For those who cannot get health care coverage through their work or are freelancers, how will health care reform help those who are denied coverage because of "pre-existing conditions" obtain an individual health care plan? What are the specific plans being talked about to make sure these people have open access to heath care coverage?
Since every civilized developed country in the world has figured out that a single payer system for provision of health care is the only cost effective way of doing it, as well as every US expert who has studied the problem (except for Rahm Emmanuel's brother Zeke, who seems to be biased), what do you think is keeping Congress from even CONSIDERING single payer? Surely it couldn't be lobbying and campaign money from the health insurance industry, could it? Wouldn't all the money the insurance companies use for administrative costs, profits, and buying influence in Congress be used better on our health care?
The reasons you mention are exactly why the US needs national health care. I'm a Swedish physician working in the Swedish health care system. All Swedes get health care levels comparable to the 80% or so that are insured in the US at little more than half the cost (WHO report for 2000-2006 <a class="user" href="http://www.who.int/entity/whosis/whostat/4.xls).">http://www.who.int/entity/whosis/whostat/4.xls).</a> Infant mortility rates, doctor density, etc are comparable.To be able to cope with the strain that an ageing population growing more obese every year (Sweden has the same problem but on a different scale), you need to cut the cost of the administration and all the unnecessary procedures that a private insurance based health care system leads to. To put it simply, you can't afford not to nationalize. If you have shortages in physicians and other health care professions (as does Sweden, as does the whole western world), you need to tighten the reins, meaning more governmental control, not less.My opinion of course, living in the "socialist paradise" of Sweden. You should, of course not adopt the same system that Sweden or France or Canada use. Look at different systems and at the specific conditions that apply to the US and try to devise something that works. But don't try to convince me that a system that covers 80% of the population for twice the cost of comparable national systems is the end-all of health care systems.
Single payer assumes everyone works. Healthcare for all means you can access doctors and therapists even when you are out of work. It is important for our country to care about everyone. I think choices are good though, and we should be able to chose which doctors we want to see.
Did anyone notice that ABC didn't cover single payer in the interview? In fact they Un-invited Obamas long time physician who was going to be on the show. He supports a single payer system.
President Obama, when you were running your campaign before you were elected, you promised that you would bring back our civil liberties. Thus far, this has not happened enough. We still have wiretapping and the monitoring of all internet traffic. Can you please explain why this is still continuing?
What's The Rush? Single-payer health care sounds like a good ideal. But if its not the solution, Slow down Mr President! Im in no hurry, nor should You be in a hurry! You and Your admistration have rushed so many things on the American People the last six months. And while our heads were still spinning You drop health care reform on us. Mr President You have three and half more years to go and maybe more, depending on what You do or dont do! Slow down! I didn't vote for You, but im not agaist You either. Your my President, and Your success is my success! Remember...the choices You make today is Your history tomorrow. And we the people have to ride that choice and that history with You. your freind and fellow citizen!
During the campaign you promised Americans "the same insurance as we have" meaning you and Biden (and all other Senators). Question: Will the President, Vice President, and members of the House and Senate will be covered by the same plan you are pushing legislators to pass for the rest of us? Americans cannot trust any healthcare reform that does not treat all citizens equally.
Well the angle you may be coming from is that you have had coverage for the past 20 years. The system isn't broke for you. Congratulations. I too have had insurance for the last 15 years. Congratulations to me. Its about the people who have it to not turn a blind eye to the ones that don't. The time is now or never. The representatives that you cite as ruining the country are our elected representatives. By extension it is US who are ruining our country. If we can band together and let our reps know that healthcare is our moral obligation then everything else will fall in place.We rank 37th in the world for Healthcare, right behind Morocco and Costa Rica. Their infant mortality rate and life expectancy is better than ours. But we spend 4 times more than those countries. Sure, we are great if you need a liver transplant after 40 years of alcohol abuse. But we suck at offering basic healthcare for millions of our fellow citizens. Its embarrasing.Lieberman decides to let millions suffer and flounder, lose their homes and force them to decide about going to the ER or face the bill collectors for profit. All because we have to wait for our moral compass to come into focus. Screw that. My compass is in focus. I hope yours is too.Here is my attempt at lightening the mood: There was a man of Polish persuasion that walked into a bar with a big pile of dog s**t in his hands...of which he said to the drunks..."hey guys, look what I almost stepped in" Cheers Back!
I'm happy with my medicare and VA care but I'm concerned about health care for others you are less fortunate. I support the health care reforms proposed to date with one exception. Whey isn't tort reform part of the centerpiece for any reform? During the election campaign I understood that the president was in favor of tort reform and he would not back down from special interest groups.
Mr. President, I often hear that people have to choose between medication and food. So why is access to food not a 'right' and something that the Government (taxpaying citizens) deems important enough to subsidize. With so many Government failures and wastes, why is another massive plan even being proposed? Why not fix the other failing programs, that would be 'change'. Where in the constitution does it say that health insurance is a right, or that the government has any role in providing it? Why isn't having a car a right? Most people need a car to get to work. Should GM supply me a car at taxpayer expense? Where does it end? ---maybe in the next election!
Mr. President, Why are you trying to ruin our country? The government does not need to be involved in the car companies, student loans and healthcare. Pass some reform to make things better, but don't overhaul a system that many are happy with. The USA has worked hard to be a free, capitalistic society that works when given the chance. Please do not bring us any closer to socialism than we already are. Listen to the PEOPLE that you work for, not the voice inside your head telling you that this is what is best for our country, because it is not.
my question is why or when is are sons an fathers an familys are coming home from fighting a war in Iraq they dont want us there my son is on his way there right now for the second time then i here they are moving out from there with in a year but then they are sending are familys members to a place that is worse an that be Afaganstan why iI beleave are familys should be here in the usa protecting us here a round the usa not over seas we should be based around are country not over in there,s so when is are sons an familys coming home where they belong an where they be safe why cant they have bases here around the usa to protect us I am so tired an i m sure they are more familys feel the same way are sons an familys being sent away an we never no if we will see them agian alive they need to take a new look on how to protect the usa with out sending are family members to this alful countrys to fight an be killed there so I say bring them all home MR Pres.
bshockJun 20, 2009
Mr. Obama, why are you so obsessed with bipartisanship, when your political opponents are only interested in destroying you?
stacartJun 22, 2009
For those who cannot get health care coverage through their work or are freelancers, how will health care reform help those who are denied coverage because of "pre-existing conditions" obtain an individual health care plan? What are the specific plans being talked about to make sure these people have open access to heath care coverage?
lmholmesJun 23, 2009
Since every civilized developed country in the world has figured out that a single payer system for provision of health care is the only cost effective way of doing it, as well as every US expert who has studied the problem (except for Rahm Emmanuel's brother Zeke, who seems to be biased), what do you think is keeping Congress from even CONSIDERING single payer? Surely it couldn't be lobbying and campaign money from the health insurance industry, could it? Wouldn't all the money the insurance companies use for administrative costs, profits, and buying influence in Congress be used better on our health care?
ulmusJun 26, 2009
The reasons you mention are exactly why the US needs national health care. I'm a Swedish physician working in the Swedish health care system. All Swedes get health care levels comparable to the 80% or so that are insured in the US at little more than half the cost (WHO report for 2000-2006 <a class="user" href="http://www.who.int/entity/whosis/whostat/4.xls).">http://www.who.int/entity/whosis/whostat/4.xls).</a> Infant mortility rates, doctor density, etc are comparable.To be able to cope with the strain that an ageing population growing more obese every year (Sweden has the same problem but on a different scale), you need to cut the cost of the administration and all the unnecessary procedures that a private insurance based health care system leads to. To put it simply, you can't afford not to nationalize. If you have shortages in physicians and other health care professions (as does Sweden, as does the whole western world), you need to tighten the reins, meaning more governmental control, not less.My opinion of course, living in the "socialist paradise" of Sweden. You should, of course not adopt the same system that Sweden or France or Canada use. Look at different systems and at the specific conditions that apply to the US and try to devise something that works. But don't try to convince me that a system that covers 80% of the population for twice the cost of comparable national systems is the end-all of health care systems.
marykoconnorJul 3, 2009
Single payer assumes everyone works. Healthcare for all means you can access doctors and therapists even when you are out of work. It is important for our country to care about everyone. I think choices are good though, and we should be able to chose which doctors we want to see.
grinrevereJul 18, 2009
Did anyone notice that ABC didn't cover single payer in the interview? In fact they Un-invited Obamas long time physician who was going to be on the show. He supports a single payer system.
xbrokennomorexJul 18, 2009
President Obama, when you were running your campaign before you were elected, you promised that you would bring back our civil liberties. Thus far, this has not happened enough. We still have wiretapping and the monitoring of all internet traffic. Can you please explain why this is still continuing?
justdiggitmanAug 14, 2009
What's The Rush? Single-payer health care sounds like a good ideal. But if its not the solution, Slow down Mr President! Im in no hurry, nor should You be in a hurry! You and Your admistration have rushed so many things on the American People the last six months. And while our heads were still spinning You drop health care reform on us. Mr President You have three and half more years to go and maybe more, depending on what You do or dont do! Slow down! I didn't vote for You, but im not agaist You either. Your my President, and Your success is my success! Remember...the choices You make today is Your history tomorrow. And we the people have to ride that choice and that history with You. your freind and fellow citizen!
voter2Aug 27, 2009
During the campaign you promised Americans "the same insurance as we have" meaning you and Biden (and all other Senators). Question: Will the President, Vice President, and members of the House and Senate will be covered by the same plan you are pushing legislators to pass for the rest of us? Americans cannot trust any healthcare reform that does not treat all citizens equally.
cgovrikAug 28, 2009
Well the angle you may be coming from is that you have had coverage for the past 20 years. The system isn't broke for you. Congratulations. I too have had insurance for the last 15 years. Congratulations to me. Its about the people who have it to not turn a blind eye to the ones that don't. The time is now or never. The representatives that you cite as ruining the country are our elected representatives. By extension it is US who are ruining our country. If we can band together and let our reps know that healthcare is our moral obligation then everything else will fall in place.We rank 37th in the world for Healthcare, right behind Morocco and Costa Rica. Their infant mortality rate and life expectancy is better than ours. But we spend 4 times more than those countries. Sure, we are great if you need a liver transplant after 40 years of alcohol abuse. But we suck at offering basic healthcare for millions of our fellow citizens. Its embarrasing.Lieberman decides to let millions suffer and flounder, lose their homes and force them to decide about going to the ER or face the bill collectors for profit. All because we have to wait for our moral compass to come into focus. Screw that. My compass is in focus. I hope yours is too.Here is my attempt at lightening the mood: There was a man of Polish persuasion that walked into a bar with a big pile of dog s**t in his hands...of which he said to the drunks..."hey guys, look what I almost stepped in" Cheers Back!
mikedolanAug 28, 2009
I'm happy with my medicare and VA care but I'm concerned about health care for others you are less fortunate. I support the health care reforms proposed to date with one exception. Whey isn't tort reform part of the centerpiece for any reform? During the election campaign I understood that the president was in favor of tort reform and he would not back down from special interest groups.
rsolitoSep 5, 2009
Mr. President, I often hear that people have to choose between medication and food. So why is access to food not a 'right' and something that the Government (taxpaying citizens) deems important enough to subsidize. With so many Government failures and wastes, why is another massive plan even being proposed? Why not fix the other failing programs, that would be 'change'. Where in the constitution does it say that health insurance is a right, or that the government has any role in providing it? Why isn't having a car a right? Most people need a car to get to work. Should GM supply me a car at taxpayer expense? Where does it end? ---maybe in the next election!
solidmomSep 19, 2009
Mr. President, Why are you trying to ruin our country? The government does not need to be involved in the car companies, student loans and healthcare. Pass some reform to make things better, but don't overhaul a system that many are happy with. The USA has worked hard to be a free, capitalistic society that works when given the chance. Please do not bring us any closer to socialism than we already are. Listen to the PEOPLE that you work for, not the voice inside your head telling you that this is what is best for our country, because it is not.
belle50Oct 14, 2009
my question is why or when is are sons an fathers an familys are coming home from fighting a war in Iraq they dont want us there my son is on his way there right now for the second time then i here they are moving out from there with in a year but then they are sending are familys members to a place that is worse an that be Afaganstan why iI beleave are familys should be here in the usa protecting us here a round the usa not over seas we should be based around are country not over in there,s so when is are sons an familys coming home where they belong an where they be safe why cant they have bases here around the usa to protect us I am so tired an i m sure they are more familys feel the same way are sons an familys being sent away an we never no if we will see them agian alive they need to take a new look on how to protect the usa with out sending are family members to this alful countrys to fight an be killed there so I say bring them all home MR Pres.