Thank You!!!

Sheesh, Lady, thanks but, you don't expect me to read that long, War and Peace version, do you..LOL!! Besides, that is just the skeleton...all the dang porky amendments haven't been added yet..

If it passes as is and I doubt it, the Senate will have it's way with it and then back to the congress for compomises..

I'll believe it when I see it and maybe not even then..

Interesting responses! One way or another, we'll have someone in between us and our doctors. Today it's the HMOs and quite frankly, I'd rather have the government in that position. Like others have said, the health plan for federal employees is pretty good, they know how to do THAT right and the government is responsible to us by way of elected officials.

The HMOs are unbridled capitalists. They're relatively new to this picture and since they got their hooks in they've done nothing more than add complexity and layers of administrative nonsense to something that should NOT be this complicated. And they're making ungodly amounts of money doing it.

I have better than average health insurance but like everyone else on my plan, I'm one health crisis away from having to throw a 'benefit' in order to pay for extended or complex care - even though much of my income goes to pay for my health insurance.

I won't debate it, I just hope the national conversation shifts to include what's 'in it' for all the players. Including HMOs. It'll be eye-opening....

Good point.

Maybe they should just give us all the same health plan they have. That'd be the easiest thing to do....it already works and they wouldn't have to try and figure anything new out. Too bad that won't work. I think we all deserve the same quality care that they get.

What I can't understand is why they sacrifice quality for price. They're either going to pay it now (preventative care) or pay it later. It'd be more cost effective to prevent some of the conditions that they're going to have to treat due to inadequate care now.

Just like me.....it's agreed that I'm disabled. I'm on SSDI. But do you think I have access to any medical insurance? Medicare? Nope.....I have to wait two years! They agree I'm disabled but refuse to provide basic medical care. That makes about as much sense as.....well, I can't say that here but it doesn't make any sense!

I hope they come up with something but I'm not holding my breath.

I just hate that we are put in this position.....having to beg for decent affordable healthcare.

If everyone, with their hand in our pockets, would just charge a decent price for their service and wares, most of us could afford it, without the giant, blood sucking, Insurance Cos..

We will always have the poor, who can't and that's where our Gov't should and does step in to help with Medicade and our Old (Me) with Medicare..

BGB,

I agree...Cobra coverage is expensive and it sucks if you have to use it. That is why I say it is not a problem of the care or the system...it is a problem of availability. The system didn't cause the coverage to go up in price, being unemployed caused it to go up in price. So if we could find a way to extend reasonably priced coverage as a part of unemployment benefits, maybe that would be part of a logical solution. I just can't see the wisdom in tearing down the whole system when the real problem is that a relatively small percentage of people who want coverage can't get it.

I have BC/BS. The federal government is basically self insured but contracts the administration of the insurance policies to a whole long list of companies, to include BC/BS. There's like 50 plans I can participate in.

My dental PPO is thru Aetna. It's not very good.

Coverage is not cheap. I pay $70.18 every 2 weeks for medical and $19.50 every 2 weeks for dental/vision (I have vision???). I'm also apparently contributing to a charity (I don't look at my statement ever).

This is just for myself. My wife is covered thru her work. The government pools $155.66 every two weeks for me (what they "paying" in premiums).

I became a civil servant 3 years ago. Prior to that, I had BC/BS with an engineering firm that was free. They paid the whole premium. My wife's plan is a whole lot cheaper than mine. My prescription coverage as a federal employee is also alot worse than before.

Federal employees have basically the same as everyone else, more than some, less than others.

Congressmen, however, are in a wholly different parallel universe. Your coverage would be too if you could vote for the best...

Tom

Todays headlines read that a tax hike it going to be coming to fund the programs being asked for. That while many politicians (both sides!) ran on the campaign promises of NO new taxes on the middle and lower classes, the headlines are now saying that its inevitable. we MUST find ways to pay for these programs, and taxation is one of the only avenues left.

http://www.comcast.net/articles/fina...31/US.Economy/

I hope this doesnt turn out to be true.

Congress uses FEHB too don't they? Just like every other federal employee.
http://www.opm.gov/insure/federal_employ/index.asp

Your personal medical contribution is significantly lower than mine, as is your employer's. I work for a private company with 11,000 employees and the company's trying very hard to maintain retiree benefits. The grass is not greener here.

thanks for the info.

Thanks for the link, Dej

BUT although it came from comcast (and I do not know who comcast represents, i.e. ideology) the actual interview is with FOX news, a cable news broadcast that is VERY Republican. So that must be taken into account. Plus the reference at the top of the video says "FOX - Populist Pitch."

I believe realistically, I cannot get something for nothing. If I do not have to pay my exorbitant premium and co-pay, and medication, I may actually have more money in my pocket. BUT that is the question.

Insurance/Pharmaceutical industry is For Profit. Prices have gone up, not down and profits have gone up. Just look at the fancy commercials for drugs!

Sorry. I try to keep quiet.