[pxpaulx]

No, we don't need European/Canadian or other similar Health care style in U.S.

We have our own system that need to be tweaked here and there and hopefully today my vote will help to undo what has been forced upon us.

Thanks but no thanks Obama, keep your agenda out of my life and my own personal decisions.

As a Canadian and now also an American Citizen, I would have to say you don't have a clue. We are ALL being F'd in the A by health care companies that only care for their bottom line. Somehow, despite that, 50% of the population would prefer to continue the reaming under the guise of personal choice.

Sadly the watered down BS that was passed just seems to be shifting the manure pile around abit.

[mikemike]

With an individual mandate why do we still need the employer sponsored group plans instead of making everyone in America or everyone in a particular state a "group" and allowing you to pick your own plan which would be totally portable if you switch jobs?

[Nesster]

Mike, with Republican bipartisan participation, we may have managed to get to such an act. Although, I'm sure this thing would be shot full of holes by the industries involved...

[fiveseven]

Exactly what tweaks are needed to cover the 45 million uninsured or the almost one million that will file for bankruptcy this year due to medical bills. I'd love to hear your suggestions.

Competition drives prices down. If health care providers would be allowed to trade or sell across state lines it will offer more choices and as a result better and cheaper deals. Just like any other companies offering various services.
Reform malpractice litigation and insurance practices. Just like store adds up or marks up merchandise to compensate for shoplifting and litigation, same applies to health care insurance. While there is a need to hold physicians accountable civilly for carelessness...... Reality is that vast majority is frivolous and to make up for the loss your insurance rate or Dr. bill goes up.
Reform and restructure FDA , etc...... there's more but I don't have the time.

As a Canadian and now also an American Citizen, I would have to say you don't have a clue. We are ALL being F'd in the A by health care companies that only care for their bottom line. Somehow, despite that, 50% of the population would prefer to continue the reaming under the guise of personal choice.

My wife is from Winnipeg so I do.... After 6 years, she said that our health care is above and beyond what she had most of her life.
As a Eastern Europen I know also first hand what "quality social" health care is. Not to mention we in U.S have the highest population of any fully modern contry so to cover everyone under universal health care would bankrupt us fiscally and medical staff wise as well. If we, overnight adopted universal health care it would pretty much overwhelf and decimate our entire health care industry.

Sadly the watered down BS that was passed just seems to be shifting the manure pile around abit.

I know, it didn't go far enough for you.

[jeffkrol]

Competition drives prices down. If health care providers would be allowed to trade or sell across state lines it will offer more choices and as a result better and cheaper deals. Just like any other companies offering various services.
Reform malpractice litigation and insurance practices. Just like store adds up or marks up merchandise to compensate for shoplifting and litigation, same applies to health care insurance. While there is a need to hold physicians accountable civilly for carelessness...... Reality is that vast majority is frivolous and to make up for the loss your insurance rate or Dr. bill goes up.
Reform and restructure FDA , etc...... there's more but I don't have the time.

They still can cut you off at a whim, or get you fired.(if rates go up for a group the tendency is to let the sickest "retire").................
2 things that WOULD not be possible w/ universal coverage........
http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/triage/2009/01/fired-because-o.html
http://benefitslink.com/articles/stoploss000723.html

My wife is from Winnipeg so I do.... After 6 years, she said that our health care is above and beyond what she had most of her life.
As a Eastern Europen I know also first hand what "quality social" health care is. Not to mention we in U.S have the highest population of any fully modern contry so to cover everyone under universal health care would bankrupt us fiscally and medical staff wise as well. If we, overnight adopted universal health care it would pretty much overwhelf and decimate our entire health care industry.


I know, it didn't go far enough for you.

No, it wouldn't BUT the fact that there is such a perceived backlog of "walking wounded" speaks VOLUMES to how "good" the system is for many. and East. Europe really doesn't count as a peer to peer comparison. Do you agree?

[fiveseven]

Were going to agree to disagree on this one. We are not going to change others mindset or perceptions. I can get few articles here and there but I don't see a reason at this point.

Bottom line is, we will see what we the American people have to say about this come by the end of this day and in 2 years.

[Oldschool]

Competition drives prices down. If health care providers would be allowed to trade or sell across state lines it will offer more choices and as a result better and cheaper deals. Just like any other companies offering various services.
Reform malpractice litigation and insurance practices. Just like store adds up or marks up merchandise to compensate for shoplifting and litigation, same applies to health care insurance. While there is a need to hold physicians accountable civilly for carelessness...... Reality is that vast majority is frivolous and to make up for the loss your insurance rate or Dr. bill goes up.
Reform and restructure FDA , etc...... there's more but I don't have the time

While tort reform is a good thing and should be pursued, the total cost of medical malpractice and malpractice premiums amounts to less than 2.5% of medical costs in the US.

Allowing cross state policies might be good as well, but the cost savings here are incremental as well. According to Kaiser Permanente (one of the nations largest health insurance companies), the premium savings might be 5%.

These two suggestions would only bring about a small savings and not materially affect health care costs. Our system does not work today for all Americans. We need a drastic overhaul of how we provide medical services.

[jeffkrol]

Were going to agree to disagree on this one. We are not going to change others mindset or perceptions. I can get few articles here and there but I don't see a reason at this point.

Bottom line is, we will see what we the American people have to say about this come by the end of this day and in 2 years.

PLEASE post some.... most of what I see is hot air, hypobole, exaggeration and "gut feelings" or "they told me"............. and of course the usual cop out of not explaining it........
As to the American public, fear and anger often over rule common sense....... see what happened after 9/11....

[Rondec]

Health care reform is one of the hardest issues to deal with. The issue is broad and involves multiple things, including the need to cut costs and cover more individuals. Everyone is covered, even if they aren't covered. Uninsured patients go to Emergency Rooms and are not turned away, even though they often don't pay their bills. On the other hand, Medicare and Medicaid both pay less than the cost of care. In Indiana, Medicare pays about 95 percent of the cost of care and Medicaid pays about 50 percent the cost of care.

Between the government insured and uninsured, the cost of health care is basically dumped on those who can afford commercial health insurance. That is not a viable long term solution.

At the same time, the US government is completely bankrupt and has no money to cover anything else. All I hear from politicians are trite and useless tag lines that mean nothing in a debate such as this.

[jeffkrol]

Health care reform is one of the hardest issues to deal with. The issue is broad and involves multiple things, including the need to cut costs and cover more individuals. Everyone is covered, even if they aren't covered. Uninsured patients go to Emergency Rooms and are not turned away, even though they often don't pay their bills. On the other hand, Medicare and Medicaid both pay less than the cost of care. In Indiana, Medicare pays about 95 percent of the cost of care and Medicaid pays about 50 percent the cost of care.

Between the government insured and uninsured, the cost of health care is basically dumped on those who can afford commercial health insurance. That is not a viable long term solution.

At the same time, the US government is completely bankrupt and has no money to cover anything else. All I hear from politicians are trite and useless tag lines that mean nothing in a debate such as this.

You shouldn't face bankruptcy for medical reasons, and ALL citizens should be covered. period. It' not right. IF your friend/self/relative/stranger is /was sick/dying the last thing a Christian or humanist should be worried about is his family and homes security. The issues NOT THAT HARD........
50% or more of what bankrupt the country went overseas to 2 wars..yet it seems to bother few and want to punish the "small people" for excesses in spending.

In 2007, medical problems contributed to 62.1 percent of all bankruptcies. Between 2001 and 2007, the proportion of all bankruptcies attributable to medical problems rose by about 50 percent (probably down due to foreclosure bankruptcies, or people are choosing dying over medical help).

Medical Bills Cause Most Bankruptcies - NYTimes.com

[jogiba]

The Republicans are a bunch of fat couch potatoes that are in bed with the food factories and pharmaceutical /healthcare companies so watch healthcare costs bankrupt the country in a few years.

[GeneV]

Health care reform is one of the hardest issues to deal with. The issue is broad and involves multiple things, including the need to cut costs and cover more individuals. Everyone is covered, even if they aren't covered. Uninsured patients go to Emergency Rooms and are not turned away, even though they often don't pay their bills. On the other hand, Medicare and Medicaid both pay less than the cost of care. In Indiana, Medicare pays about 95 percent of the cost of care and Medicaid pays about 50 percent the cost of care.

Between the government insured and uninsured, the cost of health care is basically dumped on those who can afford commercial health insurance. That is not a viable long term solution..

Medicare needs some reform on its payment schedule, but it actually does a pretty good job compared to private payors. I used to represent doctors in negotiations with private insurers, and we were usually shooting at a percentage of Medicare. Medicaid rates are an utter disaster, and that is where the uninsured are going.

As I wrote after recently emerging from a hospital stay arising from an accident, private insurers are trying their best to stick public facilities with bills as well. That is also not viable. My insurer gave me notice as I left the hospital that it would not pay the University Hospital for my last 3 days there. I would not be charged for this, but they would attempt to stiff the taxpayer-funded trauma hospital because their medical director allegedly disagreed with my doctor about those days after the fact. (Of course, no one asked me).

[reeftool]

With all the FUD that the Republicans threw around about the new health care provisions, I expected to find a hefty increase. Well, our enrollment period at work opened Nov 1. We were told by the fearmongers that health insurance premiums were going up 30% - 50%. Mine went up $7 a week. That's actually less than the increases of the past 2 years. So, for the slight increase, I can keep my daughter on my plan until she finds full time employment with benefits until she is age 26. Under the old regulations, the only alternative was COBRA for around $500 a month. I might add that the increase is only for dependant children. Without kids, it remained the same.

[GeneV]

With all the FUD that the Republicans threw around about the new health care provisions, I expected to find a hefty increase. Well, our enrollment period at work opened Nov 1. We were told by the fearmongers that health insurance premiums were going up 30% - 50%. Mine went up $7 a week. That's actually less than the increases of the past 2 years. So, for the slight increase, I can keep my daughter on my plan until she finds full time employment with benefits until she is age 26. Under the old regulations, the only alternative was COBRA for around $500 a month. I might add that the increase is only for dependant children. Without kids, it remained the same.

Heath insurance premiums were going up every year any way. It is where the raises for my employees have gone in recent years.

[mikemike]

Mike, with Republican bipartisan participation, we may have managed to get to such an act. Although, I'm sure this thing would be shot full of holes by the industries involved...

Making insurance plan independent of employment would have been much more pro-worker than having every American in the country join a union. And it would have benefited small businesses the most. I wonder how this idea could have slipped everyone who was writing the bills mind.