Getting back to solutions on health care

We have to change. The current system is neither fair nor financially sustainable. Why is the media not focusing on the fact that the cost of health care has doubled in the past 10 years? How anyone can look at that fact and the fact that 60% of bankruptcies are related to health care bills and say the current system is fair and good is just beyond belief. I guess you can say that if you are the big boss at an insurance company. Or if you stick your head in the sand and say it will never happen to me. If you think you and your family are more than a breathe away from ending up unisured or bankrupt due to medical bills – you are living in fantasy land. Wake up America – we have to change and we CAN do better!!!!!!

I think we need socialized medicene like Canada,they seem pretty happy with their care. Why should an insurance company dictate my care?

He's made it quite clear, Obama wants a government-run plan, but knows that he has to push his program through the more rational groups in the country who know that the entire idea is crap. I think most people would like to improve the lives of the deserving poor, but want some way to eliminate the masses of third world garbage and other freeloaders from the gravy train. Since this can't be done, the only rational response is to reject the entire plan.

We are being bombarded by rhertoric of government controls and those in the healthcare system, as are consumers, scared of change. We are facing uncertainty and this requires us to forge ahead as the system we have is broken. We still are paying to much for healthcare, far more than our European counterparts and the staistics are not fictious, we pay more for less and are growing unhealthy by the decade. We must take the political positioning out of the decision and return to whats best for all, not those only with a career vested interest. Progress and innovation are American hallmarks and we must set a new standard in national healthcare if only to regain the lost respect of the global community.

I certainly agree we need health care reform, but the President and Congress need to elaborate on real questions being asked. I have a feeling that all the noise at town hall meetings are staged and if they are going to run ads on health care they need to make everything clear. We all need to understand that any new law on health care will have some problems, but as time goes on they can be resolved.

Many people are still confused as to what is the public option healthcare. I have heard people say the it will replace their company-sponsored insurance and they will have no choice but to take the public option. Can you please explain what the President's healthcare plan entails and how it will affect private insurance? The pros and cons? Thank you.

How can we get the point across to the politicians that if they vote this new health care 'disaster' into law, that we will vote them "OUT" of office ! ! ! ! We cannot afford for the government to take over health care. Everything they touch turns to dung – we don't need this !

Why are all the commentaries only on the pros of health care? Is it so perfect that there are no cons? Why is CNN so avidly campaigning for it? Why not just change/improve Medicaid? The whole issue makes me uneasy. Iris

The Republicans are now admitting that health care reform is necessary. What is their plan? We have yet to hear any proposals. All they do is complain about the policies in the current bill. It would be very helpful to have Republicans state specifically what they propose to fix health care.

When is anyone going to talk about how ALL TYPES of insurance companies are actually responsible for this healthcare mess. You cannot function in modern society without insurance of some kind. If you want health care, guess what? If you want to drive a car, guess what? Own a home, open a business, be a doctor (pay half a million dollars a year or more JUST for malpractice insurance), guess what? You have to have insurance. Back in the 60's there was a movie about the insurance companies taking over the world (Putney Swope), and guess what? It happened. And what about the guy with recurrent non-Hodgkins lymphoma who doesn't have health insurance? Yep, he's going to die because he can't get treatment.

The insurance companies need to be held accountable and NOW.

Healthcare in America is safe and the best in the world.
Healthcare charges are shocking, stupidly expensive and embarrasing for many doctors.
Medicare and medicaid work and can be expanded to everyone.

Volenteer public option insurance is essential to this ongoing reform process, specifically to manage charges and costs and must not be abandoned despite disruptive discussions.

Why is this so difficult to sell to the public who are the customers? They need options that cost less!! I saw a hospital bill to a patient for a simple head MRI for $12,139.15. I thought the bill was a joke. It was not.

Why, after 3 decades & hundreds of debates,can't congress get it together on health care! This is a capitalist country but we subsidise corporate america. Congress has no problem giving americans vouchers to send their children to private schools.Now my neighbor doesn't want to pay his land taxes beecause his children does not participate in public schools! He doesn't seem to understand that if his neighbors children get an education in public schools & state colleges that this increases tax rev's.
The lack of education in america is equal to our lack of health care.Doctors have to answer to the insurance companies.How many americans have died due insurance companies?
I hear people brag about our health care but the facts don't support that position.Our rating in the rest of the world on quality is shamefull.
Respectfully.. a senior citizen & Vietnam vet

It is time for health care reform. The system is broken, and we can not wait any longer. Congress needs to understand that sometimes you have to do what is right, even if your constituents do not agree. It is hard to change, and I understand that people are scared. But there is no going back. This should have happened a long time ago.
I believe President Obama's public option is a good one. Perfect? No. But health insurance should be available for everyone.

Why cannot there be some kind of assigned risk pool for healthcare as there is for driving? Drivers legally cannot drive without proving they have insurance. I'm not saying the uninsured can be forced to have health care coverage, but if they truly want it, why can they not be assigned to an insurer at some level of affordable cost for them–at least what it would cost to go to an Emergency center or clinic.

Additionally, even with Medicare, my premiums are approaching $400/month plus various co-pays and costs of non-generic drugs I must have. Social Security is not going up but expenses are. Frankly, I am tired of so many people and talking heads saying what cannot be done; instead of all the negatives, I want to hear proposals and solutions.

How will healthcare reform affect Tricare benefits for military retirees and their dependents? We have heard that Congress and the President want to charge us $7000 for this earned benefit. We have asked our Congressman about this with no response. Anything you could find out would be appreciated, thank you.

As a 50% Disabled Veteran, I have been treated at 4 different government controlled hospitals. Like Medicare, each can be accurately described as a beaurocratic nightmare. Where is the indication that government health care will be any better? It is obvious that the problems with the present system (scams, etc.) have not been addressed; rather this is an attempt to transfer them to government control.

Why isn't tort reform part of the plan? A large number of tests are often done to protect doctors from potential lawsuits, and the price of malpractice insurance is very high. All these are passed on. How about reforming laws to include "loser pays" for frivolous suits and limitations on payouts? There are ways this can be done while still protecting patients rights.

Why do americans want to live with a system that definetely is not working?!! Obviously people in this Country are unhealthy, system is expensive, system doesn't encourage people to be proactive about being healthy–It's one that encourages insurance and drug companies to make money. The more sick people well the more drugs sold–
It needs to change!! Only a few people have health insurance and those are the lucky few. Especially in today's jobless environment–no job.. no insurance...it keeps the middle class and poor down. We can never get anywhere if we always have to worry about our families health from sick children, to ageing parents- Let alone ourselves.... Look at the rest of developed nations! We are far the most unhealthy– I believe that health care should be available to all people especially the poor and old–and the goverment should be evolved in regulating this system. This way it's going to be expensive to the American people-We have to pay taxes to have this- We hate to have to pay for anything!! Which translates into taking proactive measures to be health– ie. Our food is contributing to the problem! Tighter regualations– Making sure that food is healthy starting in public schools– Encouraging more excercise and time for families to be together- Americans work the most in all developed nations... we don't rest... This is another contribution to why we are unhealthy– We don't have time to excercise , eat well, chose the right foods, and relax.
This is not OKAY!! We shouldn't be accepting this as part of the American Dream! If we don't reform our health care system– We are getting sicker, more tired, dying young– and we as a nation will not be able to compete on a global scale on anything....We will be just a sick, fat, tired nation- really close to extinction if this continues in the next 20 years...

Well, first off, let people know where they can go download and read the actual bills. Forget accusations and denials, go read the thing.

Then have a place where people can ask well informed questions about the 2 bills about what it DOES say, but often in legaleese, which most of us do not speak well.

Then start following things backwards, and I think you will find the scripts for a lot of the negative retoric are coming from the medical industry, or persons working FOR this industry. They have a lovely cash cow, and they are in control of said milker. And they like it that way.

Would YOU rather be in control?

Simple: Make Medicare available for everyone, not just seniors. Use the existing billing infrastructure and paperwork to submit the claims.

We all pay FICA in our paychecks to support existing Medicare members. How about allowing people to redirect what they pay now for their private insurance into FICA? That would help fund the new members.

The only issues here: how to fund the uninsured, and the need to hire more people to manage the claims. The solution for the first is to create a .5% national sales tax. The second sounds like a great make-work program to lower unemployment.

Does anyone have the need to vent and argue for another generation.

Hi Christine,

Obama has failed to clear the halls of Congress of lobbyists, and this will be his failure. There is a reported 6 lobbyists for every member of congress, just for health care.

The U.S. spent over $2 trillion dollars on health care, yet we are about 37th in health quality compared to other countries. Imagine how healthy and free we would all be if we turned that $2 trillion dollars spent into $2.4 trillion dollars of value by removing profit from the equation [based on $0.82/$1 by insurance care vs. $0.97/$1 by Medicare].

How do we pay for it? Instead of employers' money and member's money going into different insurance pools and groups, everyone would pay an income tax into one, big pool- no rejects, no pre-existing conditions to worry about, etc.... Moderate surcharges can be paid for pre-existing conditions, and larger surcharges for lifestyle choices [smoking, alcoholism, drug use, obesity on BMI]. Imagine actually getting something from your tax money!!

Other countries are doing this, with better success than we are having here. Considering what we pay for "health care," why are we not the healthiest country in the world?

Corporate lobbyists play a crucial role at preserving health insurance profits at any cost, and they are winning. Former President Thomas Jefferson was aware of this problem in 1812,

"I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations, which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength and bid defiance to the laws of our country.

Corporations are writing our laws today.

Welcome to the United Corporations of America.

It's clear that the only way to control insurance costs is with a competitive public option. Getting hold of insurance costs and providing more comprehensive coverage will save Billions of dollars every year.

Like many, I have my own insurance horror story. Even while paying $1000 per month for coverage, I ended up with $17,000 in medical bills because my son had heartburn. Since he had heartburn, even though it went away by itself and he is not on any medication, he is now rated as "high risk".

We can't keep going like this folks. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to change this and I hope the President doesn't back down on the public option. If we don't seize this opportunity it will be lost for decades which is exactly what the insurance companies want. I voted for President Obama because I thought he was going to materially change things and this is the biggest thing on his plate as far as policy goes.

Here is a questions that you should really be investigating, Its' like follow the money.

Who, what group/groups wrote the 1000 page healthcare bill?

Thank you and kind regards

Jim Porter

We should have Universal Health Care with a SINGLE PAYER-the US government. Citizens should never receive a hospital or doctor bill. It seems the people in Washington still don't get it. Poor people don't have any money. That's why they are called poor. Does the government think they can pay a FINE when they can't pay their mandated bill?

The solution is simple-no need for over a thousand pages of legislation. Give all citizens the same medical option as congress-federal employees-state employees-county employees–city employes–and the military. All Americans should have health care at no additional cost. Other countries have shown us how to do it-what's the problem? I would say the main problem is people who have insurance and don't really care about the rest of the citizens of our nation. I wonder how many protesters at these town hall meeting don't have insurance.

I cannot find any provisions for tort reform in the health bill.
am I over looking this important factor which will cut costs considerably?

News commentators keep saying the public is confused about the healthcare bill. I do not believe the Anerican Public is confused. The actual healthcare bill being flogged is confusing. The public is not confused at all. They just do not want something as important as healthcare rammed down their throats.

The folks in Washington had better wake up and realize they work for the American Public.

The polls show the majority of Americans are not in favor of this heathcare bill. The folks in Washington would be wise to listen to the people. There will be a major revolt if they ram it thru. We have two ways to revolt. Voting and witholding taxes.

Thank you and kind regards

Jim Porter

I keep seeing people asking questions over and over again yet if you asked even one of the people have the read the Bill you will get an answer of well NO I just don't understand it. The responsibility at this point is for the person to read it over and over till they do get the answer they are looking for instead of yelling and screaming. I get angry at our elected officials and yes many of the both republicans and democrats should be voted out I have been saying this for years, and it always comes down to one thing " THERE IS NOTHING MORE STUPID THAN AN AMERICAN WHEN IT COMES TO VOTING" No wonder most people in other countries think we are stupid. In other words people STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES.

According to the White House, health care reform must "... lower the skyrocketing cost of health care; guarantee choice of doctors and plans; and assure quality affordable health care for every American". They then say that "public option would achieve those goals and give the American people more choices. It would foster greater competition; lower costs; and give consumers a greater variety of affordable choices" (all from the White House's "Health Insurance Reform Reality Check" site's FAQ ).

My question is: How does the creation of the public option do all of that? Because every new detail I hear about it, thrown together with my understanding of market and economic forces, suggests that it will likely reduce the competition, will have little or no positive effect on health care costs, and probably will result in fewer choices.

I am registered independent. I am not an ideologue. I agree that there is a problem with health care today. I agree that soaring costs are the major problem. I agree that all Americans should have access to affordable healthcare. My prime concern is that we are being offered a solution without any substantiation that it is the RIGHT solution. And the right solution is the one that measurably solves the stated problem – reduction of costs and greater access to healthcare for all Americans. We keep hearing the President say that his reform will solve the problem, but neither nor his team offer anything to substantiate that arbitrary claim.

I have been posting this everywhere. Fact: There are more well people than sick people. When workers pay into a plan and not use it the ins. keeps the money. I will restate: THERE ARE WAY MORE WELL PEOPLE THAN SICK PEOPLE. That is why you need a gov. plan

It seems to me that the only people protesting are the ones that already have coverage. I think the President needs to make it clearer why healthcare reform is good for them too, not just those that have no coverage now. Although that is also important, many people see that as a hand-out and more "welfare" to people who are not contributing to the system.
With all the layoffs and downsizing these days, just because you have healthcare right now, does NOT mean you will have it in the future, or that you will not have to pay huge increases for it. And keep in mind, the money that your employer has to kick in for your employer-provided care is money that you will NOT get in raises and other benefits. That's why salaries have been stagnant for the past few years.
Having been laid off at one time, I am very aware of how horribly expensive COBRA is (almost half of my unemployment check!), and having a pre-existing condition often precludes finding affordable private insurance, IF they will cover you at all.

We need reform and soon.Let the legislators do what they're supposed to do.Most of us voted for a change so let it happen.

Perhaps it is time for a "special election" so that Congress can hear what the people want directly. The vote would be simple and without detail:

Question 1:
What would you want for your health care?
1) Leave everything as it is now,
2) A Public Option, where a government pool would exist,
3) A Single Payer system.

This would then be directed at Congress to create a bill, that is required to pass in one year's time, containing such a program- no exception. Congress members will also be a part of this program as a requirement of quality.

Voting would be ranked:
Top choice gets a '1',
Middle Choice gets a '2', and
Last choice gets a '3'.

Lowest score wins.
This removes all of the power of lobbyists, and lets the people be heard.

HR 3200 stinks. It has nothing to do about health CARE, it has much to do with health COSTS. Health care will not be any better than it is currently, in fact health care may decrease due to the added number of people to provide for. I shall not in any instance hesitate to assist a person in need of health care due to being denied coverage because of preexsisting conditions. That is just wrong and I will not condone that practice. Also, I will not hesitate to deny the millions of illegal immigrants access to this nation's health care unless they start to pay their way for the benifits provided. Unfortunatly both the worthy who are now denied and the illegals will all have access under HR 3200 and since we can not differentiate and sift the illegals out the bottom line is many more will have access to health care without a corresponding gain in the number of doctors nurses and hospitals. That equation equals less health care for all with more cost those who can and will pay. I can not and will not support this. In addition, the government sponsered (Public Option) will eventually snuff out the spark of private initiative and steam roll the competition so as there will be only the government in the business of health care. At that point government makes all the decisions and if history is any indication that outcome will be as pathetic as pathetic can be. Government has no incentive to contain cost, it is not their money, the willing subjects just turn over the cash and proceed to witness the government abuse it. Hence without cost controls the costs will only increase due to government ineptness. Do we need some specific changes to health care? damn straight we do, but this HR 3200 is much to broad in scope. The best way I can express my chagrin is "Don't demolish the house because the roof leaks, fix the problem, don't tear out the foundation."

Unemployment numbers:

How can we post percentages when we don't have numbers on on how many jobs we originally had to lose?

In other words, how can arrive at numbers of jobs lost if we don't know how many jobs will "never return" to this country. "Good for trade," as George Bush said.

mm