBAMA FOR BEING A CONCERN PRESIDENT NOT A PERFECT PRESIDENT!

""Palin and the BLue HAIRS have never gone to Europe to use their HEALTH SYSTEM, so how would they know it is socialism. Furthermore, blue hairs are too old to learn the language in order to get the FACTS".

My comment is: if they can not provide adaquate health care for our veterans, then why do they think they can provide health care for the rest of the country?

The Majority of the country is not going to accept this Health Care Reform Bill the way it was originally written. Perhaps this time they can enlist all partie's imput and get a remake that is acceptable to all, not just one party.

The whole face of the country will be changed for something that originally was supposed to be for the 47 million Americans without insurance. In it's original form, it would have covered all 300 million Americans and gave more power and control to the Government.

This time when it comes back out, it better be for the original ones without insurance. Not including the 10-12 million illegal alliens! The Government can help the rest of us by cutting costs in the Health Care Industry costs if it wants to. We will see just what kind of help they can give.

They need to keep their hands out of the controls of any "new" Health Care System that is started.

This is a problem. Regular folks can't read this legalese. I'm pretty smart with a college education, but I couldn't read more than a page or so of the bill before I ran screaming from the room. I realize that congress is mostly lawyers, but shouldn't this pass by some non-lawyerly readers to check for understandability? No wonder it gets blown all out of proportion. If I were their teacher, I'd hand it back with instructions to stop trying to show off and to write it again in plain english.

So your head hurts,well so does mine,and the rest of the country I guess,but what's one to do when our Government force feeds us like a newborn baby. Since when did it matter what the public wanted anyway,and that goes for the last thirty-something years. The K-Street Boy's give the government their maching orders when they write the very legislation,suitable for digestion,or indegestion? Instaed of giving us an aspirin,and sending us home to get a good nights sleep,they slip us a panacea,aka:placebo,and have a good laugh,never once regurgitating the bile aftertaste of humiliation into their absentee consciousness. These vulpine prevaricates have had a good run,but the raging, sleeping, complacent giant has awokened and will have them Hanged,and quartered this 2010 election! Bona Petite,...

As evidenced by horrific Greenspanian Fed policy; mortgage fraud; the collapse of the automobile industry; the death of Wall Street; and now healthcare reform, it's clear that no one knows anything about anything anymore.

Aside from selling himself, Barack Obama seems deplorable at selling everything else.

It's as if the esteemed Mr. Obama is trying his best to draft "The Declaration of Dependence."

Health care reform? yikes; Stimulus? please; Automotive industry? come on; Bank takeovers? all fraud; Geithner? hysterical; Robert Gibbs? you can't make this stuff up.

I wish they would just focus on making some reforms to our current system that would actually help and save us all money. Make public when doctors use drugs so they lose their license. The AMA is against that which is why its not public. Make doctors pay for their own malpractice insurance so they can't pass it on to us in the fees they charge for everything. Allow people who become unemployed who can't afford cobra to join their states group coverage. These are changes that will actually help. Not creating a new system that everyone is forced to pay for. That means empployers and employees. We are the government that provides the money for congress to have their current plan. Its our tax dollars. Why would we want to pay more.

Just how large a bill do you think would be appropriate for legislation providing comprehensive health care reform? A typical "explanation of benefits" booklet from a private insurance company runs to 100 pages itself. What if you added all the other documentation that is necessary to cover the insurance company's interaction with doctors, labs, hospitals, and other service providers? And this legislation also has to cover the responsibilities of various federal agencies and the states. It had better be extensive. For heaven's sake, there are some 900 pages in one of the Harry Potter books, and more than a few people managed to read it.

Still, a lot of people like to cite the 1000 page number because it's a big round number and as TV-watching illiterate Americans we're supposed to be impressed. Yet if you've looked at HR3200 (the draft of the House bill), you'll quickly discover that the page count is misleading. The margins on the bill are wide enough for truck traffic (no doubt to allow room for written comments), the lion's share of the text is double-spaced, and the normal body font is huge. If someone held up a page, you could read it from the other end of the room.

Nevertheless, it is not difficult to find topics in the bill. It comes with a table of contents and the entire bill is searchable in its electronic form. The topics themselves are complicated - the industry after all represents some 16% of the US GDP - but to suggest that it is too difficult to understand by mere mortals is just rubbish. We're not talking quantum physics here. There are plenty of online resources available for anyone whoe genuinely wants to understand and debate the ongoing policy discussion.

A shorter bill would not necessarily be a better bill, and in my mind, if you're a journalist assigned to cover the topic, you ought to spend a little less time on Twitter and Facebook, and more time doing your homework reading the bill.

Well folks, for what it's worth, we can still afford asprin and that helps prevent head aches and heart attacks. Compromise vs Caring ! 1000 pages ? Not enough asprin and waiting for the outline of specifics and 1-10 to accomplish of objectives. Eliminate confusion Health Care ! Calling all 6th graders for Health Care clarifications and solutions with outlines for Obama ! Read 1000 pages ! Recovery America and Reinvestment Act 2009 at work ! It's all bipartisan reform ! What is the cost of discounted dental work ? Help I've fallen and I can't afford health care !

Medicare has 98 % of old folks in the system already so if the gov wanted to uthenize elders they do not need a trogan horse. They don't need a new program they could use the old..... What a phoney agrument for just saying noooooo.
Barack is just doing what Jesus would do ...the hyprocite reps pretend like they care for the poor when they just want to take advantage of them.....

I would like to see a final version of this health care bill and have plenty of time to review, debate and actually be able to have town-hall meetings with elected officials AFTER the final bill is proposed and BEFORE they try to vote on it.
Republican congressmen and senators as well as the American public were shut out of the Stimulus debate and the Omnibus package discussions. There was nothing bi-partisan about it. Now the town hall protests and vocal objection to the Dem steamroller is slowing it up for discussion. We didn't drink the kool-aid.

One thing that would help current costs to the consumer is to have a generic form of any medicine that can be prescribed long before we can now. Now there is a time period after introduction of a medicine where no one can come out with a generic form of the medicine. Generics work as well as branded drugs and cost a bunch less for the uninsured as well as those on medical insurance (in co-pays; 5 – 10 for a generic where a branded can be charged completely to the patient and a months supply can be 300$ and up per month). This would at least help people who are currently having to choose between eating and having their medicine each month.

I am on medicaid, a government sponsor program. Reason is, I cannot afford regular health insurance. It is working for me. I am also a veteran, so I go to a VA clinic about once a month. Better than any insurance company. When I reach 65 I will be on medicare, another government program, then I will have a choice to make, either to keep the VA or medicare, or keep both of them. I am for one payee, one card covers all, less confusion. But I don't think that will ever happened. For now the system should stay the way it is.

To be fair it should be 1000 pages plus at this point, get all ideas on the table until it goes through the last draft revision to hit the floor. It's both sides of the debates responsibility to work collectively on the final version.

Since we've outlawed waterboarding, should our new form
of "torture" be to have to read this health care bill and then
pass a quiz?

If the administration were serious about fixing the healthcare system, malpractice lawsuit reform would be the centerpiece of the legislation. One of the largest costs in the system is the malpractice insurance carried by doctors and hospitals. It also results in defensive medicine...extra test potentially to limit liability for an incorrect diagnosis. The irony is that there is no mention of tort reform, yet doctors will be limited on the diagnostic work they can do to fully evaluate and treat their patients. Because they omit this from the bill, I can draw no other conclusion than their primary motivation is not improving the healthcare system in America, but keeping their interest groups placated.

It is not fair to say those who oppose the house bill are anti-american or don't care about others. There have been numerous proposals that would keep the parts of the system that are the envy of the world and find market-based solutions to increase the portability of insurance and the access to insurance.

Your head hurts??? Take 2 asperin and call us later.....I for one am sooooooooooooo tired of making the Pharmacuetical, Insurance, hospitals and doctors RICHER.....We definitely NEED "affordable" healthcare plans for all of us, in the USA. The people that have health insurance through their companies, unless it's free, which I hardly doubt, I know your monthly premiums are MUCH HIGHER then what they were in the past. If that's what you all want to continue paying then so be it....I certainly want less expensive monthly premiums....like the ones the Senate and House of Reps have....

please ,tell them to read the bill before they vote it

I tried (really tried) to read the 1000+ page bill, but found it was an impossible task. Without a legal background, even if I were able to read through all the pages, I am sure that I still would not fully comprehend it. That is exactly the point. The bill is too complicated. Why can't the Congress and the Obama administration divide the health care reform into a few smaller bills and pass them in phases.
For example, why not focus on passing a bill that deals with health care cost control first? What is the hurry?

Ohhh! I got it. It has nothing to do with the overall benefits of the American people, it is all about re-election for the DEM.

Anderson, I was watching your interview with Wendell Potter the Health Insurance Whistleblower. The information he gave during his interview is very true I worked for BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee for years I saw multiple claims and medical records denied for pre-existing condition or cosmetic procedures not covered for serious conditions that should have been covered. For example if an obese patient has been approved by the insurance company to have a weight loss procedure performed due to current health risk their obesity has caused, after the surgery has been performed there tends to be excessive fat tissue hanging from the patients body the insurance company may deny the removal of that additional tissue as a cosmetic procedure or possible pre-existing condition which is determine by the insurance company in house physician and nurses who has never exam the patient and has no idea who the patient is. His/Her determination is based on the medical records submitted by the patients private physician. How can the insurance company approve the weight loss surgery but consider after care as a cosmetic procedure or pre-existing condition. I have seen it happen, Health Care Reform is definitely needed in this country those people that’s protesting against it has no idea of how the insurance industry has their in house physicians determine life/death decisions for them. I have seen some very sad cases that involves infants and elderly if people only knew what really goes on within the insurance industry they would stop shouting and start listening.

A. F. T.

The Republican party is continously calling President Obama a Socialist over trying to achieve health care reform and bailing out the auto industry. Anderson, please feel free to check my facts. Did President Bush not use most of the first half of the TARP funds to bail out the banks? Does this make President Bush a Socialist also??

I am from a small country probably the only truly democratic country in the World no army police don't carry guns but we have socialist health care does not ment the we are socialist country and really works is time to do something about it tha country is COSTA RICA

The greatest fear with health care reform for allot of Americans is that a bill will go thru congress giving tons of tax money to Insurance Companies who have been reaping the tons of dollars they have been getting for 50 years from good and decent citizens for payments just to have insurance that may or may not be used to cover a persons medical expenses. Having private medical insurance is a dice game anymore with these insurance companies telling everyone who has had a medical exspence if they will cover the expense or not. The insurance industry in American is a failure. When costs for medical insurance become too high for them, they back away from the customers they have promised to cover. Even worse is that the the lobbyists that go into the congress and to the senate, thru their contibutions to these congressmen and senators special intrests, will be trying to persuade our elected officials to swing the laws in a reform bill to the Insurance companies way. I am going to venture to say that the majority of congressmen who are out having these town hall meetings are already on the Insurance Lobby payroles in one form or another. I do believe that if these elected officials in Congress and the senate were Identified as being recipiants of Insurance lobby dollars, the american votong public will deal with them thru our ability to vote them out of office. So far many of the American people who need extensive health care, who don't have an employer to cover their health insurance costs are losing their homes and lives just to pay back the bills from the hospitals, whose cost are irresponsibly "Out of Control". Just last month I had to pay a $450 dollar bill out of my own pocket for my wife's Pap Smear test. $450 dollars for a medical test that in this day and age should be routine and 350 dollars cheaper. This is what I mean by being irresponsibly "Out of Control". I just can't imagine the bills people have that have had to undergo major surgery for a heart or spinal condition or some other ailment of a serious nature. Giving tax dollars to Insurance companies after 2 of largest "Bail Outs" in American History to keep the economy afloat, is also irresponsable.

The Insurance Companies aren't the fix, they are the problem. Between them telling us americans what they will cover and what they won't after the nation has been paying their premiums for generations along side of the Doctors and hospitals outrageous fees for services has undermined the nations economic bail outs. Remember it was the Insurance companies who left the state of Florida after last decades hurricanes. The costs to rebuild the homes of their customers was too high for them and they mearly said, "We are not going to insure the people of the state of Florida any longer for catastrophic Hurricane insurance. They pulled the rug out from under everyone in the state, even the state government after the people of Florida had been paying them for Hurricane Insurance for decades.

So who do you think is lining up at the doors of the senate and in congress telling our elected Officials that they are all for reform, just to stay on the "good and Paying side of the national argument? The Insurance Companies who want the new laws to "Bend" their way. There are probably thousands of Insurance Industry lobbists just waiting for the chance to be seen by our Congressmen and Senators who are probably already on the Insurance Lobby payrole for campaign contributions and / or special projects created by these Congressmen and senators. And we want these people to have our tax dollars to fix the national health care crisis?

I don't think so.

Are there any free American Citizens lobbying to the same Congressmen and Senators for a fair deal? Probably not many.

With all this anger and violence at town hall meetings, I believe one way the media could really contribute to the healthcare debate is to air Michael Moore's Sicko during prime time. The right wing is really stirring up an uneducated electorate. Documentaries such as Sicko would really help to put this debate into perspective.

Claudette
Delray Beach FL

Why doesn't Obama involve doctors while making his policy? Doctors are the people who actually see health care in action. The AMA's support doesn't count unless they allow their members to voice their opinions.

I'm a veteran I go to the v.a hospital in Los Angeles and all of us veterans get travel pay when we complete our appt. and we pick up our cash that help us to come back for our next appt. some big brain west L .A VA hospital started paying us veterans by checks which we are not getting in time for our next doctor Appt. so now we have to cancel our Appt . because no money to pay for travel to get to the doctor for Appts. all of us veterans depen on our travel pay so we can return the for our next appt. lots of us veterans have appeals set down at the Department Of Veterans Affairs for years in Los Angeles and were not getting any help. we are hurting can cnn help us are look into it for us veterans we are being left behine. health care for veterans here is ok but can be better for us veterans pleease can cnn look into these problem travel pay and the appeals board on why our claims has to sit in room for years before they are taken care of veterans end up passing away waiting for they case to be heard by Wash-DC Veterans appeals Board to hear our case we are veterans vetenams veterans and teated not good by our on country and we need to get this fix because the young men and wonan that are over sea going to come home having the same problem us old veterans are having now please we need help. thank you

I think that all cnn comentators shoud face bill o'riley or sean. face up to real tough questions not the softies you guys have every night. also stop advertizing you're number one (you're not) and enough with michael jackson. enjoy the next year dems change is comming!!!!!!!

The president has ably defended his health care reform program before the american public point by point. An option for a public health insurance is the best remedy to bring down the costs of health care and provide affordable insurance premiums. Since we don't have a standardization of the proffesional fees of the doctors private insurance tends to bloat their insurance premiums in anticipation of the uncertainty in the outcome of the doctors proffesional fees. With public health insurance the government can regulate the proffessional fees of the doctors maybe with slight variations in the fees with respect to cosmopolitan cities taking into considerations the high cost of living and the sophisticated facilities to be used among others.

IT'S JUST LIKE ME ASKING MYSELF THE QUESTION---WHAT IS HAPPENING AT CNN ON SUNDAY MORNINGS FROM 9AM-–1PM.

Did anyone catch Anderson Cooper's interviewing his so-called joe everyman on the health care debate. He shows the guy with his kids eating dinner, the whole down home scene. Turns out the guy runs a 'small health care business?" Uh, hello Anderson, try interviewing the great majority of people who WORK FOR OTHER PEOPLE, hourly wage employees, etc....and get there take......
You suppose this guy has a certain take on the reform, owing to the fact that he is in the health care business. Give me a break.....Great reporting Anderson, I felt like you had your pulse on the heart of the American People......not......john harper

Those who blindly follow Obama and his health care reform are what the Germans referred to "convenient idiots". They are no different than the ignorant but trusting Germans, who allowed, even supported an individual to successfully become a dictator, and take over Germany, kill millions of Jews and those that tried to defend them, and begin a war that killed millions and millions around the world. The funny thing is that based upon his previous writings, his plan was out there all along and people either didn't take time to examine it or didn't take it seriously. No, I am not saying that Obama is Hitler, but I am saying that if you go back and review what Obama has said and written you will see his agenda clearly! Look, with your eyes wide open, at what Obama said as a community organizer, look at his voting record in Chicago, look at his friends and role models. It is all there for you to see! Those that say that the Americans who are opposing his take on Health Care Reform are not ignorant, racist, or a mob. They are people who have taken the time to investigate Obama, the bill and his agenda. I am proudly, one of those Americans!

If you are going to express your opinion or vote, do your homework! I was amazed at the number of Obama supporters who, when asked, knew nothing about our government and elected officials! It would have been funny if it wasn't so sad.

Before you add a comment, ask yourself, "How much and what do you really know about our government?” And, if you can not honestly say that you have taken the time to understand the basic details of how our government operates, say nothing until you do your homework! Otherwise, you are nothing more than a "convenient idiot".
Those who blindly follow Obama and this health care reform are what the Germans referred to "convienient idiots". They are the same ones that trustingly allowed a an individual to become a dictator, take over their country, kill millions of Jews and those that tried to defend them, and begin a war that killed millions and millions around the world. The funny thing is that based upon his previous writings, his plan was out there all along and people either didn't take time to examine it or didn't take it seriously. No, I am not saying that Obama is Hitler, but I am saying that if you go back and review what Obama has said and written you will see his agenda clearly!

If you are going to express your opinion or vote, do your homework! I was amazed at the number of Obama supporters who when asked, knew nothing about our government and elected officials! It would have been funny if it wasn't so sad.

Before you add a comment ask yourself, "How much and what do you really know about our government? And, if you can not honestly say that you have taken the time to understand the basic details of how our government opporates, say nothing until you do your homework! Otherwise, you are nothing more than a "convienient idiot".

How can anybody support legislation that nobody read and they can't explain? There are not 47 million Americans who don't have insurance because there are 12 million illegals included in the figure as well as those who can affored but chose not to purchasr coverage.

Also,the deficit the governmnet publishes fails to include $7 trillion borrowed from Social Security and $34 trillion from Medicare- this is in addition to the "official" deficit of $11 trillion and has to be paid back by the taxpayers in the near future !Tell the public the truth !

Fix what we have -control of gross waste/ fraud plus tort reform would cover much of the cost, but the politicians never talk about these issues.

Re: Copy of my writing 2007 about the US healthcare madness:

In reflection on Dr. Walter Henze’s humoristic shoe store analogy in his guest editorial about funding of the needed upgrade of the North Valley Hospital in Tonasket WA, I trust the community appreciates Dr. Walter Henze’s writing, because democracy depends on understanding, produced by research, a free flow of information, a free press, and a vigorous discussion in the community. This is of course why constitutional laws in the US and other democratic mixed economies guarantee freedom of expression, of assembly, of religion, and most importantly, the freedom of the press.
Dr. Henze and Editor Gary DeVon of the Gazette-Tribune, have a responsibility to their profession and to their businesses, but the guest editorial prove, that their overriding responsibility is to the society they serve.
Using analogies and humor is often the best and only way to address serious issues in our society to build a bridge of dialogue between people about issues facing society, such as the healthcare system.
Dr. Henze’s writing, and Editor DeVon represent democracy at its best, and hopefully will spur vigorous discussion in society about the US healthcare system at large, and about cause and symptoms. Treating symptoms can mask, but does not cure disease.
The funding problem of North Valley Hospital in Tonasket is a symptomatic example of an underlying disease in the US healthcare system and hence the US economy, causing excess consumption of healthcare at the expense of investment in the factors that are needed to create good health, – healthcare that contradicts it own purpose.
The problem of course is that resources can only be used in one direction at the expense of other needs in society. The reality is that lasting social satisfaction, good somatic and mental health, and a sound ecology, entirely depends on investment in sustainable economic production in business that distributes wealth in local economies such as Tonasket and Oroville (not in China) via better paid employment – rather than on welfare or crime.
Hence, excess consumption and spending in healthcare can only be at the expense of investment in the factors that create good public health, such as research, finding new ways to use fewer resources, education, infrastructure and keeping levies, dykes and bridges from collapsing. In a mixed economy such as the US, the private sector’s role is to invest in economic production in business. Government’s role is to provide those services the private sector fails to provide, including identifying issues and intervening in the economy before problems escalate into social, economic and ecological adversity. Just as safe air travel depends on the FAA and air traffic control; a healthy society depends on government to meet its fundamental task in a mixed economy.

Consider that the approximate average per capita spending on health care in the OECD countries is $2,550; Sweden spends $2,925, Canada $3,165, both with high quality government funded universal healthcare. The US spends $6,600 per capita, $2,900 more than Canada, and $3,275 more than Sweden. Even with this spending, 47 plus million Americans have no access to adequate healthcare, (causing havoc in emergency room), and hospitals such as North Valley Hospital are scrambling for funding. The insurance cost; somewhere between $10,000 and $13,000 per family is a damaging burden for US industry and families, and a hence a disadvantage for the US economy.
Applying Sweden’s consumption rate to the US would mean the US would consume roughly 1 trillion (twelve zeros) less in healthcare, which could in principle, be spent in other directions that create good health, research, education, housing, and infrastructure. To put some perspective on the 1 trillion, the federal Department of Education’s budget for 2008 is 87 billion, defense spending roughly 500 billion, NASA 17 billion, and the National Science Foundation only a sordid 6 billion, 1 trillion would buy 5.7 million houses at a $195,000, not to consider how many could go through college and university.
Indeed, comparable consumption and spending statistics between different economies doesn’t present all facts, and the scientific rule is; that there may always be other explanations and more research and understanding needed. However, the reality is that Canada and Sweden is example of economies that consume significantly less in healthcare but still via a “single payer” government system ensure everyone, despite income and social status, access to advanced healthcare. Also realizing, whether provided by private sector or via government through taxes, it is a nation’s industry and economic production that ultimately must carry the cost of healthcare in competition with other economies. What often seem to be forgotten is that the higher consumption of healthcare in the US than in other economies makes US industry less competitive in the global market place, therefore US loses jobs to other economies.
For example General Motors, Ford and Chrysler in the US are at a disadvantage compared with industries in economies where consumption of healthcare and therefore cost is lower. US workers are at a disadvantage compared with a workforce such as in Sweden that can change jobs and move without losing healthcare benefits, and risking facing despair because of illness.
So where do we search for the causes – rather than treating the symptoms masking the disease? Don’t look to the private healthcare and insurance industry; they are doing exactly what the private sector is supposed to do – investing, in pursuit of profit. Look to the government. In a mixed economy it is government’s obligation to intervene and address that which the private sector is unable or will not provide. It is reasonable to conclude that failure in the US healthcare system is an example of government’s failure in a democratic governed mixed economy or systemic failure. “When the ‘air traffic control’ fails, the passengers are in danger.”

To be clear, Canada and Sweden are used as references, and are far from flawless and nothing is – not even I. Political and guild patronage, excess consumption, waste, trivially sick treated at the expense of the real sick, and far too little invested in preventative healthcare and in research, is a huge problem. It is a matter of degrees of imperfection. In pursuit of profit, the private sector is now lobbying hard to convince government and the public in Canada and Sweden to privatize healthcare.
Eventually, problems and solution in any healthcare system is to be found in government, not in the private sector. Eventually it is the voters that put fellow members in government, and hold them accountable. Hence, not to forget, that the behavior in government reflects the level of understanding and the moral and ethical values in society.
Ultimately, social conditions and essential services such as healthcare, research and education, eventually is a matter for the voters, and must be part of a fundamental discussion in society about what kind of society it wants to become. Dr. Henze’s writing should spur such discussions. It is my analysis that US’s excess consumption of healthcare is creating disparities, and leaving fellow Americans without access to adequate healthcare, encouraging greater reliance on welfare, and promoting a higher incidence of crime. That only weakens the US – a sort of democratic failure.
In an unprecedented and increasingly unstable world, I am concerned for a healthcare system and other factors in the US economy that weakens US standing and respect in the world. For me it is a personal concern, because if it wasn’t for the intervention of the US in the Second World War, I would not have been able to write this. President Eisenhower warned of the effect of the ‘Industrial Military complex’, likely today he would also have warned for the ‘Health Insurance Industry Complex’.
New thinking, leadership, increased understanding and vigorous discussion is needed. Dr. Henze and Gary DeVon should spur such discussion in good democratic order. Use it or lose it; eventually democracy and good health depends on voters’ understanding and involvement. The US and the world depend on it!

Kelowna October 9, 2007

Kell Petersen

Why doesn't anyone address the fact that this health care plan includes
medical treatment for illegal immigrants? We cannot afford ourselves. How many more illegals can we expect to make there way here for more free stuff?

These Town Hall meetings are not about getting information out regarding this plan. They are about getting "buy-in". and pushing something through that has not been discussed and debated line-for-line, all 1,000 pages. People are sick of it. What happened to transparancy?

Loretta

We are small business owners. We support health care reform. Please do not just focus on the negative side of the town hall meetings. We know the importance of having affordable health care insurance. It's ashame to see those who can afford health care and go to the free medical care on TV. Report more positve side of the debate.

I am a small business owner – and right now I can’t afford healthcare for my 4 employees – it just costs too much and therefore would make my business unprofitable.

We would love to have an affordable, government run, public plan – the sooner the better.

I think Congress should pass several smaller bills. That way there is more transparency and it's easier to dismiss what is unwanted. Also, it will allow for at least something to get passed as opposed to nothing.

Have just read an article on the BBC web site comparing four health systems: US, UK, France and Singapore.

It compares:
Expenditures for health % of GDP
Life expectancy at birth
Out of pocket spending as % of private expenditure on health
Expenditure on health per capita
Infant mortality per 1,000 live births

Also a brief description of each system. Interesting

Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8201711.stm

The people fighting against Healthcare reform have been duped and are just shooting themselves in the foot.

A Universal healthcare system seems like a WIN WIN for the average American.

Bottom line, I think we need to shake things up by passing strong healthcare reform, preferably a single payer system with optional private plans. It will encourage insurance companies to compete – then and only then will we see an improvement in quality and cost.

When competition increases everybody will benefit.

Without going into detail of an already too long comment, these are the basic reforms I believe we need:

A. make health care available to all U.S. citizens (no exceptions – everyone)
B. eliminate waste in the health system (many ways this can be done)
C. create legal reform to reinforce the health care reforms (especially regarding malpractice lawsuits)
D. make sure all decisions regarding health care, including choice of doctor, hospital, drugs, etc… are exclusive to doctor and patient (not in the hands of insurance companies or government)

Let the experts figure out how to pay for it and make it work. If we can provide these reforms, it will be well worth the price.

everyone please note ... the legislation under consideration is "health care INSURANCE reform"... not "health care reform" .. the latter is a much bigger and complicated subject ... please try to differentiate .. and that includes the announcers on CNN ..

There has been so much talk about different clauses in this bill and the Dem's come out saying that; "no, we don't mean it that way – no we will not ration, no we will not make decision, no we will not tap your bank account", but if there is so much ambiguity then this bill should NOT pass because it leave too much open to re-definition which could lead to total control of our freedom to choose. How could we believe that this super majority will not turn around and say; "well this clause allows us to tell you when to give up a fight against cancer." Once we let the Government in, we will never get rid of them and they will do what they do best; micromanage a system to death until we are left with the worst of the worst – if so many people are arguing about the clauses, then it is too ambiguous. Mr. Obama tried to rush it through as he did the stimulus and we see the failure of that bill. Now that he was not able to bully congress into passing it, the lack of cohesion in the document is coming to light. It should not pass if so much of the document is unclear!

Don't jump out of your chair, but why in the world keep a costly system like the VA Health system in place, when we have the Universal Health Care in place possibly modeled like the VA? Of course not! The VA has become an out of control cost that I have seen how they keep their budgets for October. If there is a Universal Health Care all Veterans would be covered in the system, and Veterans should have coverage at any hospital, by any doctor, in America for their lifetime. Issue every Veteran a card that allows them a priority in health care triage. To have two systems would be not only uncalled for, but foolish. This plan would save lots of money in the projected cost.
The VAMC cost is uncontrolled by Unit managers that are determined to keep their budget up there if it even means buying hula hoops and microwaves before October to keep the figure up there! I have seen it. Shame, shame, shame.
Phasing out the VA and accommodate the Veterans in the new Health System would probably cut the cost of the new Health Care considerably and allow workers in that system an opportunity to move into the new system and allow a review of what does not work, what does, and what is too costly. A much needed overhaul. I have never seen a situation where the inpatient census lowers and construction abounds. Inside and all around the grounds. Makes absolutely no sense. Every Friday around noon one can observe a mass exodus out the back doors to the parking lots. I certainly hope the new health system has no one overseeing the operation like the VA Centers.
Think about the saving to support the Universal System before you jump to conclusions!

The Veteran who commentd above would not need to wait for a token to get to his Health Care... he could and should be able to get it anywhere in America!

I worked in health care for 25 years. It doesn't matter how much education diabetics receive, they will still do what they please. I believe education is important, but it is already available.
Just ask Pres. Obama how smoking cessation works. Do you realize how much money is currently spent on health care education?
What has happened to personal responsibility?
I also worked the first 2 years of my nursing career in a VA hospital and I know what government does to health care. I have never even had an HMO because I want to manage my own care. I do not want some else, especially the government making my health decisions.

Dear Anderson:

It was very interesting for me to see CIGNA's former CEO talking about insurance companies, from my own experience I found that not only the insurance company is trying to take the most with very little to offer, but perhaps employers also part of the deal with them, Example: I worked for Dyne Corp that have multibillion contracts with the government, mostly with DOD, this employer do not provide any options for health insurance except CIGNA, and they tell their employees that they offer insurance, but in reality they make employees pay for it, and CIGNA has a huge amount of deductible , $3000, which employees do not benefit from this insurance at all, paying monthly from $400 to $800 and $3000 deductible in a year, if you have no major medical problems which they know because all their employees has to go through extensive medical checkups, then they offer you the job and insurance, now who makes money here, the insurance compnay and the employer.

Does anyone have real nightmare experiences like: pre-existing conditions denial of health care insurance; getting thrown out of the hospital before you're stitches are healed (remember "drive by births"?); mental health insurance nightmares (getting kicked out of the hospital before the patient gains sanity); having to refuse pre-discharge from the hospital for a terminally ill cancer patient (my father); taking 3 (three) years to get rid of the bills for a single hospital birth (I fought until I didn't pay a single dime that I wasn't responsible for....); nightmare deductibles; incompetent doctors; dangerous doctors, etc. because I have experienced all these nightmares with my family members so I could write a book on everything else I've gone through for the last 20 years with health care insurance. So I say to you who have not experienced the broken health care system we are in: shut the hell up and stop interferring in which you know nothing.... and for the love of God, please stop mentioning the Constitution and your "rights" - health care is about life and death and those of us who are the soldiers out there battling the insurance companies.

Paul, good comments!! There really are people out there with some common sense. The American people are being sold a bill of goods when they are told that the private sector has all the answers for us. They are the ones that made a mess out of our Health Care System. They are also the ones that destroyed our financial system.

Did you read where 7 of the ten highest paid CEO's last year worked for the oil companies? The highest one was paid $710,000,000.00. This while the American people were paying $4.00 a gallon for gasoline. We couldn't even afford to feel our gas tanks. This is the private sector that the right wing groups want us to trust? Sorry, but I would trust my life with MY government more than the private sector. At least I can vote them in and out.

Thank GOD for CNN!!! It is the only channel I can get any truth from. FOX News is just a bunch of white males that want to hang on to the status quo. They can't stand the fact that Obama won the white house and they are doing everything they can to undermind him. To them I say, "President Obama won for a reason. Get over it."

80% of physicians DO NOT belong to the AMA. wonder if you are aware of this.

"We have nothing to fear but fear iself "
We have a system of governmet that can change bills, make bills, and we can vote in or out of offcie those who don't fallow our wishes. So why are these people acting crazy over a heathcare bill?????????
These people are acting rediculous. If something doesn't work, we change it, we have the power do do so. This bill will be changed and modified for years to come. Lets get this bill out there and begin that process, and stop using all this fear, and yelling and crazy madness.
Let our system of government work and stop crying.
These two wars tha have lasted ten years have gotten all these people who don't even get out of their homes to vote, and those who don't even know who represents their states to go off the deep end.
Funny how everyone now has a comment or say so in this topic. Where were these people when Bush and Cheney were running our country in to the ground??????????????????

I heard Don Lemon question one of his guests when she suggested that many ordinary citizens "don't trust our government". Mr. Lemon acted as if she had desecrated our Flag. My frustration with the conventional wisdom in this country has reached the point where I barely have the energy to post yet another observation of fact in the face of our blind allegiance to "talking point journalism and government". We have a Congress which has abrogated it's obligation to formally authorize and limit the indebtedness of the United States. We have institutionally accepted the premise that the government no longer has an obligation to legislate the use of tax revenues via debate and compromise. Instead, it funds the cost of government either by deeply camouflaged resolutions increasing the debt ceiling, or simply counting on Mr. Bernenke to create funds out of thin air periodically in the name of "managing the money supply".

I am a lifelong Republican who abandoned our party's nominee in order to support a man I thought to be the most talented and capable politician I had seen in my lifetime, and who appeared to be not only a visionary, but an honest man as well. I spent hours every day (on-line) arguing in favor of giving this man a chance to fix what was wrong with this country, and salvage a future for us and succeeding generations. He said he was going to end the budget busting practices of the Bush administration, and he was going to dismantle the undue influence of lobbyists and wealthy corporations over government policy.

Six months into his administration, I find that his government will report a deficit in excess of $1-Trillion in this fiscal year, and that does not include the trillions of "faux US Dollars" created by the Federal Reserve in order to offset borrowing by the Treasury, and the assumption (by governmental fiat) of trillions in unfunded obligations for so-called toxic assets of private financial institutions. By any measure I can find, the special interests who influence government policy are not only still in business, they have been strengthened by a President who believes that assembling all the thieves at the same table and ironing out a consensus defines 'leadership' and 'making hard choices'. When these ad-hoc cabals of influential persons emerge into the public light, we find that Mr. Obama has succeeded not by forcing them to compromise, or give concessions, but by justifying more borrowing and/or "printing" of US Dollars. His claims of cost-cutting and making hard choices continue, while we silently watch the last shreds of this country's credit slip away.

He just said: "If we could just get our health care spending under control, our long-term deficit problems would go away." At the same time, he tells us that insurance companies who will not write insurance policies on medical conditions which are already extant are "discriminating against people with pre-existing conditions". He tells us the new law will "not allow insurance companies to cancel coverage on people who's lifetime benefit limitation has run out". He also tells us he opposes changing the rules of a medical malpractice industry which siphons off hundreds of billions each year and puts it in the pockets of attorneys in order to manage the predictable stream of bad medical outcomes which are inevitable in a field of science which is inexact, and riddled with uncertainties because it aspires to help the most unreliable and predictably self-serving species on earth: human beings.

We are a country founded on the principles of free-enterprise and fair competition. The well-modulated practice of free-enterprise appears to be the only systematic way to offset the intrinsically selfish nature of human beings. The idea that we can provided unlimited free health services to everyone is as despicable a lie as any in history. The idea that we can continue to fund our government, and an economy which has not turned a profit in 35 years by taking more cash advances is equally corrupt.

So I would say to Mr. Lemon: yes, I do trust my government. I trust them to continue to dissipate our country's credit in order to funnel those funds into their own pockets, and those of their preferred constituencies. I trust them to justify their own profligacy and greed by lying about what they have done, and about what they intend to do in the future, as long as we in the electorate are willing to allow their hegemony over our government to continue. But I also know that as long as media pundits and journalists such as yourself are willing to turn a blind eye on the reality of their practices, and the malignant consequences of continuing them, the time horizon of a stable and hopeful future for this country will continue to recede. I can't predict for sure how many more years we have before we reach the edge of the abyss, but I would guess that number is down to a single digit: perhaps an 8, or maybe a 5? It could even be sooner than that.

They may pass Mr. Obama's health care plan, but it will only accelerate our demise. Until we face the simple truth that we are living well beyond our means, and consuming far more than we produce, this country will continue it's headlong rush towards mediocrity and ultimate failure. And with it may go the last chance our civilization had to devise a stable future for succeeding generations on this planet. That will be the price of "leadership by talking points", and measuring success by opinion polls of those too lazy to think critically about reality.

HAVE A NATIONAL LOTTERY GAME LIKE MEGA MILLIONS OR POWER BALL TO HELP PAY FOR NATIONAL HEALTH CARE. People love to play the lottery. Especially the Mega Millions & the Powerball. Money from these lotteries help the States fund education, etc.. It is now time to have a National Lottery Game w/the proceeds going exclusively to the needs of the people for such services as HEALTH CARE, MEDICARE, & MEDICAID. Make each ticket ($5.00) Five Dollars. Play the game once a week. Let the jackpot keep rolling over each week if not won on the previous week. It could be the biggest lottery ever. It is a win win situation for everyone. Could you imagine fully paying for National Health Care & the possibility of a person winning 1 billion dollars if the National Lottery gets large enough. Why not use a National Lottery Game as a way of solving these problems. You can run the lottery through each post office or any other place where you buy a computerized lottery ticket. Give it a try.

This comment is for Paul. You say veterans receive the best health care, well my father is a WWII vet and has had many visits to the VA in Milwaukee. Try visiting a VA hospital Paul then make your comments because you are completely off base. The VA hospital in Milwaukee is run down, falling apart, it seriously looks like a building from a third world country. Its pathetic the way we treat our veterans. But whats more pathetic is people like PAUL who make erroneous claims just to sound intelligent. Please Paul...visit a VA Hospital and then go to the Mayo clinic and get then have the courage to revisit your statement

Well, healthcare for everybody would be wonderful but is it a reality? Just like "American dream" that is everybody can own a home led to world economic crisis. I'd love to own a big house, they reality is right now I cannot afford it. I dont think insurance just like the senators would work for everybody., lets face reality.

The President said:
1- Government will not run Health Care.
2- Stop the arbitrary practices of dropping
someone’s Health Insurance in the middle of
illness by law enactment.
3- Disallow the practice of the Health
Insurance companies to
"cherry pick the clients"
4- Disallow the practice of negating insurance
for pre-existing conditions
5- pay for funding by
a. using funding currently paid by
Medicare & Medicaid to Hospitals &
doctors for doing nothing
($177,000,000,000 over 10 years)
b. Eliminating some credits on Income Tax
for those making more than $250,000 a
year.
6- Pay hospitals and doctors one time for a
condition until they are successful on
a patient and not pay over and over again
for the same condition. (just so they could
pay junior's education over a period of 20
years with repeated treatment for a small
bean stuck in the patients ear)

Come on Republicans, you, who call yourselves conservatives and say that this administration is socialist and everything else you can think of, where's the Socialism here???

It isn't there. Or is it that you have resorted to that name calling because it's now against the law to call him other names from the days of exclusion?

Only others, as stupid as Sarah Palin herself, would say that he's failed in the first 200 days. He's done more positive things already than Bush did in 8 years.

Only you, who barely eek out a living in your jobs, could be so full of hate and ignorance that you prefer to oppose help from the President who's willing to work to give you a better lifestyle.

The good news is that despite your ill conceived tantrums and intent to obstruct, Health Care Reform is going to get done.

Oh, and by the way that doctor that you go to belongs to an association that maybe you've heard of before, it's called the AMA. They're backing the Health care Reform AND so is Big PHARMA!!!!!

It seems to me you're out on the leaves on this discussion. Good Night!

Apology (Ferzacca)

Sorry that we lead you on this way.
The vote for change looks more like shadow play.
It’s clear to all your time is nowhere near.
It’s clear to all you’re a target of desperate fear.
Prophecies of hope melt into air.
Signifying a world beyond repair.
Forgive us for our dreams and misplaced faith.
Your words and skin compel an ugly hate.
Revenge is the link in a deadly chain.
To hang you with from limb again and again.
This orgy of violence thrills the hearts.
Holocaustly images charge this martial art.
All the rabid hounds unleashed on you.
We dared to believe that we were ready for something new.
So please forgive us we meant no harm.
Our deepest regrets for sending you off to a prison farm.
We sanction lies as merely play.
Truth is subject to parody, it’s the post-modern way.
Reap this rot from the seeds that we sowed.
Claiming the debt we felt certain we were owed.
And now I turn to tell you face to face.
To say that I’m sorry to have imagined such a place.
Where love is all we need to get by.
Not sure it was worth it having faith in this lie.

80% of Americans like their health care.

20% are made up of people that don't have insurance, don't want insurance or are simply waiting for somebody else to buy some insurance for them.

America has the best quality health care in the world. But 20% too little of it to spread around .... although every state has indigent health care, children's health care and medicare available to those in the 20%.

so why would somebody want to change 100% of the health care in the US to fix the 20%? At an increase in cost to the entire system while decreasing the quality that each patient will have access to ?

Can't imagine why .... except for one possible reason .... they want to go down in history with their name attached to a big change ... they want immortality at least in name.

First let me say, i believe every American deserves health care. I had a hmo that was fine and I'm a gulf war vet and I have disability from that so i can go to the va as well. so since having both let me clarify some things,...
One, I may be seen and treated at the va but my pills, if I have no money they are taken out of my va check because of new policies based on a income that I dont make anymore,....
when I was on layoff, my state unemployment was around 600 a month and whatever I owe in child support is taken out all of it up to half of that 600 a month now that I can't live anywhere and feed myself on 300 a month now i have to somehow stay healthy while living in a shelter and find a job thats not out there any more....because cobra wants 600 plus to keep my hmo that i have not to mention I have to provide coverage for my child by law. that is the worse case senario I had to live with. I'm not alone....
TWO,...I was fortunate to get a job in CANADA and got health coverage on the spot ..I found out this year I had type 2 diabetes and because i was able to go for preventative medicene (annual and regular checkups and blood tests at no charge) I got taken care of thru my doctor, a specialist, and a clinic specializing in diabetes my diabetes is under control...with my jobs percription benefit my metformin pills are 9 dollars bottle my percription for lipitor on the VA's was dime was 60 dollars and remember, they take it out of my va check! the Canadian system has its flaws but if used right ie,.go to the doc for preventative mediciene, I believe they would get a better result out of it .but a least it's there. Also, They're in a shortage of medical staff here because some get their education and run for america to make more money in the exchange to keep up with living great here, it being expensive, because they know they got medical benefits here thats not gonna pillage their wallets
THREE,...lets say for the sake of argument the government simply sets rules on the insurance companies to simply provide insurance and perscriptions on a NET income if under say 50,000, ( As everyone knows 50 only brings you home 35) based on and lets say 14% of a net check.... make it cover everybody, then people living high on the hog can stop griping theyre getting there precious doctor taken from them and the suffering middle class can finally GET PREVENTATIVE HELP , lessen the chances of suffering from disease and go to sleep at night without wanting to kill themselves...

Simplify billing for all policies. Should be step #1. About 10 years ago we had a major overhaul of the way we bill all insurance. The grouping of certain procedures in the ICD9 book is very good. The practice of using a seperate form for each company instead of one form for everyone is killing our system. The practice of telling the doctors that a patient can only have 2 or 3 ear infections in a year is bad for a child. We have a responsibility to the people of this nation to provide good, quality health care. It is available. We have the people willing to do the work. We just need the help to move forward without all of the red tape. We have programs in place. Simplify them and allow the rules to cover the people that need help. How simple is that?

Since when does the government have to get a majority approval
of the people to pass laws. Did GW Bush ask our approval for
anything? Did he have town hall meetings re: anything? His policies
changed many lives, and those of us who disagreed were branded as unpatriotic. Where were all these people who are now clamoring
for participatory democracy. Now the pendulum swings, everyone
wants a say into what goes into the health care bill. All from the
perspective of their own self interests. If the civil rights bill depended
on town hall meetings held in Mississippi, Ala, Ark. etc. I shudder to
think. That bill was a result of a mass movement by Black people
and their supporters. The movement to elect President Obama
is the movement for Healthcare reform. We elected him to lead now
let him lead, and not let the republican party and right wingers
try to politically assassinate him.

Health care is not about democrat or republican. It is about the ideals of the American Way before greed became the mantra. I am amazed at the number of seniors who are shouting out against "socialism" and a government run program. Do they not realize that they are under a govt run program? Socialism is not new to America, it has just gone by other names – subsidies, welfare, medicare, medicaid, corporate "incentives", etc. The president did invite doctors and other health care practitioners into the debate. A big problem is that too many believe the mis-information that is intentionally put forth and never bother to fact check or do their own homework. The pundits who throw out the "scare" messages don't need any health care reform and are not really concerned about it since they make enough money they can "buy" their own doctor. An administration wants to institute health care for all Americans and people paint swastikas! How do you make a leap in that direction?

I think Obama, the US Congress and the American people need to forget about Health care reform and change their focus to tort reform.

If you have tort reform first, then you can fix the health care system.

Too many lawyers, ridiculous rewards/awards given out by the courts/juries in the US. Instead of going to court, you get to "roll dice and maybe hit the lottery!" that is not a real legal system .... If you take away ridiculous legal awards then liabliities decreases, then doctors won't CYA by being overly precautious, then costs go down, and health care becomes more affordable.

Another observation, having lived outside the US for a few years, Americans should do a little introspection ..... it is simple, just go to the mirror and take your shirt off and look at yourself- if you are fat and overweight, you will have health care issues. Ask yourself, do you exercise more than you watch tv or play computer games or wii etc ....., if not, then you will have health care issues. ..... if the government regulates health care reform, are they then going to regulate and mandate that people should also exercise and eat healthy or will our liberal friends cry foul as an infriegnment of my privacy. .... maybe the the governemnt will ban ""super sizing" or going large at your favorite fast food restaruant ...... hmmmmm maybe they will simply ban Coke, Pepsi, McDonalds, Burger King, IHOP etc ....

its time for the american people to get off their butts if not to debate the issue, to at least to get some exercise so they will be healthier and maybe then they would not have to worry about needing healthcare!

something to ponder .... where is it written that healthcare is a right? it is not in the constitution or in the declaration of independence ..... Health care is a privilege and if people abuse that privilege by failing some basic things such as exercising, excessive eating, drinking etc, then maybe some should have to lose their privilege. i learned in kindergarten, that if you don't follow some basic rules, you may lose some basic privileges ..... evidently Obama and Pelosi skipped that class ...... so, should we now talk about the failing education system in America .....

Between a document that was very good. thanks

Mr. Obama is starting to show that his lack of experience for the office he holds and people are waking up to the realization that he is in fact trying to pull the wool over our eyes and provide us with socialized/rationed health care. The document clearly states that the government will decide end of life care, will assist doctors in making decisions and will • Page 30, line 23 — There will be a government committee that decides what treatments you get. This bill is all about control and this President has shown he wants to control EVERYTHING; Auto's Wall Street, Pay, everything. The language of this bill is certainly ambiguous and given it is open to interpretation, once we let the government in, they will do what they want because the language of the bill will allow them to define it how they want – regardless of what Mr. Obama is trying to sell us in his road trips!

To make things more fair about the heath care issues. We can save money by having congress give up the raise they gave their selves this year. I'm a retired IUE GM employee and a democrat. We have to give up our dental and eye care plus catastrophe care. The catastrophe care is where the big medical expenses are and can break you if you do not have this coverage. We pay congress for their service. I would say they should also have to give up the same things that we are giving up.. Also they should have an increase in the amount of their co-payments for hospitals, doctors, and medication like the rest of us. This could help in lowering the cost of a new health program. Also there are some of the retired GM IUE employees that are going to lose all of their health care benefits. What is congress doing to help out these middle class retired employees. I believe that the only way to get change is to vote out all of the incumbents that have been there over 4 years. We do need some new fresh ideas and thinking in congress. John

On CNN yesterday, I listened to Senator Coburn make a statement that In Canada, patients with breast cancer have to wait for 6 months for treatment. This is a gross exageration and part of the Republican's scare tactics. There have been other scare tactic ads about Canada's health care system. My wife had breast and ovarian cancer for 7 years and passed on in December 2006. She received radiation treatment
in Buffalo N.Y. – paid in full by Canada's health care system. We thought that she would have to wait for one week to have a brain scan. Instead, we waited for one (1) hour to have an MRI, and we had our results on the same day, and radiation treatment started on the following Monday. I have many other examples showing that Canada's health care system is not as bad as being portrayed by the Repubican scare tactics.

The problem Obama is having is due to several things, the first being he chose to work exclusively with all the big groups – insurers, hospitals, physicians, drug companies, on crafting the bill and then leaving it to Congress to pull it together. Both of those mistakes are evident now and I honestly do not feel sorry for the way this is going. I have suspected and talked about this being the downfall since day one. I have talked about the need to involve the American public and not the "deal makers" on health care reform. Well, he is finally getting to the American public and finding out that those of us left out of the backroom discussions have no idea what is going on, why we are being asked our opinion now, and what we need to do to keep it moving. Honestly I have no energy for this stupid debate. The longer it lasts (and it will last because there is one thing to keep it going – political donations flow fast and furious when the topic is hot and heated, if it cools no one gets money for next year's campaigns and it means they have to go back to calling people for campaign donations).

The other problem is not taking on drug companies for best pricing like they give to every country except ours, for not taking health care fraud seriously, for not cutting stupid programs like the QIO program which costs $1 billion and all it does is give that money to medical associations to watch over their own doctors and hospitals and "encourage them to work to reduce infections, give aspirins to chest pain patients within an hour of showing up in an ER, etc." – something that these groups have been paid billions for since 1985 to no change in process or improvement, and for not realizing that medicine is a parts business with no penalties for errors. Everyone gets paid more for errors than for no errors. Hospitals host screenings and health fairs to get credit for "community activity" for tax-exemption purposes rather than providing "free care" under Hill-Burton (the IRS allowed them to exchange health fairs and screenings for free care in the 1980s so you see less and less free care provided by nonprofit hospitals, instead they do frivolous stuff rather than write off free care) – no other nonprofit would be allowed this luxury trust me, and they pay their executives millions of dollars "because they are running companies and should be compensated so".

So sorry about the soapbox. I have written my Congressional Delegation and the White House every week about the health care reform effort. I have heard back from Rep. Luekemeyer who tells me thanks for supporting his position (I didn't). I have heard nothing from the White House other than the form emails that come out daily to tell me to write my legislators, and nothing from my Senators. I cannot do any more. They don't want to "hear me". They want me to "speak for them". Hard to do when (1) I have not read the 1,000 page bill and (2) no one is paying me to do this for them.

Sarah

I am not an american but would like to comment as a bystander.Fiscal imbalance caused by health care can be fixed by putting caps on doctor/hospital fees. How simple is that ? Of course , the doctors won t like it but you can save a college student from declaring a medical bankruptcy just because he broke his knee .

health care reform, is it a really about the people of America or is it about the bussiness of America. This is what has gone wrong in this country. I'm old enough to know that in the years passed people lives did matter. But today we seem to pertend that a person life is important. If we were about what we say; " All men are created equal". The health care reform would not needed, because we would all have whats needed and not one would have more or less. Do we really want to ensure that all are equally cared for here in America? Well, it has to start with those whom call themselves Republican and Democrat. Those that confess to be God fearing people, for we are all a people of the one God, one faith, the one name Jesus. Let us began to truely put people before bussiness and you will endeed see this great country make a great leap in every area in which have we seen a down fall.

It seems to me that a strong public plan is the only thing that will bring down healthcare costs for Americans – because it will encourage private companies to compete. Otherwise it's just more of the same.

Currently my health insurance company is making decisions about my health care based on their profit.

Why is that better than a public plan ?

When I turned 50 they hiked my premiums and reduced the medical procedures that are covered.

Should they be able to do that ?

Can the media start showing the other side please. I know everyone likes to watch the crazies screaming their misinformed comments but if we are to begin to understand the facts let's hear the people who can testify to what this great debate is really about. It's about healthcare and how it costs too much for all of us, it's about regular people being denied or dropped for a serious illness, it's about a current system that in the end will take us all down. When I see people on TV shouting about none of these points and it becomes about "I want my country back", it has become a circus act. I'm an american, born and raised american, have had relatives die for this country so to see people out there protesting for how they want THEIR country back GIVE ME A BREAK. We had an election and my vote was for change and that is what i expect to get. I watched the town hall in Colorado yesterday. The gentleman who was telling his story was not heard at least on the 2 channels i tried. Instead it was the news guests putting their 2 cents in. I wanted to hear the REAL story from real people not someone's opinion on all this other crap. So please show the crazies but also show the real people with real facts on why we need reform. I am a registered nurse and this issue is very real for the many patients i have cared for. In memory of those who have died because they didn't get the tx they needed or dx in a timely fashion that could have given them a better chance, I encourage the media to report but keep it on the real issue. thank you.

What is really behind all the noise at the town halls. If the public plan will save the public money and provide better coverage – are the insurance companies manufacturing it thru the right wing extremists?

Anderson,

Can you tell us what the Health insurance companies or their CEO's earned last year?

The Republican party does not want Americans to have good affordable
government health care. It's wrong for them to stop American from getting the care they deserve. Tax payers should stop paying for Senators
Government Health Care system so they can get a clue. The Republican Party does not want Americans to be Healthy and cared for.

Pres. Obama is highly critical of opponents to his plan when they make false statements or spread unsubstantiated rumors. However, he apparently thinks there is nothing wrong with such tactics as long as it is him making the misleading comments.

In Portsmouth, HN, last week, he stated that if a patient gets a foot amputated, "that's $30,000, $40,000, $50,000 - immediately that the surgeon is reimbursed." His assertion is totally false.

Medicare reimbursement for a foot amputation is approximately $700 to $1200, and this includes caring for the patient for 90 days after the surgery.

Why should the Administration think that there is a double standard when it comes to who should tell the truth. This does not seem like the change anyone in American should believe in!

Obama fooled everyone. He has taken over right where Bush left off, and after we hate Obama we will have another corrupt socialist in office. Everyone wanted "change" well we got it! Democracy is a thing of the past. Obama is creating a 1 million man miltia that only reports to the president, we will merge with the EU, govornment take over of health care, redistribution of wealth, "Czars that only report to Obama", resigning the patriot act, Still in Iraq, Still in Afganhastan, still plotting wars, Increasing govornment spending, federalizing private industries, breaking down the independence of the states, cash for clunkers, WOW KEEP THE LIST GOING! Let's not forget that the internet and free speech is now monitored. Why stop at even that let's have "cash for Guns" a law that gives you money for your gun and makes you sign a waiver that says you never buy another. 1 freedom after another in order to be "Free and Safe". WHAT IS THE TRUE COST OF WHAT WE ARE DOING!

It is common knowledge that legal suits have added immense burden to US health care cost. This is a key difference from other developed countries. No one is perfect and there always will be few errant health care providers. However, ultimately it is the common population footing the bill. Life is priceless but surely our claims and legal costs have become senseless. Why are we not willing to cap these ridiculous compensations? Let me guess. Since majority of the politicians are lawyers by background, they lack the political will to go against their fraternity (??)

You all really need to STOP with this mess, well GWB did this and GWB did that. So because they did, you are willing to let Obama do what he wants? Well that is not what he ran on. And TWO WRONGS, don't make a RIGHT.

This plan is going to cost over 1 Trillion dollars, and it will be a huge government bureaucracy. New taxes will be enacted to pay for some of it, but it will still add to the deficit. This alone makes me passionately against it. We need to find a way to help low income people buy insurance, that's all. I support helping those who need it. This current plan is WAY over-engineered.

We don't want new tax after new tax for one program after another. The anger comes from the Democrats who are taxing and spending, and turning us into a country where the earners and contributors are forced to support the non-earners and the unproductive.

35 states already have high risk pools. I don't understand why no one is talking about this. In these 35 states everyone qualifies for coverage if they cannot obtain coverage in the private sector. Pre existing conditions do not apply in most state pools. 2/3rds of America has access to affordable coverage. Those who live in one of the other 15 states should be calling their state representatives to get it done. We shouldn’t build a massive federal bureaucracy when most of the states have already accomplished health care reform.

http://www.naschip.org/states_pools.htm

I love you idiots who hear one thing and take the ball and run with it the wrong way on the football field like "Forrest Gump".

Stupid people set at home and hear that no one has read that are dished out in Washington. People who think no one has read the bill, you guys are idiots.
As much kickbacks and pay offs and bribes from corporations the bill are just plain dumb. Those in our government have to side with those who slide them the cash and they have all read it.

How about you guys who don’t want healthcare nationalized or reformed read the bill. I bet not one of you have a copy, or have read it.
Well I just down loaded a copy, and I would be willing to debate anyone who apposes passing the first stages of this bill.

If your gong to talk the talk then walk the walk and stop being so stupid you republican idiots.

I love you idiots who hear one thing and take the ball and run with it the wrong way on the football field like "Forrest Gump".

Stupid people set at home and hear that no one has readthe bill thats been thats dished out in Washington. To the people who think no one has read the bill, you guys are idiots.
As much kickbacks and pay offs and bribes from corporations for that bill it makes ou guys look just plain dumb. Those in our government have to side with those who slide them the cash and they have all read it.

How about you guys who don’t want healthcare nationalized or reformed read the bill. I bet not one of you have a copy, or have read it.
Well I just down loaded a copy, and I would be willing to debate anyone who apposes passing the first stages of this bill.

If your gong to talk the talk then walk the walk and stop being so stupid you republican idiots.

Okay I realize we all have a bunch of nutbags running around our countries.

This debate as seen outside of the United States (not America which actually includes Canada and Mexico and those in the southern hemisphere as well, we are all Americans) just goes to perpetuate the image of US citizens as largely unknowledgeable of things outside of the United States.

Unfortunately your media is too closely tied to politics as is ours. Yours largely right wing conservative and ours lift wing liberals.

However, the media's blatant continuation of 'reporting' (a term I use loosely) of misinformation about other countries medical systems; makes them not only irresponsible but gives them the image of 'Inquirer type' publications.

Health insurance systems around the world that are government funded are not perfect and are continually being improved. However, they are a damn site better than a US system that basically excludes a whole population the size of Canada from any coverage. Are a lot of you people devoid of any moral compass at all. If you charge all your citizens (yes even the illegal ones) a premium they can afford then they can all have basic health care coverage. You would be able to keep track of the illegals as well.

Not every thing in the United States is better, a heresey I know, you could all do more research on other healthcare systems yourself as most of you have internet, taking the best from each; stop the yelling like little children, and make informed decisions like the adults we all know you to be. Tell your senators to do the same. You are making yourselves an even greater laughing stock around the world. This concerns your neighbors to the North as it continues to embrazen your enemies.

Hey I expect to be told to mind my own business, that is your right. Just be a little bit smarter after that and figure out the United States cannot afford to continue the system you are presently on.

Haven't been following all the health reform discussions so my comment may sound off base. Are people still outraged at the idea of "socialized" medical care? If so, why is this the case, isn't Medicare, Medicaid etc., socialized medicine? Why is it okay for the poor, disabled and underprivileged to have "socialized" medicine but not the rest of us.
I receive medical insurance through my employer, it's okay but we still pay out of pocket. Can't afford to keep my spouse on the insurance plan so he hasn't seen a doctor in 5 years
I have relatives who receive medical coupons and they get better care than I do and don't have any out of pocket expenses. Really, I'm not exaggerating.

What PRESIDENT (lets give him the respect where its due. Whether you like it or not, he is President. Reffering to him as just "Obama" is disrespectful) Obama is proposing is not actually public health care (if anyone actually bothers to look), its publicly regulated but privately paid so as to be self sustaining through premiums.

Kind of like Alberta Health Care was before 2008 in Canada.

Perfect idea.

Today the new buzz surrounding the President's plan for Health Care Reform is all about dropping the "Public Option" in favor of "Non-Profit Co-Ops". Well who really thinks that hundreds or thousands of tiny little Co-Ops all across the country will be able to keep the Health Insurance Companies in check? Da! We have Co-Ops now, and they are small and dispersed. The only reason they exist is because the Insurance Industry lets them, because they are so insignificant, and if they became a real problem, i.e. competitor they'd crush them like a bug. The only way to inject competiton is the PUBLIC OPTION, which the Insuance Industry is doing everything ine their power to make it DOA.

Money is the mother's milk in politics- a beautiful reference. It is not only in U.S but all over the world.. A dollar speaks in U.S, so the respective currencies in the other countries.

Health care co ops won't work,because it will be a over burdened system from the get go, due to the fact that needy people forced to join it would not be paying into it like insurance companies charge. I would like to suggest to those who think private insurance system is the best, to take in Medicare people on board with them, then there may be a chance for co ops system to work.