In the months after 9/11, CNN aired a nightly profile of the victims of the World Trade Center Collapse. Then, after the Afgan and Iraq wars were launched, Anderson Cooper 360 aired a profile each night of one of our fallen soldiers.

Why isn't CNN airing a series of personal profiles of this sort about the victims of America's health insurance companies that either (a.) refuse to cover them because of pre-existing conditions, or (b.) drop insured people from the insurance rolls after they become ill.

This is *THE* central issue of the health care debate, and the media is failing to tell this story. Why?

Is it because insurance companies are some of the biggest sponsors of network television?

Man I really hope Obama mans up and sends a strong bill through that will help the American people.

Vick out! Woof Woof!

the cherry picking has to stop. people need to get health care regardless of how healthy the are and i'm not talking about the emergency room . doesn't it make good common sense to keep people out of the emergency room keeping it clear for accidents. health insurance protections is the only way to go.

if we can't give them hope ( the people who are sick ) before they get worse, what in the heck are we doing anyhow? if it's going to take reconciliation so be it! at the end of the day ( after health insurance reform is passed ) patty from pittsburg, frank from florida, grandma from granada hills and little league larry won't be asking why their life was spared– they'll be thanking the PRESIDENT and THE VOTERS who put him there for getting them better. thanks Obama go it alone if you must.

How about letting the states to decide if they want to implement the Federal health care policies or not. This way the states that dont want universal healthcare, can see what they are missing/not-missing. All the mis-conceptions ( like death-panels) of the plan will be proven false when the ignorant see the actual implementation of the healthcare policy.

And also cost wise, it would be cheaper than the current proposal of covering all the states.

The so called DEATH-PANELS do exists in the current health-care industry, where the insurance company "decides" on if a patient should get a treatment or not. I dont understand why people dont talk about the existing Health-Insurance death panels.

Hi Anderson,

What is the 'child insurance' offered in schools? Is this money just blocked and sits there simply? Who is using this money? Which kind of school zones are using this insurance? Even in public schools, most of the children are on the parents insurance. Is this 'dead money' just sitting there and not being used? Or, is this insurance for kids whose parents are not working?

I understand that Obama is very frustrated that he cannot compete with Rush Limbaugh and the huge far right wing media empire which he is the leader of. This in my opinion is the main reason why Obama is losing the health care message war right now. Limbaugh for years has been at expert at defining the news, defining the circumstances, and defining personalities while Obama does not know how to deal with this and he does not even like dealing with it.

Obama also cannot seriously deal with many elected Republicans in Congress on health care when they fear Rush Limbaugh as much as they do. These Republicans in Congress know that if they say the wrong things or if they vote for Obama's legislation, then Limbaugh can tell his huge activist base of many millions to primary them the next time that they are on the ballot and it will probably happen.

Obama is taking a very big risk if he and his Democratic allies go it alone on health care because Obama will own that issue as much as Bush owned Iraq. That means if Obama's health care program works out, then he will be considered to be a hero by most people. But if his health care program does not work out, then he will probably be a one-term President. Also, Democrats will probably get in 2010 what they got in 1994 and they may also get in 2012 what they got in 1980!

I do not see that much middle ground. Obama by going it alone is putting all of his political capital on the table in a double or nothing bet that his health care program will work out. He will either double his political capital if he wins or he will lose all of his political capital if he loses.

The best thing that Obama can do right now in my opinion is to try and force through some version of The Fairness Doctrine while he probably still has the votes in Congress needed to do it. That is the one thing which Rush Limbaugh and his followers truly fear and it is how Obama may be able to help liberate Republicans in Congress from their fear of Limbaugh so he can seriously work with them on health care and on other issues.

Even if some version of The Fairness Doctrine cannot be passed at the end of the day, it will still take a lot of time, money, and effort for Rush Limbaugh and his wing of the Republican Party to try and stop it from happening. Every minute and every dollar that they spend trying to deal with that issue (which they will have to put first in order for Limbaugh's radio program to survive) is a minute and a dollar that they are NOT able to use to get involved with other issues like health care!

Mitch Dworkin

AC,
The World Health Organization rated France the best in the world because of its universal coverage, responsive healthcare providers, patient and provider freedoms, & the health and longevity of the country's population.

USA, needs universal healthcare just like the French system, it can be done..The American's saying "NO!, we don't want it, It will not work." Are the same people that will loose the extra lining in the wallet. American people just need to be educated on how the French system works. They will then understand their health is more important rather than the almighty dollar. We in the USA have become masters at fear propaganda. Universal Health Care will work.

Who do you thinks pays for the Police & Fire Departments, Military and the Government's Health care..(we do, the individual)..Have they ever thought about that?

If Our American Government really cares for the American people and their health... then they will make the changes for Universal Health Care. If they don't, I hope people see what kind of Government we really have.... A Government that cares more about making money than having quality of life for its people.

I would like to see some one try to put the Fairness Doctrine in to stop Rush, there will be such an outcry in the U.S. you won't believe it. Silencing him won't work.

We are sick and tired of 1000 page bills being pushed through without having them read.

The lame statements being made about American citizens attending the town meetings is terrible. The other morning on Cspan a female reporter from CNN said that she doubted that the people knew anything about Cap and Trade in the town hall meetings. I would like to tell her we do and we are well read and informed. That tone with us in the deep South doesn't go far.

I cannot wait until 2010.

Obama's Health Care Plan YES,Medicare will change and not for the good!!!!!!!

Hope I am not stating the obvious.... I am ok with my taxes going up in order to provide converge to all people, but I MUST see plans to reduce overall costs.

Seniors and some others become very nervous every time, it is said patient testing will be reduced. One reason for anxiety is if you change
doctors because your body tells you something is wrong and feel the
physician is overlooking it, you would want the new doctor and his specified laboratory to do another work-up. Otherwise, maybe the
first doctor wasn't interested or just overlooked something; thus
you don't really trust him. At times a patient changes doctors and
the new doctor comes up with a diagnosis or different diagnosis.

Some patients already have to be hyper-vigilante in monitoring practictioners in their delivery of services to them (those who are
chronically ill).

Regarding question "where are the voices of all these people without
health insurance", they are their and some of them are not watching
CNN, possible do not have computer access, don't know how to
express their need, and others are ill in the community without healthcare and appropriate medications. Oh, I forgot all the single
parents I have encountered who have no health care; if their employer
offers it the worker has to pay too much out of already poverty level
incomes. Some two family income families do not have health care
eventhough both are working.

Dr. Gupta-
We know it is cheaper to care for patients in clinics and private offices than in ERs. By the time we see them in the ER they are sicker, facing longer illness, with longer hospitalization. We know, that preventing disease and health promotion is cost effective. Once disease occures we are treating patients for multiple comorbidities. This includes expensive treatments, medications and repeat hospitalizations. Most patients who are not provided effective support and education are at greater risk for increased premature morbidity and mortality. These are individuals without insurance; the vulnerable population. Healthcare reform will assure that all Americans have access to care in a timely manner. This would be promotion of wellness and health for all generations and all cultures. In the long run there are economic savings- financial as well as in human capital.
There has to be communication between ALL sides. Without cooperation America is the looser.

Mr. Gergen,

Re: Your comment that unviersal health care would never be accepted in the US because your "different" from the British and Canadians as we are "more deferential to authority" . I respect you very much, Mr. Gergen, but honestly – what nonsense!

You know, I have never before, until this debate in the US, heard about pre-existing conditions – what is that? I can only imagine the stress your citizens are under with your economy in its present condition – should they become ill. How can the average working man/woman make ends meet and take care of his/her family?

Health care is a right – it has made my society a kinder and gentler society – oh! maybe were kinder and gentler because were "more
deferential to authority"....

Respectfully.

There is a way for businesses to pay to insure those that need it without increasing their cost. Combine the workers comp program with a no fault health insurance program. The program will be entirely paid by the business owners. The business will provide coverage to their employees and families in exchange for eliminating the high cost of workers comp. If an employee gets hurt, he can see his primary doctor for treatment. If he is out of work for a period of time, he can draw state disability. This is an option that should at least be explored further.

Anderson. Why did you say the Government OWNS the banks and auto industry? I'm a big fan of AC 360 but sometimes you sound like a FOX NEWS commentator.

The deficit is so high because we are paying for an unjustifed war started during the Bush Administration. While Bush rides off into the sunset his effects on our economy will be felt for years to come. Please don't tell us that we have to sacrifice Health Care Reform because we have to pay for his war.

Suppose that one of the objectives of wellness plans was to ensure that an individual gained the ability to enhance himself physically and mentally no matter what the start point of the illness, disability, or inherited defect, now a $7000 a year cost to each person? That is, an individual as a citizen has acquired one of the attributes of a health ‘right’ even when the actual right does not as yet exist as part of the American constitutional covenant. This particular attribute of a health right would mean that the government would be empowered to ensure that all local medical facilities, including mobile, were insured for the purchase and use of medical equipment in the facility, allowing any citizen to have instant diagnostic access. Much of the $7000 a year in individual health costs could be ‘insured’ by the government by covering the facility operating costs, not what individuals needing care do in it. This would include advanced or expanded emergency care facilities whose installation and operating costs are ‘insured’ by a government entity.

This facility insurance by the government could include the upgrade of equipment (always necessary), creation of secure Electronic Health Record (EHR) office equipment (biometric security), and standardized medical environment infrastructure (access to internet expertise via technical installation, medical air conditioning, biomedical drug security, etc) without having the costs passed on to either the patient, the health provider, or even the principle insurer. Would this physical facility attribute of the wellness ‘right’ create ongoing health for another six million citizens while removing a thousand dollars from the $7000 now being paid by each citizen in one form or another? Would the national availability of a whole body diagnostic system created by the federal insurance attribute of wellness be enough to take another $1200 off the current $7000 price tag for health?

Excellent discussion. Should be more in prime time

The discussion that the Medicare/Medicaid programs are not required to have competitive bidding should have been discussed in more detail and that the $80 billion from the drug companies (10 year period ???) is probably small compared to what savings would be reaped from competitive bidding.

Also the discussion about Generic drugs should have been discussed in greater detail.

I am not usually a big fan, but you guys did a nice job covering this issue last night. There are a few things to point out.
1.) If we spend $1Trillion (which by all accounts is low) to cover the 45M people without health care, that is over $22,000 per person. Why not just buy private insurance and not start a big bureaucracy.

2.) None of the plans do anything about rising costs. Since most of us have health care and pay a copay when we go to the doctor, there is NO pricing pressure on the system. If copays were banned and everyone had to pay ~30% of the bill up to a certain amount, people would begin to ask how much does this cost and look for cheaper alternatives.

3.) Someone needs to explain why states keep multiple insurance carrier out. I really do not understand this.

4.) Small businesses MUST Be able to buy insurance as part of a large group or pool. The fact that this is illegal just mystifies me!

These issues would fix most of the problems we have and not create a massive money sucking bureaucratic nightmare.

explain the difference to the media intelligencia the difference between Wii and Wee – Please

This healthcare situation is just amazingly stupid! President Obama is trying to do the right by Americans. And you got these stupid white so-called American. Mad about no body knows what. They are just yelling! Then you got the white stupid racist media that repeat the same talking point. " President Obama should have started off better explaining his healthcare program! If President Obama fails to get his plan past then he is a failure as a President. Which is just not true. Sane people know that JOBS and geting the country back from the stupid situation President Bush put the country in is not easy task. Shamefully republicans that voted for the Iraq War that took to date 4,339 American troop FOR NOTHING! Where quick to vote for a war that was a lie. President Bush didn't have to do much explaining. The 911 report stated that President Bush and the idiot that sent American troops to Iraq. Forgot armor that could have saved 750 troops from death. The healthcare bill will help 47 million un-insured Americans. And sick white Americans call President Obama Hitler?

Congratulations on a very unemotional, fact based review of the healthcare reform debate on your hourlong show last night. It was excellent. I believe that if this issue were being adressed dispassionately by non-politicians, the problem of covering the real uninsured (needy) could be resolved, savings could be found and we would not need to increase the already frightening Federal Deficit (did I hear $9trillion!) . Unfortunately, politicians first take politically unattractive options off the table, like the cost of defensive medicine, (estimated to cost $100 billion annually by McClellan and Kessler) and the imperative of tort reform . I am a retired physician and an Independent who voted for Obama because the other option seemed too scary. However, what the liberal left is trying to ram through on multiple fronts while insulting millions of citizens is now even more scary! There seems to be this naive notion that just because we are "the land of the free and the home of the brave" we can spend money like drunken sailors and not end up with a massively debased dollar and hyperinflation. Where did we find these people that we send to Washington? Planning to spend ever more money as we sink deeper into debt is like an alcoholic who believes that a few more drinks will cure his problem. Our elected and the many uncontested representatives in Washington are in the process of hitting the accelerator as we get ever closer to a financial precipice. What we are witnessing at town hall meetings across the country is a taxpayer revolt –about time the silent majority spoke up!. This is truly VOODOO ECONOMICS.This is NOT just some giant right wing conspiracy . It is all about trust, and the people have developed a rapidly increasing distrust of the condescending ruling class in Washington, as the polls so rightly indicate.

Americans should look beyond there borders and look at the rest of the world, and noy just what they see on the nightly news shows. Most of the 1st/2nd word couuntries have some form of free heathcare for all. Just like the metric/celius vs the foot/pound system the US is lagging without a desire tochange.

What is wrong with with cutting your health care cost in half with generic drugs and basic care for all, No system is perfect but the US system is is definitely prioritized for the affleunt in society and a majority are stuck on the edge with huge payments

After all this debate, I still dont understand what is so threatening about a socialized health care plan (yeah, i said it), even though that is not what President Obama claims to be proposing. Health care is a basic human right, and I think we Americans have lost sight of that since we are so used to ridiculous costs now. The greedy insurance companies will stop at nothing to maintain their power positions. Its obvious to me that scare tactics are being used to convince those that are less informed into opposing this bill.

What group (or groups) are funding the opposition to health care? Is it the insurance industry?

I'm not sure if this has come up in all the health care debates or not. In all the town hall meetings, and all the debates on TV I have never heard how the Americans on "fixed " income will pay for any kind of health care insurance. Another question that has never been addressed is eye care and dental care is this included in the health plans of any type? Then what about students getting health care, all of their money is going to education. My solution to this problem is to have the same health coverage that our congresmen and senators have, even what the president has for health coverage. One more comment I have does not concern health care, however it concerns taxes. What happened to the "flat tax"? Respectfully John
New Mexico

If you want health care then go buy your own health insurance! The quality of health care is terrible anywhere – specially in Europe - when government is involved. Right now the government is the problem by corrupting the market. For example, why can't we buy health insurance from provider from other states with lower prices?

I am a physician and I have many concerns like many about the healthcare crisis we have in this country. I believe that we have the most expensive healthcare system because of the epidemic we have in this country of obesity and all the chronic health consequences of this disease ie diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease etc. We can't control these costs if Americans don't take accountability for themselves and try to eat properly and exercise. Physicians order many tests in the management of these chronic illnesses and we also partly practice defensively at times to "leave no stone" unturned due to fear of litigation by attorneys that continue to be on the hunt for cases. Many times these turn out to be frivolous lawsuits. Physicians are also squeezed by insurance companies that continuously try to decline or cut reimbursements. I don't see this side of the healthcare reform debate being explored.

Anderson,

What a relief! Thank you for a balanced calm conversation about this very important issue! Reminds me how I can count on you 'keeping them honest!'

Also, I am live a very healthy life style and I am willing to continue to reform my behavior to stay out of the hospital!

Mr. Anderson,

I am currently watching your show on health care. I am happy you broght up the topic of tort reform, but am very disappointed how little time you spent on the subject and then changed the subject with a joke! Let me tell you, until there is tort reform you will never changed health practitoners practice habits. Will not happen! I work in health care, I can tell you that every test that is ordered the practitoner is always thinking about a law suit! ALWAYS!
Thanks

Here's an idea. Why not require Americans to buy their health care the same way they buy their home and car insurance. Remove the tie to your job!

The African American woman on your program is incorrect–my 73 year old mother has Medicare AND a supplement–get your facts straight!!!!!!!!!!

On the panel David Gergen spewed two huge whoopers of lies.

First he claims Americans are different from citizens of other western nations in that we're not as deferential to authority. The fact is we're more deferential to authority than Canadians are and much more so than the French. One of the reasons the French government listens to their citizens more is because they're carefuly not to rile the public to the point of street protests. Americans are some of the most complacient of and modern industrial naiton. When you consider what they willingly put up with for the past thirty years it's clear to me that must of us Americans have been easy pushovers, letting corporate and right wing bullies take our money via stagnant wages and government subsedies of already profitable industries.

The second lie Gergen lets loose- and not one of the rest of the panel called him on, was the claim that most Americans won't accept single payer [meaning the government pays] healthcare. That's as blatant a lie as anything I've seen on FOX News. The majority of the public have been DEMANDING single payer ever since Medicare was first signed into law by LBJ.

Furthermore Sanjay Gupta made a statement I find absolutely insulting. He said "young immortals" in reference to the myth that young people don't buy insurance because they don't think the need it. That's yet another lie, but Gupta's condescending attitude about it is as insensitive as Reagan's race-baiting comment that people are poor because they want to be. Gupta, whose been proven to be a paid hatchetman for the pharmaceutical industry, has no idea that we don't buy insurance because too much of our money goes into such luxuries as a roof over our heads, clothing on our backs and food.

I haven't commented on the rest of this pseudo-discussion because I changed the chaneel after being so put down and lied to. When your network has a REAL and meaningful discussion on healthcare rather than a dog show I'll tune in.

Thanks for nothing.

Why can't we use nurse practicioners for primary care.

Why doesn't Obama let the big dog, Bill Clinton, loose?

Seriously–he is a masterful communicator who can explain this complex situation better than almost anyone else and people will LISTEN!!! He is percieved as more of a statesman now, than when he was President.

If Obama is unwilling for whatever reason to take the lead-fear of partisanship, loosing seats in 2010-let Clinton rip, and even let Hillary chime in i the dog days of summer while Obama on vacation–I think the two of them could do some of the necessary political heavy lifting, especially Bill-that for whatever reason Obama seems reluctant to do and come September they will have helped turn the beat around and remind American's that last time the insurance companies beat this back because only the 'free markets' could provide competition, LOL!

Now they say they can't compete with public option, give me a break!!!.

He

I am a father of three kids, trying to support a house hold of five. My income most of the time does not pay for the basics in the home. As a single wage earning household, we just do not make enough money to afford a mandated health insurance program.
Obama's Health Care Reform, in my opinion, takes what is left of my income away from feeding my kids and family.

90 percent of my current income, goes to rent and what is left goes for food on a weekly basis. Am I supposed to tell my kids, I am sorry I can not feed you because of my being forced to buy health insurance?

I know I am not the only one in this situation. But Obama is making life for people like myself, impossible..

It is amazing we are having such a huge discussion about a proven plan. I was in Australia in 2002, had to go to the doctor. I walked in the office, waited all of 5 minutes to see a doctor, paid a whopping $25, US dollars, went to the pharmacy, paid another huge amount of $15, US dollars for medicine. How can anyone say health reform will hurt us? The only people this will hurt is the DOCTORS!!!! They won't make the millions they are making now.
I recently went to a specialist about an ear problem, Menieres Disease. I saw the doctor for 10 minutes and he charged me $120. I woyuld have been charged $250 if I had insurance. I did not get my money's worth by any means. This is the problem with our insurance program. We have conditioned doctors to give lame service and still get a huge fee for their services, or lack thereof. We need to go back to the time when doctors had to "EARN" their pay like the rest of us.
It is very hard to beleive we live in the richest country in the world but yet we cannot afford the health care given to citizens of countries with much less than we and how hateful people get over providing for everyone. The people of Australia had no issue with giving me resonable care when I needed it. Think about it-

Hi,

What is the cost per person for Health Care over a lifetime? Could a small investment at birth plus a Health Care plan to cover the unexpected and wellness care be cheaper then the what out their now?

Thanks,
Frank

the one thing i would like to know that both parties are arguring at this time for heath care but 1 thing i would point out is that this about lives. Im 1 of the one is w/out insurance even though i work full time & go to college recently i had a rash on my hands & body & feet & teh urgent care & doctors had 1 thing to say is the where is the money, while a person on assited living goes to the hospital with full coverage even though they have no income & both sides are arguirng about people like & the only thing i hear on the news & public is its alll about them and my needs & what i want. So thanks for teaching me this so when i go out after college is that the attitude that im suppose to ask when i attempt to create something for mankind the 'Gordon Gekio attitude greed is good is what people are teaching the young & 2nd generation ...thanks america for the lesson

It's been stated that Obama's Health Care plan would cost 1 Tril over 10 years. How does the reform estimates compare to the forecast for the system in place today over the same period?

Anderson I would like to ask Dr. Gupta what is wrong with our Canadian system. I have had 2 operations and had a total of 4 weeks in hospital stay and it cost me nothing my dad now has Diementia and is in the hospital for the rest of his life it cost us nothing. The other thing is we also do have access to private health care. We need to get rid of these Myths on the Canadian system.

Thanks

I've listen to discussion on health care reform. I have just one question. What about Americans like me? I worked for a company for 30 years. I paid my taxes. As a matter of fact, my tax dollars help to pay for the health care of government workers. I became unemployed in 2008 after working 30 years for the same company. When I began working the benefits were great for retirees. About 10 years ago that all changed. I am too young to receive medicare and I don't qualify for medicaid. But I can't afford to health insurance. I have a health condition.... so what do I do. Do I just lay down in die in about 5 years. Where is the country that I have support all these years for 30 years. Will it support me now that I am in need?

What are the key cost breakdown points – i.e. Emergency care, Primary Care, Elderly Care, Preventative Care Investments, Dental Care, Mental Health, Prison Care, Military Health, Drugs, etc. – of the reform plans versus the current system? If we are able to focus on key health points that show vast differences in costs could we not use this as a requirements list to chunk the reform out into several initiatives, with the same objectives and deliver it over time – prioritizing the area's where we have the greatest savings? Why not take a Program/Project delivery approach to delivering health care reform?

The way things are now, our system of healthcare is going to bankrupt our government and that needs fixing, so that's priority number one. The other piece is the disgraceful way many sick people are treated or left bankrupt by our healthcare system, and that needs fixing; that's priority number two. Fixing these things is for the common good and since we are unable to fix them on our own, government should be involved and should manage the system. Right now special interest groups are controlling health insurance and the way care is delivered.

I would like to see the issue addressed regarding the contracts insurance companies are able to negotiate with health care providers. For example, suppose you are a female over 40 and your doctor recommends a mammogram. A woman who has health insurance through work pays her co-pay (ex $20) for her mammogram and her insurance company pays the hospital/testing center $100 for this test. A woman who pays for her own health insurance out of pocket (due to being self-employed, etc.) may have to pay $300 for the same test at the same hospital/testing center. This whole cost will also be out of pocket because of the extremely high deductibles required in order to even have an affordable insurance plan. Why the range in price for the exact same service? I understand that the insurance company can negotiate lower rates with the provider and that is why the cost is different, but should this really be allowed? What are the pros and cons of this? Shouldn't a test cost what it costs? I haven't heard anyone addressing this issue and it is very important to those of us paying for services out of pocket. This is one of the problems really making it hard for middle income America to survive health care and insurance costs (because extremely low income families can sometimes get assistance for these types of preventative tests). I'm willing to pay for insurance, but should I really need to pay two or three times the cost for the same service as someone else just because I pay for insurance as an individual?

Hello,

I'm active duty Navy and I've been following the Heathcare reform drama with keen attention. I'm generally conservative and feel the founding principles (small/minimally invasive government) of our nation are worth protecting and fighting for. I haven't lost faith in America...yet, but we're trending towards a society that I wouldn't want to defend. Having recently read Common Sense and the Constitution, I know the founding fathers would be dissapointed in where we're headed.

I just wanted to say thank you to Anderson and CNN for preparing and showing the best program I've seen on the subject. The quality and diversity of your panel speaks for itself. Dr. Gupta is outstanding. Retain his services at any cost.

Prior to this episode, I wouldn't have given your news channel the time of day. Please keep up the good work.

Fact based programs are the only way to truly serve the people who don't understand what their electived representitives are doing on their behalf.

Mister Cooper

I just watched your pro-Obama Propaganda piece about the myths of the health care bill. Sir it is quite condescending to tell us that something is not in the bill when we have a copy. It is further disingenuous to state that we are unable to understand the bill because it has not been published. Like I said I have a copy. If there is another bill available then get us a copy. Until I see a copy to match your words your statements are discounted.

Remember sir we the people own this country. They the Government work for us. We hired them to handle our delegated governmental jobs. Just like we hire a plumber to handle our delegated sewer issues or a brain surgeon to handle curtain delegated medical issues. If we are to make informed decisions whither to order our hired representatives to vote for a bill we require a word by word and line by line copy of the bill to read.

Since we only have one bill then we will judge everything any politician or media pundit says on that copy. And we know when a politician is blowing smoke and when a media pundit is out right lying. We also will vote against any politician who forgets that he works for us. We will fire him.

lied to and upset
Elmer Bechdoldt

The country needs health care reform. And what the right plan is, I am not sure. But I have been listening closely to the debate for some time now and I think that most of us miss the big picture.

Healthcare cost is where it is, because of 2 reasons. (1) illegal immigration and (2) absurb malpractice rates. Yes it is expensive to run the system as is, but these two factors weigh so heavy on the system and are at the root of it's failure.

I was listening to the show tonight and you said that the bill alleges that that the government will not use tax payers money for insurance for illegal...well that is already happening. NJ has a program called charity care, where people who do not have health coverage and are in emergent need for care, like pregnancy states, or emergency surgery, get those services for virtually free and tax payers pickup the tab. 95% of people who use this service are illegals. These people are employed, working off the books, and are not paying taxes, yet get a benefit from that was meant for US residents who really cannot aford, and are not earning enough. there are too many undocumented illegals in this country for any plan that excludes them, or not allow for them in some way to be effective. They will just keep showing up in the ER like they do now, and as a physician I am morally obligated to take care of them, and also forced to by law.

Apart from their impact on health care, they are also affecting the education system. because a once 20 person class, now has 30 students. and a school that could afford a music program or advance computer training can no longer offer those things since they are spending money allowing for social program that the needs of illegal communities demand, eg english as a second language, and tutors to bring these kids up to speed with the rest of their class. .

I have heard nothing in terms of tort reform, that should be an integral part of any plan. Health professionals now practice defensive medicine. We are afraid of being sued, so we will run every unnecessary test, just so that if there is a bad outcome, we can point to all what we have done. Bad things happen to good people. and all the doctors I know are genuinely working in the best interest of the patient, and are not excited when there is a poor, unexpected outcome.There are mistakes that are made, we are human, too. And when mistakes are made, there should be compensation of some sort to the family. But is it really necessary to be sued for wrongful life, because your child was born with sickle cell disease, when you have been smoking cigarettes your whole pregnancy? Would she have really terminated that pregnancy if she knew that there was a 25% chance that her child may have SCD, when she is smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, that increase her risk for preterm labor, and delivery, and growth restriction etc. which will most likely affect her child's health as severely as sickle cell disease (SCD)

But apart from the frivilious lawsuits, there are ridiculous payouts that are awarded when cases are won against the health care providers. Most of that money is paid to the lawyers and the supposed victim still walk away with nothing.

I don't know what the exact right plan should be, but I think that all of these issues I have mentioned need to be taken into heavy consideration, and fully addressed before any sort of plan proposed.

Maybe the president should take on illegal immigration first, before health care. But he cannot because of the North American Trade agreement between the US, Mexico and Canada. Our borders are open borders. Our immigration "crisis" is a farce. I wish Americans will truly wake up, and take their heads out of the sands. Does it matter that the US government offers end of life counseling, which is a very important service for the terminially ill and the aging population, when the wheels of America are already turning to create a parallel to the EU?

I keep hearing that we need health care now and Obama will give it to us. Someone needs to check with the White House, the say it will be 2013 befoe this takes affect. Why wait 3 years if people are in need now? I can never get an answer from the Democrats. What is up?
Can you get someone to break down the 47,000.000 people? I have tried and they just say trust us. Yep. After the Democrats started the sub prime mortgage mess I will trust them. I won't trust them to fix any thing however. People keep saying the Medicare and Social Security are welfare. I paid into social security for 44 years and medicare for 41 years and my employers had to match it. How many illegal immigrants are paying taxes of any kind? Why do Democrats keep saying that special interest groups are stopping this? They have Geoge Sorous and Acron and Unions aren't these special interest groups? I don't understand why we have to rush into something and then never fix it. THere are over 300 pages of fixes to Medicare, I keep hearing that Medicare is ok. Why have 300 pages to fix something that the Democrats tell the people is ok?

I watched your show today and I was SHOCKED, in particular, Dr. Sanjay Gupta's lack of knowledge in medicine. I just don't know who feeds him with disinformation. His comment the importance of Statins in reducing cardiovascular disease in the U.S. There are scores of studies reported in New England Journal of Medicine showing proof that statins by controlling cholesterol has dramatically cut the incidence of cardiovascular disease even in patients with familial history of the disease. You don't believe it; watch the transcript of plenary discussion at this years annual meeting of the American Cardiology Society. Dramatic decrease in the cardiovascular diseases incidence in the U.S. has started to drive away young physicians from the cardiology fellowship programs. Dr. Gupta should stick to his neurosurgery topic unless he is willing to educate himself with facts, not distortions.

Maybe my question is a stupid question (naive perhaps) but I always wonder how Brazil (where I'm from) is a 3rd world mess, has a president without high school degree, is poor and violent and still has a health care system that works.
Is USA so powerful and unique that it doesn't consider checking how other HC works? I'm pretty sure many governments would love to help (just as President Lula did with the hydrous alcohol as fuel).
After all, comparing apples with apples works for most services we all buy every day... maybe it's time to go shopping around the world.

At this moment i am hearing all of you speak of the PHARMA and the cost of drugs. I know research has to be done, but my husband has to take medications that insurance pays pharmaceutical companies $27K/month. How in the world does ANY medication cost 27K? Insurance reform and prescription drug reform is what is needed. My husband has to take Revatio and Remodulin for Pulmonary Hypertension. Revatio is Viagra. It has a generic called Sildenifil... but because Pfizer has a patent on Viagra we don't get a cost break for it when it's used for something other than ED? That is NOT RIGHT. His Revatio costs $2600.00/mo. His Remodulin costs $25,000/month. Yes... $25K/month.

Answer us this PHARMA... how do you sleep at night? You truly have people who are suffering from terminal diseases believing there will NEVER be a cure because you are making too much money off of them for the drugs they need to live. And when I see that my insurance company is paying you over $27k/month, I question your motives as well.

Am I correct in understanding the history of Employer paid health care ?
Employers created “benefits” to recruit workers to their companies. It seems now that we are making what was once a "benefit" paid by Employers now a requirement for doing business in U.S.
Is this an accurate description of where we were then, how we got there and what we are going to now ?

Just a FYI ..... I am a practicing physician in Pennsylvania and 7/10 tests I now order on patients is to protect my backside from the trial lawyers. Until meaningful tort reform occurs in this country, the cost of healthcare will continue to escalate. Where is the debate on Tort Reform in Healthcare ?

Why don't you guys talk about medical reform vs. health care insurance reform?

The high costs of specialty doctors and hospitals is outrageous.

The number of primary care doctors is too low...they all want to be specialists so they can earn significantly more money.

The number of doctors is and always has been rationed by the AMA.

Who will be seeing the 44-45 million new persons to be insured?

I think you are getting close to this but you haven't gotten there yet.

How about tonight? You still have 15 minutes.

gus
dallas, tx

All I see in this debate about healthcare is telling me just one thing about america: If you are poor, there is no place for you in America. IF you become poor, you better live for your own good.

This is ridiculous. I am sympathetic to people who do not have health care and I wish they could, but I also wish they could have a Mercedes Benz. People can not get what they do not pay for. I think that they can get health care but this is not the answer. This kind of thinking hurts someone somewhere whether its a Doctor, Insurance Company, or Drug company. One answer to this is "Make it so people who can not afford health care can afford it". This is not the answer because that hurts the insurance company's which in turn hurts the Doctors and taxpayers. We can not do this at this point. Especially with the current proposal and the current Economic situation. I would like it to be clear that I am feeding the homeless many times a month and donate money to many different organizations. I am not heartless just logical.

Respectfully

We voted in 2008 for healthcare reform. All those who voted for healthcare reform in Nov. 2008 asumed that the election of Obama settled everthing and that they should just wait for the bill to be passed. But we have just discovered that the republicans are not going down without a fight.

What should we all do? The president needs to take charge and just pass the bill that is due to all americans who voted for his agenda, and he has to do it right now. Hesitations are just making matters worse.

I would like Paul Betala to know that as a Canadian and a member of the rest of the civilized western world that has universal health care, we have not let our governments handle health care because we are more deferentia". What we are is more trusting of our governments. We actually take our democracies seriously and believe that our elected representatives' first job is to represent what is best for us.

Our governments did not force health care down our throats, to which we obediently deferred. They implemented universal health care because we the people, expected it, demanded it and voted for the people who would do just that. Even today, any politician who dares utter a desire to end universal health care in Canada and choose the American system would be committing career suicide. You want to see the normally sedate Canadians grab their pitchforks and hit the pavement? Start a rumour that our health care is about to be privatized.

It boggles my mind that Americans, who make such a big deal out of their freedom, and their democracy, and being the first western government to have an elected head of state, are so distrustful of the results of that freedom and democracy and representative government. It boggles my mind that instead of government they trust corporations who openly admit they are accountable first to themselves and their shareholders and to making a profit and whom people cannot control at all.

It makes sense to the rest of us to have the government run things that are meant to be fairly distributed to the people. The government's job is to take care of the citizens of the country it governs, and to answer to them. How does this make the government the enemy?

Also, it might be good to mention that because many new people are going to be coming onto a health care system it does not necessarily follow the ones already covered will be swarmed. It's not like a thousand people are going to pile into a lifeboat that now only can hold 10. The more people that are in the public system means the more tax dollars will be going into that system which means the less money everyone will eventually pay. The more the costs are carried by the most people, the less the costs are individually. The thousand people will be building a ship that will be able to carry everyone in it much better than that exclusive lifeboat.

This program falls short on giving us the information we need to decide what to support. Why can't anyone break down the cost components of health care so we can see what the facts are? Again tonight we go back to speculating about who is winning the political horserace rather than taking a factual problem solving approach.

Can we get Ross Perot to show President Obama how to visually display a problem?

The American taxpayers need to be treated like the board of directors on this issue. Our legislators need to put on a show to convince us they have identified the best course of action.

So far, the town halls, and this CNN program fall short of that quality.

Please investigate the large insurance companies who are opposing health care reform. The five largest companies are UnitedHealth Group, WellPoint, Aetna, Humana, and Cigna.

Why are they lobbying so hard? How did they get the conservative media and conservative protesters to so vigorously oppose the reforms? Who are the CEOs and how much money do they make? What do they have to gain from defeating health care reform? Is is just about money? How many billions and billions do they make and plan to make?

I'd like to see a lot of coverage from you and others in the media on this. I'd like to see big headlines in newspapers and on newspaper Web sites.

You seem to be stuck right now on the news headline that President Obama isn't in charge of the health care debate anymore. Begin investigating the health care insurance companies. Give us the news. This is where the story is that consumers need to know. Don't keep this a secret anymore.

Rita, blogging at The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide at boomersurvive-thriveguide.typepad.com/the_survive_and_thrive_bo/2009/08/what-are-the-largest-health-insurance-companies-in-america.html

I just want the Republicans to give the President an honest debate about healthcare since they feel he is not telling the truth; then i want to hear the so called truth from them.I dont believe they will give him one 1 on 1. Thats why they have to come up with these fear tactis from fox news. By the way i feel the reason why there are only whites i see thats opposing healthcare in these town halls are because they only watch fox news. But when i turn to fox news all i hear is scare tactics. Again i ask why everytime i watch these health care town halls debate all i see is older whites, where are all the older blacks thats opposing this.

Why was there no mention in your discussion of the billions in insurance company profits? They spend 20%, some say up to 30%, in administration of the system, with executives making outrageously huge salaries. If people are worried about the cost of healthcare reform, they should start by getting rid of health insurance for profit. The insurance industry is spending over $1 million a day to oppose reform and put out misinformation because their profits take precedence over America's health. That's the real issue.

I was reading my local newspaper, and inside, there were a few articles from the "Washington News in brief." One article read, "Obama leaves D.C. for 10 day vacation. He's only been in office for about 7 months, and this will be his 2nd vacation, (1st to Hawaii, and now this one) I'm sure that the Hawaii trip was costly, and here (in my paper), I read that the cost just to stay at this Vineyard Estate is $35,000 a week??? I don't want to hear about what past Presidents did...the time is now. And with our huge deficit issues, I ask, " Is it really necessary to take such an expensive trip? To most people, that's a years' salary. For many, their salary isn't even close to that. Not to mention, most people have to work atleast a year for a one week vacation. He keeps stating that he inherited our deficit problem. Well, this is surely not going to fix the problem. The funny thing is is that the very next article reads,"$2 trillion higher deficit projected." Well, if Obama keeps taking these types of trips, we will definitely see that deficit number come alot quicker than projected.

I am Canadian and I love capitalism, but I also love the following list things which are government run up here in Canada:
Police services
Fire and Rescue services
Military services
Local Libraries
The public school system
Health Care

Here is the list of government run things I admire in the United States:
Police services
Fire and Rescue services
Military services
Local Libraries
The public school system

Hey wait a minute is it not the same list with one missing?

Mr. Gergen, Mr. Gupta, Mr. Cooper......

This program played again tonight – 22 August – and I am more livid than I was after hearing comments of Mr. Gergen from 21 August.

It all has to do with the inaccuracies of comments concerning the Canadian system and condescending comments on "values".

I say this to you, Mr. Gergen, the values of all Canadians and the Canadian Healthcare system are best stated in the Canada Health Act.

Primary objective of Canadian health care policy:

"It is hereby declared that the primary objective of Canadian health care policy is to protect, promote and restore the physical and mental well-being of residents of Canada and to facilitate reasonable access to health services without financial or other barriers."

The systems in Britain and Canada are completely different. In Canada, the hopsitals are NOT owned by the Government and the doctors are NOT employees of the Government, as they are in Britain. Single payer refers to the method of payment only. Coverage is Universal. The stakeholders in the Canadian system are the doctors, the hospitals and the patients. NOT the Insurance Companies.

May I suggest that you acquaint yourself with the work of
Antonia Maioni, Director of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada on the issue of Canadian Healthcare.

CV as follows:

"At McGill University, she also holds the positions of Associate Professor of Political Science and William Dawson Scholar. She is a graduate of Université Laval and earned a master's degree from Carleton University's Norman Paterson School of International Affairs and a Ph.D. in political science from Northwestern University. She has held visiting appointments at Harvard University, Duke University, and the European University Institute, and is an adjunct professor at the Université de Montréal. Professor Maioni has published widely in the fields of Canadian and comparative politics, with a particular focus on health and social policy. She is currently investigating political change and the future of the Canadian health care model, with funding provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research. She is a frequent media commentator on Canadian politics and public policy, in both English and French."

You are in a positon of dispensing information to the American public, for such an important debate, you should have all the facts and not propogate inaccuracies.

Re: your comment that elderly in Britain with cancer do not receive treatment required due to their age. Perhaps that is the case in Britain (although I seriously doubt it – as the argument for not adopting a single payer / universal system by the US media is always the above).

It is not the case in Canada. FYI: as an example of treatment to the elderly: 1,200 hip replacement surgeries last year in Canada were performed on patients 85 or OLDER. Now what would the cost of this be in the US – I will take a guess – $35,000.00 or thereabouts? Would your insurance companies cover the cost of this procedure on an 85 year old patient? What is the cost of private insurance for an 85 year old? How many people in this age bracket can afford $35,000.00 for this type of procedure? Yet, here – they receive it and it costs them nothing and the ultimate goal is good health and better quality of life.

Isn't this what the whole debate should be about – quality of life? Social responsibility for the care of all – is that not a "value" worth fighting for?

The cost benefits have already been proven.

Again, respectfully.

As for the health care reform, I think that Obama jumped- the- gun too soon with pushing this issue. There are 5 proposals and all have different statements within them. I believe that he should have waited until they were only 2, then start the debates. Matters would be broken down more and people wouldn't be so confused, or angry, etc. Make both copies available for us to read...all 1,000 + pages for each one, and let us work this out to break it down to just one.
I do have alot of thoughts that many would call mean, but my wife and I have worked, fought and many times, struggled for everything we have to support ourselves and our 3 kids. A few to mention: The fact is is that there are alot of people without health insurance because they "do not want" to work. There are generations of families "Living" on welfare instead of using it for what it was designed for-to get you back on your feet. Women, who are having unprotected sex, and having several kids from different men. These guys don't pay any child support, she doesn't have a job, so she gets on welfare and gets food stamps. That goes on and on in most cases to get abused. Who's paying for this? And face it...we have too many illegal immigrants in our country. The sad part is that many of them will work. Obama says that they will not be elligible for this health reform, but who do you think will pay their medical bills? They will have kids here. They, or their children will at some point get sick, hurt, or need immunization shots, etc. Many immigrants come here, and in no time, open up a store, or go to colleges, living in beautiful homes and driving fancy vehicles, all while receiving government help. The working class is and will be making the payments for all of these people. I'm tired of having money taken out of my hard earned check so that others can sit, do nothing, and collect. Or so that those that really shouldn't be here, could get free benefits that so many of us( working Americans) have to sweat for. Whatever happens with this bill, is to be seen. I just wish and hope that matters would be strictly enforced and monitored for abuse, and those found guilty, i.e. not looking for or turning down jobs, drug use, etc. be denied government assistance.

My wife is slowly dying from chronic lyme desiease. We go to SC. for treatment. This disease will not be covered by any insurense. HOPE you and all your kin and obama familly has a tick bite that you dd'nt ask for and suffer in pain as she does! Forget terriosism look in your back yard! A tick, over a milliom inffected. Doctors making over ten millions over it

I just wanted to comment on the mentality of some of the people at various townhall meetings across the country that want to stand up and shout about how they want their country back

I want to know where they were in the years of 200-2008 when "their country" was really being hijacked by the Bush administration?

American citizens lost more of their constitutional rights during these eight years than any other time in the history of this nation. And we had a President that did not care about what Americans thought.

Do any of these "patriotic -I want my country back people" remember any town hall meetings during these years asking for their opinions about major changes that took place without them even knowing about it?

Give us a break and spare us your phony patriotic anthem of wanting your country back nonsense. Also, spare us all the ridiculous and uniformed rhetoric that you are so quick to jump to where healthcare reform is concerned. Many of you folks that are shouting about not wanting the government to touch "your healthcare" are clueless as to how broken our healthcare system is or about how vulnerable you are should you suffer just one major catastrophic illness, even with insurance coverage.

I am so impressed with you guys! This was an amazing job! All of you were terrific! We need more programs like this that de-mystify healthcare.

Healthcare programs and issues are so complicated. Reform is one part of the story. American business getting re-vamped from the CEO down is another. And most people are so vague about understanding what they have already it's just plain silly.

I am a healthcare provider and I can tell you that it was very helpful to see things so well understood.

I do think that more providers would be willing to be part of public systems if the reimbursements were higher. That has to be coupled with people understanding that they may also have to pay for some portion of their doctor's bill.

I have people come in that want to use their health insurance plan like a credit card. They think that it entitles them to unlimited amounts of time and filing out their paperwork and fighting with their insurance companies. I have to be very direct with them and thell them I have to be paid for my time and services, whether phone, reports and billing.

Insurance companies try every way to fight claims. They think the public health is a game. They need to be scrutinized. This is not big government. This is government having to police big business and big business has no one to thank for this but themselves! If they hadn't been ripping off the public they wouldn't be causing the need for policing and transparency. It's the public's right to be protected. And until they back off, they need to be watched.

So the big government and spending thing doesn't work for me. I want the government and the media to interfere! And I want to spend money on cleaning things up because I know after that things will finally start to get better. Not until then.

We don't need to employ people in the government to work on this longer than they have to. But we certainly need to have them there for now and it's just tough on those who need the scrutiny.

They are just protecting their abuses, and everyone knows it.

Thank you for a very balanced and informative discussion of President Obama's health care package. Please continue to keep us educated. We are in dire need of this kind of panel. We want to have positive participation in government.

Health care reform has never been about care and treatment, it's about the cost. The price tag is way to high and the "middle man" {insurance company} are making huge profits, as well as the pharmaceutical companys. This whole issue has been politically manipulated, with big business at there back door. Until we take the "price tag" off a human life, nothing will change. For the sick and dying, young and old, "we" need universal health care now.

well, Anderson...i see tat you too have a California Bander between your legs also. It amazes he how you people can stand in front of "we the people" day after day and do nothing in the way of telling the full truth. It's like Carol with tat Yahoo search engine site when sum1 wants to pass alone tat 111th Congress, 1st Session H. R. 3200, 1017 page Health Bill tat wus written by sum of the most asinine, marble brain, @sshole turnips tat ever set foot in D. C.

Now, Mr Cooper...as an O'fart with a third grade learning I received a email from one of my sons with a web site to click tat gave me the H. R. 3200 Health Bill from our 111th Congress 1st session...all 1017 pages.

I than took tat site and put in on the Wal*Mart stock message board on Yahoo and within 15 minutes tat site wus removed plus Yahoo closed my email down.

I may ramble a lot and use a few words tat most "my sh!! don't stink" @ssholes have never heard but if any1 wus to come up to me today and tell me I live in a country with more freedom than any....I would tell them they have never known freedom if they didn't live 51'.

OK....if you got tis far in reading my comments let me say...thank you! and if tis too is not printed let me say....you too didn't live in 51'.

gudday!

Mr. Cooper,

My husband and I are watching the health care debate in your country, and are wondering why the coverage of the town hall debates show a dispropotinate coverage of middle aged and older caucason Americans speaking out against the idea of universal health care. Where is everyone else?

It seems to me that the older American's are more concerned with having to share a system that they themselves enjoy, and what would happen to their needs should they have to share the system with other Americans.

Where is the discussion on what is good for society at large?

And could someone explain to me why it is responsible for high profile American's such as former Govenor Pallin and Rush to go public with false information - I believe knowingly.
These are people who have the public ear and have the correct information at their disposal, yet are allowed to misrepresent the facts. One exampe is the "death panel", which in reality is referring to doctors being paid by the health care plan for an appointment with their patients on their end of life care.

Looking forward to hearing a discussion from other demographics of society.

Having a public debate is important, but so far the extreme right seems to be taking up most of the airwaves and energy in this debate and that is disappointing to see.

Dear Mr. Cooper: I am extremely impressed with this program and its attempt to provide insight into the nature of this health care crisis. You touched upon an issue that has been completely ignored, and I would like to know why: TORT REFORM. As a practicing physician I can tell you the impact on costs is tremendous (I personally think estimates of 15% are actually low). After 30 years of practice I can tell you honestly, I know of NO PHYSICIAN who doesn't practice defensive medicine. And for purely political reasons (from a President who campaigned on the principle that he was different than the Washington usual) the issue is not up for consideration. As you know, tort reform doesn't exclude a physician from being sued when he has clearly done something wrong, it just limits the frivilous law suits which everyone pays for, except lawyers and lawmakers. I voted for Mr. Obama and I'm disappointed that it's politics as usual.

There are 47 million Americans that cannot afford healthcare, and those that do, find out much too late that the insurance doesn't cover most serious conditions in many policies.

As a Canadian I find it repugnant that only the wealthy and affluent can afford to get the best healthcare.

The US system ranks 37th for quality in the world.

We have Corporations rallying against our healthcare in Canada, it may not be the best, but everybody in Canada has Universal coverage.

I have heard lots of lies from the US about Canadian healthcare, it's and excellent system. It's time to embrace Barrack Oboma's Heathcare Plan and give healthcare to every US citizen.

Anderson: There is talk about pushing the reset button on health care. The most efficient and effective healthcare systems is a one-payer system. It is also the one most misrepresented. Pres. Obama seems to prefer a one-payer system, but feels it would not pass. That is because it has been so maligned he has given up. But let’s set the record straight. Canada has had a one-payer system for over 40 years, and rather, as some suggest the quality deteriorates, the opposite is true. My experience over 40 years proves that.

Misrepresentation of Canada’s Health Care System is an system is really quite straight-forward. What follows is not a political statement. I have taken a position of strict political neutrality. I just want to set the record straight. Canada has had Government funded health care since 1966. For over 40 years all Canadians have had access to complete, high quality health care at no direct cost to themselves. The program is funded from tax revenue which, in the long run, is less expensive than premiums paid to a private insurer. In a recent town hall meeting with President Obama, one lady from Nebraska said she and her husband pay $800.00 per month for a policy with an $8000.00 deductible. In Canada, private carriers do not participate in conventional medicine. It would be redundant for them to do so. They provide disability coverage, dental, prescription drug, and alternative medical care: chiropractic, acupuncture, etc. Unfortunately, private carriers deny most claims and it is often difficult to get approval. Injured survivors of flight 1549 that landed in the Hudson were told by the airline’s insurer that no claims would be paid, “it was the bird’s fault.” That would never happen in Canada. Canada’s Health Care Program would take over where the private carrier failed.

In Canada’s system there are no deductibles, no pre condition exemptions, no age limits, and no claims forms – everyone is included. Canada’s Health Care system is expanded after age 65 to include prescription drugs. The Government has no involvement in the doctor/patient relationship. All decisions are made between the doctor(s) and patient. The Government is a silent partner. It is government funded, not government run. All Canadians carry a “Health Card” which they present to a doctor, hospital or other medical facility and the treatment is automatically paid for. During the current US health care debate, when “government run health care” is mentioned, paranoia sets in. A lady in a town hall meeting with Senator Arlen Specter charged: “You are systematically disassembling this country, turning it into another Russia.” After 40 years of Government Health care, Canada is not now or ever will be a Socialist country.

The quality of Canada’s medical plan has been criticized by opposers who pick out an isolated incident of failure, the details of which are unknown, but ignore the fact that every day millions of Canadians receive quality health care by the doctor(s) of their choice. Recently a 98 year old friend was diagnosed with a cancerous colon tumor. A surgeon operated and she is now fully recovered. Surgeons at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Kids successfully performed heart surgery on an unborn baby. I am 76 years old, and have had numerous surgeries and other medical procedures during my life-time. All procedures were covered by Canada’s Health Care plan. If I had lived in the U.S., I would have lost my home years ago because of medical costs.

On the other hand, noted American heart surgeon, Dr. Mehmet Oz said recently on an Oprah show that over 200,000 Americans die each year as a result of medical mistakes. A lady on the same show reported undergoing a mastectomy only to find out three days later she did not have breast cancer. Test results had been mistakenly switched with those of a patient who did have breast cancer, resulting in a double tragedy. It has also been reported that 99,000 Americans die annually as the result of hospital sourced infections. VA hospitals have been severely criticized for not properly administering colonoscopies. An Air force pilot was admitted to hospital for a routine gall bladder operation. The surgeon made an error that resulted in the necessity of a leg amputation.

As a neutral observer it appears there are two major problems. (1) There is more concern over money than over health care for all Americans. (2) When Canada introduced Government funded Health care 40 years ago, there were no objections from anyone. If the U.S. had acted 40 years ago there would have been no serious objections, because since then people have become more acrimonious in attitude and behavior.

I really hope that in the end, all Americans will have appropriate Health Care.

Ontario, Canada

Mr. Gergen made a comment something like, (the Health Care Bill does not state there will be Health Care for Illegal Aliens). I agree, however, it is my understanding*, on page 50 of the bill there is wording saying we would not be able to check a persons status. I do not want my tax money going to pay the Health Care for someone if we don't know who they are. How about "keeping them Honest" on this one. Sounds like the same game we've been playing for the last thirty years in the employment sector.

First the employers were able to bypass Legal American workers, driving wages down or outright stealing the jobs of American Workers and now those same employers get to have the American taxpayor pay for the Health Care for these illegal empoyees who took their place. (Only in America)

Thanks,
Bert

Are there going to be anymore showings of this, or will this be uploaded in full to the website? My mother has the Lung disease Alpha 1 and is harboring a lot of these concerns, and it is hard to explain to her what is going because of all the distortions she has heard from other networks. We live in Tennessee so, a lot of these talks of death panels and other non-sense are always floating around here. I thought this program was very insightful and straightforward, and I hope she doesn't miss out on it. It really does well in dispelling some of the myths (along with the clip of Jon Stewart's last interview about the death panels on page (432 right?)

How about the idea of having co-ops for the lowest income families and the public options for the next higher income group?

How can you possible have fair and balanced debate when all people on your panel are liberal.
please comment.

Please make sure in the interest of getting at the "facts" you include what has happened with former Gov Mitt Romney's touting his health plan solution in Massachusetts = a CHRONIC shortage of primary care physicians. Expand this to nationwide with "immediate coverage for all" and with no short or long term solution to address the EXISTING growing shortage of PCPs, we will have a mess on our hands with waits lasting for months to even get an appointment unless critical care.

The healthcare debate cannot ignore this critical component on its impact on the existing infrastructure.

And for those that know the history of LBJ "hell or high water" regarding Medicare – let's just look at what that program grossly underestimated for costs. And to be fair, let's make sure our Congress has the same immediate plan, not their typical carve out with exclusive benefits. Perhaps they should immediately take VA benefits, including Ms. Pelosi and Mr. Reid for their TAX PAYER paid medical benefits. Hmmmm...somehow I doubt the twitching faced Pelosi would accept that personal impact.

The only people who benefit from medicaid are exploitive medical doctors/surgeons and his friends. My entire life and body is unnecessarily ruined – my not-wanted medicaid card a means to pay another's bills by.

audrey papke

Left sick until the situation makes the doctor "look like" a hero who saved a woman . . . that's a mental sickness. Very exploitive, using the funds to pay another's bills, my body and life left avoidably ruined.

audrey papke

I'd like to know who benefitted by Dr. Bate's lie to me. My life is ruined and likely not going to be lived into old age, my choice since this surgery – this deceptively coersed unwanted and unnecessary surgery.

The Health Care Bill does not say it will cover Illegal Aliens, but, I believe on page 50 it says they are not allowed to check status. Isn't that really the same thing asif we had put in words that we are going to be covering them.

Cost of my private health-care is as you say "high" – I don't it is.

My question is what will the cost of Obama's Health-Care plan be to the average Citizen. Please clarify. I know what I pay now – but what will I pay under the governments universal heath-care plan.

Thanks
Stan, ocds

I'm an internal medicine physician in Tacoma, WA. I organized a health reform forum last December gathering diverse input from 60 health professionals and human services workers to the incoming Obama administration. Overwhelming, we thought the profit motive is a central problem that is poorly challenged in the national debate. At Group Health Cooperative, where I'm proud to work, we addressed this 61 years ago, and the nation is still trying to catch up with us. Hasn't the Wall Street debacle chastined us about the limits of the profit motive? Are we truly addressing the assumption that medicine is a business? Is the White House effectively linking Wall Street to the health care debate?

Ali Thomas

I have to comment on Mr. Gergen's comment about anyone can go into a doctor's office an order an MRI. That is not my reality. We have a policy from one of the top insurance companies and pay extra so we can pick our own doctors. My daughter injured her leg a little over a year ago and the x-rays were negative. She was still in pain (11 years old at the time) so the doctor said he would order an MRI. He said to schedule it for a month down the road because that is how long it would take to get the insurance company to approve the procedure. They would not schedule the MRI without first getting authorization.

I found that unacceptable but the doctor refused to budge. Instead I went around the doctor to some nurses and techs that I knew who pushed the paperwork through and got her in for an MRI in a week. The MRI showed that her leg was broken. Also, the insurance company sent us a letter after that demanding to know how she injured her leg and who they could sue to get their money back. At first we ignored the letter and then they sent another one even more threatening.

No doctor will order an MRI without authorization. That was just bad information Mr. Gergen put out there. It was also very misleading as to the reason costs are so high and the quality of care that people are receiving.

Teaching Health – I am a substitute teacher and I work with kids all over town in grades K-12. When I teach science, I often ask, does any one know someone who has polio or smallpox. Inevitably, a student asks, "what's polio?"

This lack of knowledge of what the word polio means, even though it was one of the most dreaded childhood diseases of the 20th century is a testament to what our American government can do. It is also a damning commentary about what insurance companies would refuse to do. The near eradication of polio and smallpox globally is due to government intervention and government run health care.

I have been able to live, raise children and teach children in a polio free environment because of our govenment. In 2007, according to thte Wall street Journal, the Health Insurance Industry recieved over $60 billion dollars in profits. I doubt seriously if Blue Cross, etc has the average citizen in mind when it comes to eradicating disease. What corporations have in mind is profit, not humanity.

O.KAY I don't get it. It's ok to spend millions on a (WAR) that should not been (rigtht) , and all these others country. And when it come to American's health its a big problem. So they really don't care about us here in the States. Something wrong with this, and I don't get it. Can someone please explan it to me. I am listen and I do like to hear.And if everyone would do their studying in other country, they will see and no that their's better then States.

Healthcare:

1. Let the debate continue for another 6 months.

2. Public and private options can be there together.

3. Wiat util the economy (screwed by Bush kingdome) recovers – wait for another few months.

For four years I was my mother's health care representative as she slipped from a form of dementia into Alzheimer's. I could not take care of her personally, having to work and raise two adolescent children. The elderly is the fastest crowing category of our population and anyone who has ever had an elderly relative rely on them for quality, and legitimately NEEDED, health care can testify to the attempts being made by health care providers to fraudulently take advantage of medicare.
Example: a general practioner who wanted to have my mother have an MRI for a condition I personally knew she didn't have. He responded, "Have it done anyway. Medicare pays for it." Could I report him? No other witnesses were present! Or how about the people who called me at home to say they had examined my mother at the rest home and she needed an operation for a cataract? The eye they wanted to operate on was almost blind from macular degeneration!! They apparently didn't think I knew. She was on two blood pressure medications at the same time, each prescribed by a separate doctor. The second doctor failed to take her off the first medication. A third doctor finally noticed and corrected the situation.
Should I have sued the second doctor. I would have had to stand in line!

again anderson does it again,

great coverage on healthcare. you did it again like your report on hurricane katrina. people in america need to hear it in depth to understand the importance of this issue. i am a registered nurse and an acupucturist. prevention knowledge is the best policy. you should get a grammy for this coverage.

I think that providing all Americans with health care insurance might help to lessen unemployment in the following way: Many people who might otherwise retire, change jobs or start their own businesses, stay in their current jobs just to keep their health care insurance. If they had health care, independent of their jobs, they would have the freedom to leave, thereby, opening up jobs and possibly creating jobs for others. Also, many people work 2 and 3 jobs just so that they have heatlh care insurance. If they didn't have to do this, they might quit some of those jobs, also creating opportunities for others to be employed. I wonder if any studies have been done to try to determine this.

When you do not care for the welfare of Americans, why do you care for Iraq, Afaganistan and Pakistan?. Get it back your army from there and save money for Americans. Use your money wisely.

American school education level is dropping. Spend more money on education. Give Americans good education so that they can get good jobs and thereby good healthcare.

Tmie has come to worry for ourselves. Forget the rest of world like what Russia, China, India, Japan and so many do Stop policing!!

I was refused treatment for a medical issue several years ago already. I live with the consequences of that decision yet today. Even with the treatment I did receive I was forced into bankruptcy for my medical bills. We are in need of universal health care coverage and the decisions should be left between the pt and Dr.

The subject of abortion was brought up and that many people don't want tax payer dollars paying for someone to have an abortion. The counter for that should be, what about all of us out there who don't want taxpayer money to be used for all those people out there who choose to smoke and then get cancer from it? You made the choice to smoke and now the taxpayers have to pay for your treatment. What if we don't want to?

Just watched the AC program w/Health Care panel. Very informative, plain speaking. Great job of separating fact from fiction. Bravo Dr. Gupta for reading through the plan in time to discuss it w/the panel. More discussions like this are needed so that we can hear the issues explained w/o emotion and vitriol in order to make informed decisions and to let our representatives know what we want.

Mr. Gergen,

You've talked a lot on the panel and, your only hidden agenda is to " break president Obama". According to your argument, people are afraid of the government, and the healthcare is better managed by the private sector, what do we have now? are you seriously saying that the current system can sustain itself?What can't we have the private sector take of military? Why do we even have a Govt? Healthcare is as critical as the country security? It's hypocritical ... the unsured are just not illegals, blacks, hispanics and other non-important human beings ...yes more others are inusured, have cancer, heart diseases, ... Regards

HR 3200 reportedly will not provide health insurance coverage for illegal immigrants.

My questions are:

Who determines citizenship and under what legal authority?

How is it determined?

When is it determined? Before the issuance of the machine readable health plan identification card issuance?

1. Continue healthcare debate for another 6 months or until economy recovers fully.
2. Add public and private options.

The President is right and wrong. Right, there does need to be something done with healthcare, people should not have to worry about losing all they have because they are sick. Wrong in thinking the government can fix this. Over and over he and other supporters of the bill say it will be paid for by reigning in fraud and abuse in the Medicaid. medicare system.I say then prove it! Both systems are currently broke, reign in the abuse and make these systems profitable and work before we look at adding to them with a public plan! Take a look at how and when heathcare has spiraled out of control, you can link it back to the Government meddling to begin with, HMO and PPO add layers of administration costs to the system unnecessarily. HIPPA regulations alone doubled the cost of premiums due to increased regulations. I work in health care and have seen all these changes and the way it has affected prices. The copay, because it is only 20.00 makes more people seek care for trivial matters that if they first had to meet the deductible, would not. Reform by reverting to the old fashion 80/20 with a 500 or 1000 ded., and see any Dr you choose. Allow tort reform so Dr.s are not always practicing defensive medicine. As for all the fears of limiting coverage etc. , we do not need the government to do this for us but we do need to do it ourselves. I see it all the time, people that are 80 or so treating a condition which if left alone will probably never really amount to anything. Young folks who are treated with hundreds of dollars per month for acne for example, which could be handled over the counter. People with terminal cancer, continuing a useless fight. We the people do have to realize that sometimes enough is enough, we will all die no matter what. Allow a government option for catastrophic care only, allow insurance to be sold to anyone anywhere, remove copays and go back to 80/20 with deductible, insist that the generic drug at least be tried before utilizing the newest drug on the market, which is more often than not the same drug, reformulated, insist that the entire price of your visit be clearly marked on your superbill when leaving, not just the amount you paid, cap lawsuits at 1 mil dollars, disallow "class action" suits, each case must stand on it's own. IMO

Saturdays evenings show was pretty informative but I think a lot was left out of the discussion. The panel agreed that the government wouldn't give health care to illegal immigrants , this was said while discussing people going to the emergency room for regular medical treatment. No one mentioned who pays for people with no insurance who go to the emergency room. It's my belief that the hospitals raise the rates for everyone to cover these cost. If that is the case then yes the government will be supplying health care to illegal immigrants. If not I wish the panel would have explained that. Another problem Americans have with government health care is how smoothly the "cash for clunkers" has run it's course. After six days of the program all the money was gone (1 billion). The government's response-"the demand was more than we projected". Then they added two more billion! Also the government wants to use electronic records to cut down on cost of health care. Look how smoothly the electronic filing for clunker cash is going for the auto dealers, they can't even log into the government's web site to apply for the money. How about last month when the staggering unemployment numbers rocked the county and people were asking what is going on with the stimulus money. President Obama's response was "the economy was worse than we had thought. Is this the same kind of response we can expect when thing don't go as projected with the health care bill?

Kudos Christine,

Your analysis about the issues on cost and benefits (current state vs. proposed change) is very clear, accurate and honest, even better that of Dr. Gupta. Mr Gergen on the other hand is clearly making the same argument as that of Limbaugh, Sean Hanity and Palin. Why CNN keeps on inviting the so called experts who keep cowardly repeating that they don't know anything about the plan or spread fears and gross inaccuracies (some don'tt even remember what they stated about a week earlier. Let's research Mr's Gergen statements on health care situation in America. It's all about show and ratings for producers and anchors; it's all bout breaking Obama's presidency for David Gergen and alike.

Thank you Christine!

am very passionate (as are many of my colleagues) about health care and the education of the next generation of physicians (which is tied into health care for future generations).

The pink elephant in the room at any discussion on health care is the fact that health care in the US has become a profit oriented industry with a fee for service model. The simple reason for this is redundant layers of administrators, complex coding and billing rules and regulations (by design), insurance companies, trial lawyers, pharmaceutical industry interests and last but not least the physicians. All groups have heavy lobbyists and interest groups who honestly do not want reform because it would make the existence of those very same lobbyists and interest groups meaningless.

We the physicians and healthcare/hospital administrators have become more focused on reimbursement and malpractice issues and have often voiced our opinions on this collectively and loudly. Our silence on the erosion of the physician patient interaction has been deafening. Our health system has been structured to favor very brief doctor visits and very busy schedules to generate more revenue. Patients are beginning to feel short changed (and rightly so) with the push for shorter visit times and double bookings. This not only sets the stage for bad Medicine and poor supervision and teaching of medical students, residents and fellows but also opens us up for litigation issues. The driver in litigations is I believe often the level of dissatisfaction a patient experiences more than the medical outcome per se.

If we are to be true to our mission, we need to pull back from the push for shorter visit times and fix what is broken- the doctor patient relationship.

We have to do this urgently if we and our patients are to truly know better health care.

By complying with rules set by non physicians and administrators at insurance companies, to ensure short term survival and profitability all we are doing is making sure that the emboldened regulators/payers will impose more rules. History has clearly shown us that. That battle we will lose. The need is for us to take a stand and not pass the squeeze down stream to patients. That battle we can win if we all stand together.

This may sound simplistic but to me seems clear without any clutter.

At what point do the economics of care conflict with the ethics of care? It is tragic that the first question one is asked when one calls for an appointment with a physician is “What is your insurance?”

The concept of needing health insurance is flawed and having a public insurance option does nothing to fundamentally redefine the debate. The term affordable health care is meaningless. Who decides what is affordable for the individual person? The term universal access is meaningless. What is the point in having access to the ball park if you can’t afford the tickets?

The real change is embracing health care as a universal right. The real change is ensuring unfettered access. The real change is recognizing that providing health care for citizens, friends, neighbors and strangers is a moral obligation.

It is pathetic that the current debate on healthcare reform has been hijacked by fear mongers and has been changed to health insurance reform and now it is getting even more watered down. Shame on us all and shame on this administration for not having the courage of conviction to do the right thing.

If we are to truly realize health care reform we should be looking at universal healthcare and take profit out of the equation. What would be the cost savings if one completely did away with health care insurance companies and hence their operating expenses, CEO salaries and bonuses? Not to mention the expensive fraud monitoring systems that one has to have in place to detect insurance fraud. I am sure it will not be small change.

Sincerely,

Santhanam Lakshminarayanan, MD

30, valley view drive

Farmington

CT 06032.

Day tel 860-679-2160 eve tel 860-677-7197.

Mr. Gergen, Dr. Gupta, Mr. Cooper,

Is Medicare a govt run system? If it is makes look like the British, Canadians, the French, the Swedish, the Germans, the Swiss, let's give it to Halliburton ...then we will never have to worry about coverage, cost, and quality. Honestly!

AC and Dr. Gupta ,

Please advance the 5 – 8 main and main subset general health care issues by posting what Dr. Sanjay Gupta was referencing today with the background listing the issues. This is ultimately important for referencing issues and proceeding with details of the discussion. Kudos to Dr. Gupta for reading the 1000 plus page house bill.

Dr. Kurt Filips

Mr. Gergen,

I always enjoy your commentary, and I appreciated the program, Extreme Challenges – Health Care.

You suggested Canadians accept a public health care system out of "deference to authority". They certainly had less fear of "socialism" than Americans apparently do when the system was introduced years ago.

After decades of exposure to the American media, including political debates about health care, Canadians (86% according to a recent poll) are opposed to increased privatization.

The Canadian health care system has problems but if Canadians resist change it wont be because of "deference to authority". It will be fear of falling prey to the American situation and the clutches of what appear to be powerful private interests.

If the President's opponents believe there are reasonable arguments against public health care, then why do so many of them resort to lies and nonsense about systems like ours, and ludicrous and sickening attacks on him?

Excellent, informative discussion. Thank you.

I was advised through my state retirement system that before I dropped my 91 year old mother's Medicare Replacement policy (she receives this coverage as my deceased father's beneficiary) and enroll her simply in Medicare, that I should purchase a supplemental policy to enhance Medicare's coverage. I have been very well satisfied with her Medicare Replacement policy and thought about changing only as a cost saving measure as nursing home bills, Medicare (withheld from her Social Security) the Replacement policy, and medication bills are quite costly. Evidently, Medicare does not cover what private policies cover therefore the need for supplemental coverage. Does everyone on Medicare purchase supplemental insurance? Will health care reform improve Medicare coverage? Will people of retirement age be allowed to keep their private coverage or forced to enter the public plan? Will employers be permitted to force workers and or retirees into the public plan? What will prevent cash strapped state governments from doing the same? Who makes these decisions is very important; and it should be the consumer not government.

When you do not care for the welfare of Americans, why do you care for Iraq, Afaganistan and Pakistan?. Get it back your army from there and save money for Americans. Use your money wisely.

American school education level is dropping. Spend more money on education. Give Americans good education so that they can get good jobs and thereby they can get good healthcare.

Time has come to worry for ourselves. Follow what the rest of world like what Russia, China, India, Japan and so many do. Stop policing!! and build diplomatic relations.

If every American who currently has health insurance paid the amount of their policy to the Federal government in a medicare-esque program, would that generate enough revenue to provide health insurance to every America in the US? How much revenue (collectively) does the health insurance industry generate per year? How much would it cost to insure every American?

For those of us not living in the USA when can we see the entire video.
I am sorry I live in Europe and at 4AM I am still deeply asleep.
Thanks.