The parts of the bill that I've read (less than 1%) are not something I would want. Actually, some of it's downright creepy (mandatory old age planning - Kevorkian comes to mind).

I'm alive today because of our current system, so I'm biased. I don't want change.

Oh, and the government is not the entity most qualified to manage health care. Would you want a bunch of GS-11's and GS-13's running your plan? I don't.

I'm curious how people in other countries feel about their plans. I know several Canadians that winter in the US for alot of reasons - one being health care. People who have spoken out about the UK don't sound positive, but maybe only the vocal individuals are the dis-heartened. I do not want anything like Germany's cradle-to-grave plan.

Anybody know a good web site for comparisons? I'm curious but am limited on free time.

Tom

I have good healthcare and I welcome a public option. There is no doubt it has great potential to be amazing. It just needs support in Congress to not water it down and make it ineffectual. I have a dear friend with diabetes, despite having been a body builder and in great shape when diagnosed.

He has become very frail now that he is in his 60's. He is a Viet Nam veteran and his medical is so much better than I would ever expect and FREE. Cutting edge stuff.

Then there is Marcstk. Have you looked at his website? He went to the NIH (national institute of health). That is a government program. Just see what he has to say.

Canada has a good health care system. They did it in the 1960's.

Medicare and medicaid began 40 years ago. Same fears but now, it is a program people need.

Why does everything with the government have to be feared? Look at it like the post office. You have a choice to send your letter by post office or you can pay more and have it sent by FedEx or UPS. Same with packages.

I have never had a problem with the post office. If I do not want to wait in line, I go to my local Mail Vault and they do what I need, including boxing it with plastic peanuts, etc.

I welcome the change. I think insurance companies have made a huge profit and my deductible is scary if I need hospitalization.

Change is good!

Okay, I have said enough! I will stop posting on this thread and just read!

I dont want Canadian style healthcare for America. My friends who live in Canada dislike their healthcare. I have 2 that are on a wait list for a local MD because there are not enough regular MDs to take care of everyday needs like sore throats, or gyn exams. One had a bad car accident and had to wait 4 months for an MRI to see that she had two spinal fxs in her back. it took another 2 weeks of wait list to see a surgeon and she waited anther 2 weeks to be booked into surgery. After surgery she has many issues with bowels and bladder, and her surgeon told her that is the best he can do for her. IF she wishes to see another MD he can have her wait listed for another service. To me that is scary!

I guess I worry about what adding 46 million people will do to our current system. Will there be wait lists for treatments? Will we be told that the expense upon the government is so great that unless you meet a higher level of disability you wont be given your DMD or MRI? I agree that our current system is messed up, and has many miles to go, but I am having alot of troubling accepting some of the things I am being told. So much of what they are offering america is shrouded in mystery and vague answers. Even the senators and congressmen are saying that they WONT be reading this bill because it would take 3 days and 2 lawyers standing beside them to explain it all before they could fully understand what this bill is proposing. So, if they dont even have enough understanding to want to read it, then...whats is in that package?! I dont want a skimmed, skipped over, badly prepared package to become common standard forms of care for us as americans.

I dunno...I need to read more. I need to understand more. I need to do more research, and if I didnt have cog fog so bad lately, I would be tearing the internet apart to find solid research. Between visual issues, and MS issues, I find I stay more in the dark than in the light with this whole issue. I dont believe its a simple as "all americans need healthcare." oh, ok, then "here you go." Can it be that simple?

I don't think they even know what's in the bill. What scares me is all the extra things that will be "hidden" in the content of it just to appease some special interest groups.

I think it will take years of tweaking to get it right. It won't be a perfect fit for everyone. How could it be? I just hesitate to get excited about it because our government doesn't have any experience in universal healthcare. To me it just seems like the same thing as insurance companies trying to play "doctor".

I am dead set against government run healthcare. I work every day as a contractor to government agencies, and they are absolutely HORRIBLE at accomplishing even the smallest tasks without huge delays and costs many times higher than what they need to be. I have ZERO confidence that government can get this right, and quite frankly, my life and everybody else's DEPENDS on them getting it right. For those who are about to get angry with me...this isn't a democrat vs republican issue with me. A republican government would be just as bad as a democratic government at trying to manage a system like this.

All I need to do to understand why ANY single payer government run option (which is what we are really talking about here) is bad is look at all the places it has been tried. In Britain, women with early stage breast cancer may have to wait 6-12 months for "observation" before being allowed to begin treatment because they are forced to ration the treatment availability due to cost. Women with advanced cancers are often denied treatment altogether because they are deemed lost causes.

For those of us on CRABs, only certain ones are even available in Britain and the government, not you, gets to decide which one you go on. Forget about Tysabri or any advanced drugs...they are too expensive.

In Canada, people are forced to wait insanely long periods of time for very simple procedures with specialists. Sure, they may see a PCP doc easily and quickly, but even something as simple as a cortisone shot for an inflammed shoulder routinely requires wait times of 6-9 months (yes I said MONTHS) to see a specialist who is authorized to give the shot.

And for all of the president's squawking about how we can keep our existing plans if we like them, he is either lying or is totally ignorant of the bill currently being considered by congress. That bill specifically says if you change jobs, you have to go on the govt plan...if your employer changes their plan or the existing plan expires, it has to then switch to the govt plan...if you lose your job or get laid off...no more COBRA, you get stuck on the government plan.

Look, what we are talking about here is not a problem with the system...it is a problem of availability. For what the government is preparing to pay for this plan, we could take every person who currently doesn't have insurance and buy them a high quality Blue Cross/Blue Shield plan. Our current system creates the best, most innovative and most effective medical treatments on the planet and makes them available without insane government rationing or restrictions. I fail to see the benefit to tearing that system apart so that we can cover a few more people that aren't currently covered.

Most of all, as I said at the beginning, I simply don't trust the government to get it right. They have run medicare and medicaid for years and those programs are utter disasters full of waste, fraud, and poor care quality. They have run the VA for years and that program is a disaster that is a disgrace to the sacrifices of our veterans. Why on earth do we want to create a new government program and put it under the control of the same people who have so badly screwed up every program they have ever touched? It just doesn't make sense to do that...

I have been reading all of your responses, on both sides of the issue and I can't help but agree with all of you..

The truth is, something has to be done, so we all have access to the best of healthcare...to me, that's a given. Why should the people who are able to afford the best of coverage be treated to better healthcare than the poorest of us?

Is Government run healthcare the answer? Not with their track record, but then what is the answer, folks, if our Gov't doesn't step in and step up to this challenge? Private Insurance can still work, if the gov't regulates the coverages and premiums and subsidises, where necessary.

All I know is, this status quo stinks and I have little faith in our Congress to step up to the plate and hit a home run. It's just not in the nature of the political beast to do something for it's people without a big payback.

I'm glad they're working on it in earnest, this time, and I hope they can keep their greedy little paws out of the pot and get it done, for all our protection and benefit.

I haven't checked to see if it is accurate or not but I got an email that said that members of Congress would be exempt form this wonderful new health care. In other words, they don't want it!

Want to read the new Health Plan?

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-...=f:h3200ih.pdf

Congress has a platinum package. They get any test, at any time, by any MD whether they are in the USA or Ukraine. They dont have copays, and they dont pay a deductible. They have it for LIFE as long as they serve at least one term. it is the best of the best. Just like they always vote a raise for themselves every year, they always vote to keep their healthcare. I dont blame them for not wanting to lay down one of the best crafted plans ever, in exchange for one that has so many maybes. I have a dang good package, but would lay it down in a heartbeat for what they have.

Not to nit pick, but as far as my PO goes, they are pretty good. One out going thing destroyed - my city taxes lol - one thing lost forever - sold on ebay - and one incoming torn - from Tom. In all these years, pretty good.

On the other hand, ds moved out 2 yrs ago and we still get his mail. Some of our stuff goes to his addy. He and dh do not have the same first name, so what gives? Parts of the system just do not work.

And the PO is one of the better gov offices. Think about the justice system.



Not just is it often wrong and ineffective, it is just plain s - l - o - w.

Tom - I like your point about looking at how other countries are running their systems. If we have to go this route, we can at least look at other programs, even if they are not how we'd model ours.

Sometimes a bad example is a a good way to avoid disaster.

I have the best ins I've ever had - but when dh got layed off, where was I? All of a sudden, no coverage. Scary. So the best ins in the world is only as good as your job security, which is questionable in these times.

TBax, I understand what you are saying. And I believe you. But what I'm saying is this: When dh was layed off, Cobra was over $800. More than half a month of what RR pays furloughed employees. Might as well be a million. Who can pay that?

There's gotta be a better way. Cover people, but not like this is a 3rd world country.

You guys are smart. Why not put together a proposal? What kind of companies should offer their own ins? Which ones should not? If the gov has civil health care, what should that do for us? what does that look like in a perfect world? And how would it be possible?