So what's your solution? No health care, go home and die?

Hard times.

Yep

How surprising is this with the unemployment level, most of whom have been unemployed for a very long time. An, considering it's likely to continue for a long time, who's going to be making the money to pay for the grand vision of public health care?

Gee who needs healthcare. One of my family members got extremely ill and died two weeks ago with over $1 million in unpaid medical bills. He couldn't work anymore, If he did (which he wanted to.) SSI would have dropped him.. A friend of mine was just diagnosed with stomach and liver cancer, inoperable. He lives in London. No bills, meds are covered and he is well looked after. We need to fix a broken system.

Only an additional 4.5 million? Somehow I think the figures used last year were skewed too high. Besides, the way it's told to us, covering more people who can't afford it makes it cheaper somehow.

If people have to choose between eating and buying insurance, it is an easy choice. I have had Blue Cross for 5 years. A personal policy. I have never used the policy. Never. They raised my rates to $590/month this year, up $190/month over last year because I turned 60. Didn't matter that I was in excellent health. And they wonder why people are dropping their insurance?

Mrs. Georgia. I had to drop my insurance with Blue Cross for that very reason. I am also in perfect health. But I cant afford it anymore.

I'm sure the 200+ millionaires on Capitol Hill will be just writing a check out of their personal accounts to cover it. Right Nancy? Harry? John? Mr. Prez? Hello, hello.... is anybody there?????

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-5553408-503544.html

Oh well just keep singing that old Bobby McFerrin song to yourself.

Unfortunately Obamacare missed the whole point......the extreme cost of getting health care. About a month ago I came down with a sinus infection. It was extremely painful and I had no other recourse but to see a doctor. I knew what I needed, antibiotics and a pain killer. That 15 minute talk with the doctor cost me $500, not including another $75 for the pills. Being unemployed that really put a hurt on the budget. I'm sorry but that doctors time is not worth $2000/hour and the price of medication has gotten entirely out of control. The whole system is out of balance to the point where it's disfunctional yet Obamacare treats it more as an insurance issue. At the rates the medical industry charges I really can't blame the insurance industry for charging such high premiums but on top of their costs they have to make their profits too. The whole medical system is out of control to the point where no one can afford it whether your insured or not.

I'm not exactly certain to the point of the story. To begin with one of the simple reasons for this record is the increase size of the population. What you need to compare is not numbers but rather percentages of the population. Health insurance is a relatively recent development in the United States prior to that there was no health insurance at all. I would love to see Democrats making an argument that the present health insurance plan, as written, would be of any good. Can you even begin to imagine the effect if with unemployment they now have to buy insurance as well. Remember you must be a below a specific income to gain assistance to buy insurance. If you have already earned too much good luck. This is going to help Democrats?

Title of article:

"Uninsured hits all-time high"

Why president Obama continues to spend his valuable, political capital on Health Care baffles me. His political capital would have been better spent on invigorating the economy, - than with socializing our health care system.

Stimulating the economy, through business incentives to keep jobs in the U.S., would've been the most direct and best solution to solving this issue of people not being able to afford health insurance (putting people back to work)..

Why our president thought that Health Care was the main problem to address when he started his presidency, still infuriates me. It's the Economy, ...Stupid.

Sadly we need health care not health insurance reform. My husband is self employed so we buy and individual policy. This policy premium has more than doubled in the last five years. Every year they increase our premium by 20%. Our policy has never paid even one bill. We each have a 4K per year deductible to meet before it pays anything. When we go to the doctor we pay cash. We are both healthy people. We are moving to another state and are probably not going to buy insurance. The premiums are just too high and they don't cover anything. I am just going to save the money I would spend every month on insurance to cover medical expenses. The saddest part about all of this is that none of the individual plans even cover maternity expenses. So when I have a child even if I had insurance I would have to pay out of pocket. There is too much wrong with this picture. I can almost see why people would rather stay in poverty to get their health care covered rather than be in the middle class with no help.

maddog the health care bill does address the rising cost. you heard it described as the difference between charging for individual treatments vs charging for patient outcome. Many hospitals put their doctors on salary vs allowing the doctor to charge for each little thing separately. This little item will probably save the most money in health care but got very little press. I guess negative press is more exciting.

Think of it in round numbers this way to make the math easy:

50,700,000 x 200/month x 12 months = 121,680,000,000

50,700,000 x 300/month x 12 months = 182,520,000,000

50,700,000 x 400/month x 12 months = 234,360,000,000

50,700,000 x 500/month x 12 months = 304,200,000,000

Now that's one giant ponzi scheme!

Many of these health insurance companies have become pure frauds being protected by the government, even more so since Obama became President.

The other big problem is the skyrocketing costs of operating hospitals, operating doctor's offices, and the soaring costs of presciption drugs.

Until the problems with operating costs are reversed, doctor's are better protected from mal practice (which will drastically lower their mal practice insurance), and prescription drug cost are brought down, these problems will continue to get worse and worse. Like Wall Street in general, the only people Obama and the democrats' nearly universal health care plan is going to help is the executives and stock holders of these health insurance companies while people pay in more and more just to receive les and less when they need to make a claim. The entire medical system needs a complete revolutionary overhaul.

I was for candidate Obama's plan, but President Obama's watered down junk of a plan (done to try and win over Republicans) is going to be a miserable failure that continues to exacerbate the entire problem.

Number of uninsured Americans hits record high...That pushed the rate of uninsured Americans to 16.7 percent last year from 15.4 percent in 2008, when there were 46.3 million uninsured.

I have to point out that the article states Americas, when the number tracked includes legal and illegal foreigners in America. I am so over the sensationalism. Any one of these folks walks into a hospital, they are treated and the rest of us pay for it. So stop the attempts at pulling at the heart strings...yes you will pull out the single stories of bad luck and misfortune. But you know ANY system will have its problems.

Instead of the wonder and glory professed by our prophet and chief, lets remember nothing has changed to the system other than more government and a few new positive regulations that could have been passed without the huge price tag...can't wait till its declare unconstitutional and its all flushed so we can redesign the system instead of throwing BIG government at it.

sdpaulson, You're already paying for the 50,700,000. Sure, they don't go to regular Dr visits because we don't want them to (toughlove, you know..those sick and handicapped need a swift kick!). So instead their cheaply preventable problems become ER visits with mandatory lifesaving treatments. About 40x more money than maintenance would have been. Since they can't pay, the hospital raises it's rates. YOUR Insurance company raises your rates to pay for it. Next year, you'll pay for this year's ER visits that could have been prevented.

Also, the sick people have to protect themselves in Bankruptcy court..a legal infrastructure we all pay for which is bloated with healthcare victims. This is a healthcare cost we pay as taxpayers that we never see.

Is the bankruptcy court infrastructure, and paying higher rates for those ER visits REALLY simpler and more efficient than letting people take their kid to the doctor? It amazes me the lengths and expense to which my (many) Republican friends will go..to simply avoid caring about people.

So what's your solution? No health care, go home and die?

It's either that or - Get a Job and buy your own Health Insurance ! But don't ask for everyone else to pay for it! If you want Socialism then move to Europe!

Amber Hergen, 34, of Los Angeles, is one of those Americans who lost coverage last year. She left her publicity job at a marketing company, where she had insurance, to pursue her dream of becoming an actress. She’s been unable to find affordable individual coverage.

Amber, what were you thinking? You chose to lose your insurance by trying another profession without making plans. This is your problem not the economy.

@ maddog - where do you live where a family physician would cost $500 for a 15 minute visit?? You need to look at the choices you make when seeking care.

@ Alaric - like your post, it is a good point that most miss.

I'm still waiting for Reform, so far we've been forcefully sold a bill of goods that stink to high heaven!

BTW, I wonder if they are still counting the Illegals? (they shouldn't)

Better print more money!

Area52,

Many people do have jobs and buy health insurance....and the health insurance covers nothing!

Just wait til next year...The healthcare reform act is probably going to double the number of uninsureds. Why? Because part the of the act that penalizes employers for not offering health insurance is so much lower than they are currently paying in premiums for those same employees, there is little incentive to offer coverage. That will leave it up to the individual to go out and buy their own coverage, which many won't do.

Obamacare also removes the tax advantages for a small business to offer healthcare.

This was 2800 pages of congressional garbage. Nothing to address the real problem and that's the skyrocketing cost of the care itself, which in turn, drives up the insurance premiums. If they would have started with "why is it that doctors and hospitals have to charge so much for care" they may have gotten somewhere...but instead they decided to go with some sort of shell game financing some of the care out of taxpayer money and cutting medicare.

Reform medical malpractice law and use tort reform.

Reduce the R&D costs a pharma company needs to outlay to get FDA approval on a drug.

Set some standards for medical billing practices.

...why is it when I need my car worked on, the mechanic gives me an estimate and I can decide if I can afford it, yet when I go to a hospital I'm never given an option or any kind of indication of what that day may cost? Or even who will be billing me?

Why does an MRI machine cost $1.2 million and a car with 100 times the moving parts cost $30,000? Why does the hospital bill me $48,000 and accept $14,500 from my insurance carrier and waive the rest? Why is it acceptable to bill some people one amount and others an entirely different amount for the same service based on their insurance carrier or lack thereof?

Why didn't one person in congress ask these questions??? Why did they pass a bill that didn't address ONE of those issues?

I thought the 47 million included illegals. Obama took them out of the total number when he was pushing the abortion that is health care reform. Not it's back up to over 50 million. C'mon! How stupid do you people think we are?

Amber Hergen, 34, of Los Angeles, is one of those Americans who lost coverage last year. She left her publicity job at a marketing company, where she had insurance, to pursue her dream of becoming an actress. She’s been unable to find affordable individual coverage.

Oh come on MSN...how about including a viable fact when trying the sob story? I want to know if Amber tried to purchase healthcare and how much that would have cost her? Don't give me "unable to find affordable" when she probably has a cell phone, gets regular manicures, cosmetics, acting lessons, and who knows what else....how bout some monthly expenditures and costs here MSN?

#1.13 David: Hate to break it to you, but health care insurance has been around since WW2. Since wages were frozen, & benefits weren't, this was a way to give workers "something." My parents had it & lucky for them they did. I was a very sickly child due to all the coal burning in both houses & steel mills. I remember a horrible, cherry-tasting pink pepto-bismol colored med., one of the 1st. antibiotics, Teramyacin, that cost $8 (8 oz.) a bottle & I went through gallons of it until about age 15. That was a lot of $ in post-war America, but it kept me alive-that & frequent hospitalizations.

BTW, Harry Truman was a very staunch advocate for universal health care-something we do not nor will we have in the near future no matter what fairy-tales are spread about. (Retired nurse)

Yeah, I'm not really seeing why we all need to pool together to make sure Amber can have health insurance while she uses her under the table earnings to pay for head shots.

Also ck. out the link sdpaulson has @ #1.10. I got the shock of my life when I read it. According to CBS News, MORE Democrats in Congress are millionaires than REPUBLICANS! Who would of guessed?

When are people going to stop having babies they cannot afford. This is a huge problem in America.

People having babies they cannot afford, people buying expensive homes and merchandise they cannot afford...

Come on people, grow up and learn to be responsible for a change.

If you cannot afford your own medical insurance, on welfare, government housing assistance, you shouldn't be producing babies you cannot afford.

JMO

The biggest issue with Obamacare is that it didn't address the real issue with our rising medical costs- insurance companies. It did deliver them tens of millions of new customers to screw with the cost of premiums but does nothing to reduce the cost of services because of what insurance has done to the health care industry. Things cost less when you went to the doc and paid the nice lady manning the front desk $25 for your visit, spent 10 or 15 minutes with the doc and then went on your way. The same doc who used to take his salary, pay his nurse and his receptionist now has to pay billing clerks to deal with the paperwork to the insurance company, hope they get everything coded right the first time, wait for payment then bill the patient for their portion. Whole process used to take less than a half hour. Now it takes weeks. Time costs money. Then of course rates had to go up because the insurance companies aren't just paying the doctors, they have to pay their staff to underwrite the policies, process the claims, etc. A 3 person process became a 30 person process in a hurry. Then comes the fun of how health insurance is sold. Instead of pooling premiums like every other insurance industry does where risk is shared by every customer a company serves, insurance policies are rated by the group size. Not so bad if you're a 500+ person company, painful if you're a group of 6 or 7, nearly impossible to afford if you're an individual.

I can't say I know how to fix it but I know that without addressing the underlying issues, we will never successfully reign in costs. Tort reform would help. Returning to more of a pay as you go system would probably help- offer major medical to cover hospital stays, traumatic injury and chronic/long term illnesses but leave the day to day stuff out of the insurance racket. The volume of paperwork alone would reduce the overhead for the doctors and let them charge reasonable rates the majority of people could afford to pay and continue a Medicare type plan for those who cannot. It would also help if coverage wasn't tied to employment.

Really does not matter about the 3000 penalty. if you can't afford the penalty or the insurance. What healt care law does is allow the gov to seize your personal and real possessions to pay for your healthcare. They can seize your car, your home and anything else with the health care law.

Hey dirtyharriet1010,

Who do you think picks up the tab when people seek med treatment that don't have insurance or can't pay the med bill? Ya you and I in the form of insurance premiums, out of pocket medical expenses, and what the hospital bills the insurance company. Either way you look at it we pay for the uninsured.This is why an aspirin is $10. This is also why Obama wants to have everyone insured. Everyone needs to pay into the system regardless of status .

Of course there's another way you can do this which i think is what the right prefers since medical treatment to them is a privilege. For those of you that don't have insurance or can't prove you can pay you are not allowed to have any medical treatment. You get to suffer and maybe die. How about that for your America. Have a car accident, get injured and don't have the $ or med insurance. No ambulance for you! You get left to die right by your car. How about your kid gets strep throat? Sorry no treatment if you can't prove you can pay or have insurance. Good luck hope you son or daughter doesn't die at home or suffer too much.

FormerRepublican-2367107 - The numbers were for folly and you can take them however you want to. MY real point was that the Health Care and ENTIRE insurance industry for that matter is nothing more than one giant "F-N" legalized Ponzi scheme.

What's upsetting is that Congress' poorly thought out-catered to special intrest group-bull$hit legislation, written and voted on by a bunch of clowns that have NO IDEA what they are doing or what is best for the country did nothing. NOTHING!

I work to pay the insurance for my family. ITS NOT my job to pay for someone elses! They can get off their a$$es to cover their own costs! It could be done in a government trade off of 200 hours of community service (painting, sweeping, picking up trash, etc... to make this country better) at $10 per hour a year - 4 hours per week!

NOW - I pay my taxes every year. IF this government wants to foot the bill for the 50,700,000 (and the remaining unisured) because they are too lazy (and they all aren't), out of my "share" of federal taxes, then they had better figure out some way to do that without taking away more from my family and my families well being!

EVERY AMERICAN will tell you THEIR family comes FIRST! AFTER that they will expend time, energy, effort, money "CARING" for the next person.

IF that means Government cutting the 100 billion from 3rd world countries to reduce carbon emissions then - CUT IT! IF it means that government MUST reduce programs/spending across the board 20% (that's what my states talking about doing) - then CUT IT! IF it means cutting foreign aid - then CUT IT!

AND WHILE I"M RANTING.... IF Congress (ALL PARTIES) and the Administration DOESN'T start working together for the good of the nation - doesn't finally figure out the #1 priority has always been how to keep/get this nation back to work - the unemployed back to being productive, ITS NOT GOING TO MAKE ONE GOD-DA.MN BIT OF DIFFERENCE. I'll save you a spot next to me in tent city!

Bevis, I also remember teramycin! It rotted my teeth.

I wonder how many millions of American's are without a living trust or will? Heck even life insurance policies? The government is littered with probate property and the family ends up with nada!

neoconsbgone......My aunt died in London when she got breast cancer at the age of 59 and they wouldn't even see her for 6 months. When they finally saw her, it took 4 more months to diagnose and then they said it was too late. My uncle was told the older you are the less healthcare you get because most older people don't have much to offer anymore. This is how they can afford their healthcare!

We pay for the uninsured now with high healthcare costs and what doesn't get paid through the hospital we pay for through our taxes. Yes people the States pay the hospitals for uninsured including illegals. The Fed kicks in and pays for the illegals to have babies in this country. Check out www.recovery.gov. The Feds used stimulus money to the tune of billions to pay for illegals to have babies which help anchor them to this country.

Area 52: Can't wait for the day you lose your job. your health and your health insurance. In any order, you choose. Now, while your sick get your lazy butt out there and build your own road so you can drag your arse to the doctor that will no longer be willing to treat you. You know socialism and all?

Just fine them all, that will fix it.

Isn't that what they have been telling us?

First off, I don't believe the commenter's breezy anecdote above about healthcare in London. I know far more Brits who have escaped the UK social and economic system - and been glad for it - than Americans headed back across the pond to Great Britain. And any of us who have spent considerable time on business over in the UK know what a cloying and unsatisfactory system the UK is, even when occasionally hobnobbing for a time with Brit swells. So I say liberaltrollbgone's post is a hoax and it is cruel to hold out false hopes in a time of widespread despair.

Second, the wheels are just totally off the health industry bus and there is NOTHING (nothing) that false promises from the central wash-pol-industry can do to change that, or get the bus up, moving and serving its reasonable purpose again. Nothing. Authentic, reasonable and effective healthcare is simply a casualty of American greed and corruption. We live in a country where clerks (whether clerks with MD degrees or without them) just sit at computers with little or no patient contact and run what passes for healthcare in this country, and the clerks get perverse rewards (inflated salaries, kickbacks, paid month vacations back to their home countries, other perks) to create errant EMRs that are only there to "document" your bogus bad health to justify ever-higher insurance premiums as spoils for big insurance and big government to divvy up. Sorry. It is what it is.

We live in a country where a certain pol's money-machine-nominally-called-a-healthcare-company, as one example, routinely runs unnecessary medical tests, charges $450 a pop for a chart-evident unnecessary test that costs $15 OTC and runs this scam in the numbers of the tens of thousands nationwide and when challenged only bothers to say the scam gets legal cover through HIPAA. This scam is running in the homestate of one of the pols supposed most ardent watchdogs against health fraud, and no doubt running far beyond. THIS is "healthcare" in America and those poor souls who waste their time or breath clamoring for healthcare are only going to be disappointed and enraged when they discover they have been fooled again.

Georgia peach actually has one of the most sensible ideas on this thread: Stop wishing for healthcare and instead spend what little money you have left after the liberals and RINOs assault and buy yourself some healthy food (ALAP) and hope for the best. In a related AP story today it was said that Americans have faith in "no one" (on earth) and that is actually a hopeful sign. Stop depending on the government nanny who will never come in any salvative way and depend upon yourself and your God. Much more likely to come through for you!

To all who wish (be careful what you wish for!) for government strangled healthcare I say, sadly: Wish again. Healthcare in America is gone and the only ghost left in its place is an insurance protection racket. If you want healthcare better save your coins, get your passport and do online research of "medical tourism" in Mexico or India as your goal. And any pol who'd be honest to admit this would deserve another term in wash.

God can save your soul - if you cooperate. You can improve your daily earthly life - if you get off your a@% and try. The government will save NOTHING except its machine and its own. Get used to it. Wake up!

Vote out the incumbents in 2010. And 2012.

In a reflection of the battered economy, the number of people without health insurance rose sharply last year to 50.7 million — an all time high — according to data released Thursday by the Census Bureau.

The health law approved in March mandates that nearly all Americans have health insurance. It would provide coverage to 32 million more Americans starting in 2014 as the state-federal Medicaid program is expanded and lower income people get government subsidies to buy coverage through new insurance exchanges or marketplaces.

Hmmmm, I see a difference of 20,700,000 more folks needing coverage than what the MANDATED UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE REFORM was supposed to cover. A significant number of Politicians "put their political career on notice" for the 32M uninsured covered in the Mandated Health Care Reform legislation and they pounded their chests over and over again using the 32M number. Now....just what are they going to do ??? Dilemma, dilemma.

I wonder if the total counts the approximately 340,000 Illegal Aliens (Immigrants) (and their families) ordered for deportation and DEPORTATION PROCEEDINGS STOPPED BY DHS and the folks (and their families) who are expected to get covered in the DREAM ACT embedded into the Defense bill by Senator Reid ??

So,Harry and Nancy take over Congress in 2007 and not only fail to prevent a collapse brought on by years of Republican free spending and government growth (further increasing spending tends to do that) but manage to make the Great Recession worse with virtually every piece of legislation they've passed from the $timula$$ to Ca$h for Clunker$ (many poor people can't afford used cars now thanks to the stupidity of destroying trade ins), to health care "reform". The failure of "Cap and Tax' is probably the only thing that prevented the Great Recession from becoming a new Depression.

The fact that the numbers of uninsured increased in a year where over $800,000,000,000 was spent on a $timula$$ shows how effective that was. The fact is the goal of the health care "reform" bill should have been to provide treatment options to the indigent WHEN THEY ACTUALLY NEED IT. Since Pelosi / Obama care passed,many policy premiums have already increased 30%.

When the economy needs consumer spending to help recover from the Great Recession, that was a true showing of economic incompetence on the part of the administration and Congress's "leadership" !!!

The stimulus did not help to bolster the economy or the job market DUE to the fact that it was used for transfer payments. This doesn't trickle down. Remember when a certain Bank used the money to make sure it didn't have to lay off employees in Germany?

@ maddog-752810 Gees.... I had a sinus infection. So I took some garlic ( antiviral /antimicrobial / antibiotic ) and some Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil ( antiviral / antibiotic / antifungal ) and some Newton's Sinus/Infection homeopathic remedy a couple of times a day for a few days and VOILA.... no more sinus infection. Cost me a whole $11.99.

This is where people need to ditch the damned pharmaceutical companies who are keeping ppl sick and go back to NATURE where the real cures lie for conditions / situations / ailments that are not life threatening .... CHEAP and EFFECTIVE. No doctor needed.... just the Materia Medica, Google and your local health food store.

What's the most effective way to keep your healthcare costs down ?

PREVENTION.

Wakehead - So what's your solution?

DO YOU REALLY WANT SOLUTIONS OR ARE YOU JUST WASTING MY TIME.

I posted the solutions many times before from my 1990s Research Paper to US Government (updated 1993, 2009).

HEALTH CARE. First, get it out of your heads that Insurance Corporations are the Medical Profession (Health Care). Something the Politicians REFUSE TO DO. Then we can have a Logical Intelligent Conversation (discussion).

Second, Historically during a similar time (circumstances) as these (Great Depression), when people had to make the decision of buying food or not. President FDRs Solution was the removal of the Insurance Corporations from the Medical Profession. This automatically decreased the cost of Medical Treatments by 80%.

Third, Historically President FDR thru various programs started the Health Co Ops, very close to REAL Universal Health Care.

Co op Health Care. Decreases cost 80% (last part of video, 1:40) by Doctor David Ores, New York.1:45

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5247963n&tag=contentMain;contentBody

Fourth, Modern Day, One of the last vestiges of the President FDR Universal Health Care, is what the US Congress, US President, US Vice President get for $42 per month (Unlimited Medical Treatments).

Fifth, Modern Day, forget about that baloney about Congress shopping on the Health Care Exchanges, those are quid pro quo, Political Favors (bribes) from the Insurance Corporations to the Congress, with the lowest rates (almost nothing) and most benefits that even employees of the Insurance Industry will never get.

Sixth, Historically, who, what, where, when, why, how, did the Insurance Corporations come into existance and become dominant in the Medical Profession of the US versus England and the majority of Continental Europe. Same way the US Labor Unions were formed*. Hint: Organized Crime. Arsonist "Tommy the Torch" selling Fire Insurance.

*FYI, US Labor Unions did NOT create the current "Middle Class", the Henry Ford and US Labor Union's "Middle Class" were wiped out by the Great Depression. The Current President FDR "Middle Class" started when he suspended US Labor Union Activities, the Nationalization of US Industry, etc. before and during WWII. The 40 Hour Work Week was based on a War Department Study on Ammunition Plant Accidents (the solution was decreasing the allowed hours worked). The Sunday off started as half a day for Christian Worship, then expanded to the whole day (time, distance to travel, and productivity). Saturday off was demanded by the Jews as equal Religious Rights. The seven day work week goes all the way back to the Egyptian Empire and to current Retail Sales (second oldest profession, just like the first oldest profession, lol.).

Seventh, Modern Day, I warned ALL of you that this, Health Care Reform was NOTHING more than Politicians Payback to the Insurance Corporations, Medical Device Industry, Pharmaschuticals, for their Campaign Contributions, just in time for the November Elections*, and previously gave you the USD amounts, what do you think they use to pay for all those TV Ads.

Condensed Information (someone else's research, same results):

Unlikely ally of health care reform: business
Insurers, drug companies came on board early and may profit from it

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35989945/ns/business-us_business/
*Sorry, Politicians' Dance Cards Are Full

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/21/ftn/main6228685.shtml?tag=cbsnewsTwoColUpperPromoArea
*The Price Tag Of Politics (Video)

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6228712n&tag=related;photovideo
Eight. Etc. see my other Newsvine Post pertaining to Health Care Reform.

THE SOLUTIONS using both previous Historical successes and modern day successes adapted to 2010 and considering most contigencies (that I will not list in detail, about 190 pages single spaced front and back). NOT Repeating Failures (costs money)(repeating the same mistakes and expecting a different result). Briefly:

Before implementation.

The Duties, Responsibilities, Authority and Funding of the Surgeon General of the United States of America are increased and other areas decreased. US Congress Declares War Against Diseases and Sickness within the United States of America. The overall War would be divided into Battles, like the Battle against Cancer(s) further divided into Operations (R&D, Production, Implementation of Cures), Battle against Communicable Diseases, etc.

Similar to the United States Military Bootstrap Programs (pull yourself up by the bootstraps), to obtain more Medical Professionals (all areas) incentives, like paid Medical School with Internship (paid slaves) at Hospitals, in return of a unbreachable contractual commitment (except death or serious injury). This commitment would also be as a US Military Reserve Officer for contingencies of War, or Natural Disasters, National Emergencies, similar to WWII and to the current US Military MSC (Medical Service Corps).

Interim. Restart the President FDR Co ops. Similar to link at Co op Health Careabove adapted to each situation (location). This would be better than spending over $900 Billion USDs eventually over 1 Trillion USDs and getting nothing (current Health Care Reform Act). This would use the current Medical Professionals that cannot afford Medical Malpractice Insurance that have clean records, Medical Students (coordination with Medical Schools, Universities), US Military MSC instead of just dumping them (when not needed),

Elimination of the over 23 Million Illegal Aliens in the US (correlation to the No Insurance Map of the Article to the numbers and locations of Illegal Aliens, except Alaska) using a modified modernized version of President Eisenhower's successful "Operation Wetback". As no money paid in and benefits received especially expensive Emergency Room Treatments (using fictitious names or identity theft, Hospitals eat the costs instead of more costly Legal Battles.). Control of the US Borders by US Military returning from the Wars (Counter Insurgency Warfare), Executive Order.

New Hospital Infra Structure. Built similar to the successful Continental European Model (not England). Example: Medical Personnel have the option to live at subsidized houses or apartments surrounding the hospital. Long term, high risk, and critical care patients are also housed at houses or apartments near the hospital (the miracle hour, golden hour). These Hospitals are run under the principles like Lean Six Sigma (adapted). The Medical Professionals are paid and promoted (more pay) based on successes not quantities of treatments, incentive based performance, the same goes for the allocations of funds to the Hospitals (not determined by US Congress). The same would be for the Co ops. The US Government irregardless of Nation of Manufacturer would purchase standardized and non standardized (specialized) medical supplies (equipment, pharmaceuticals, etc.) in bulk to sell to the Co ops and Hospitals at near wholesale bulk cost. Transportation,supply and logistics would be like the US Military Push Forward as adapted by US Military Veterans at Walmart (which all other Retailers forgot (no experience) after not hiring US Military Veterans, like Sears, Kmart, etc.).

New Co ops would be established in residential areas as your neighborhood Doctor. Starting with one per thousand, and increased or decreased based on demand. Based on demand (low demand at Co op) would also perform house calls. The Co ops would be based on opportunity not condemnation of individual property, like the Foreclosure homes, seized homes (for crimes, example illegal drugs), for sale locations, etc.. States and Cities would provide water, electricity, emergency power generation, etc.. Since these Co ops Medical Professionals are also US Military Reserve (not National Guard due to State Politics) they would coordinate with each local Civil Defense and States National Guard and Nationally with FEMA; as the local Emergency Response Team to organize the neighbors to help themselves during National Emergencies, Natural Disasters, etc. instead of waiting for external assistance after logistics, supply, transportation are established (days to weeks later). Before anyone says that this is a new untested idea, this is not, this is based on the WWII British Air Raid Wardens; except instead of untrained personnel, these would be trained US Military Reserve Medical Personnel (performing as Combat Medical Teams, Forward Combat Surgical Teams, etc.).

The Corps of Medical Professionals (CMP) is created, similar to current lean 24/7/365 US Military Structure (not the WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War Structure), minus the expensive contractors.

Funds would be managed by the Federal Government, as fixed appropriations, non raidable by Congress, "fenced in" funds. The minimal money gained by the Co ops and hospital would be placed back into the fenced in funds. Funding would be rotational and not based on "fiscal years", unused appropriations will not be lost (prevents the end of fiscal year splurges buying unnecessary things). Specifically, the reason why the individual States or Cities will NOT manage these facilities or appropriations is due to their history of reallocating funds to their State General Funds to buy things like office furniture for themselves or give themselves mandatory annual pay raises. Where the money comes from for these Appropriations, see "Second, Third, and Fourth" above and especially paragraph below.

The Insurance Corporations are eliminated out of the Medical Profession. This would include elimination of Medicare and Medicaid as mismanaged by the Insurance Corporations:

WASHINGTON, September 20, 2009
Transcript: Obama on 'Face the Nation'
Complete Text of White House Interview With Bob Schieffer

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/09/20/ftn/main5324077.shtml

Obama: No, the difference is that they're making huge profits on it, Bob. I mean, let's take the Medicare HMO programs that are being run by insurance companies. It's estimated by everybody that they're overcharging by about 14 percent. This amounts to about $177 billion over 10 years. About $17 billion a year, $18 billion a year. That's just going to pad their profits, hasn't been shown to make Medicare recipients any healthier. And in fact because those huge subsidies are going to insurance companies, Medicare recipients are not getting a good deal. Now if we are enforcing what should be the rules around Medicare and making sure the people are getting a bang for the buck, it's not going to be possible for insurance companies to simply pass on those costs to Medicare recipients because ultimately it's Uncle Sam that's paying for those services anyway.

Just Medicare each year 18,000,000,000 divided by 50 States divided (360,000,000) by numbers of hospitals and co ops per State. This does not reflect the money paid for the overhead (non profits, Billions spent by Insurance Corporations on House and Senate Congressional Campaign Contributions, Television Ads, etc..) or the overall Appropriations to Medicare, Medicaid, state federal or city funded assistance programs. So instead of 18 Billion, think about what can be done with about $1 Trillion per year. This would also include elimination of the Insurance Companies directly from the Medical Profession in the form of Medical Malpractice Insurance (used against Medical Profession, like do not do this procedure that we did not approve (due to cost) or we will increase your Medical Malpractice Insurance Premiums, or paying the Medical Profession a percentage of what was spent, witnessed as to what happen with my friend's medical clinic for the poor, Insurance Corporations paid him $0.10 for every $1.00 spent (not his pay). When he prescribed a drug with less side effects the insurance Corporation used this to increase his Medical Malpractice Insurance by over $1000, since the drug was not on their new list (not provided to him). So he, closed his Medical Clinic (serving over 2,080), auctioned the Medical Equipment, sold the building (to Starbucks), paid off his student loans (Medical School), filed Bankruptcy, and ran for a Political Office (Medical Insurance Reform Platform, he lost against the NEA and State Government Employees Union backed Candidate demanding more money for State Employees and Teachers (in that State the average Teacher's pay was already over $40,000 per (first year) year plus City and State Government Benefits). These Teachers recently demanded more money, and even called a sick out at two schools without telling the parents, the bus service, etc.. Like I said before the current Teachers are all about the money and job security, not actually teaching the children, like I did before. The solution to this is another Newsvine Forum Discussion.).

add to post#1.50

Note: Medical Profession includes everything dealing with the Human Body, like Dental, Vision, Physical Therapy, homeopathic, chiropractic, acupuncture, etc..

The higher this number goes----the greater the cost of HCR. They were talking 33 million uninsured. Now, it's 50 million. Oops, slight miscalculation. Does anyone figure we just might have been a little mis-informed

Wait until the healthy get to bend over once more as soon as ObamaCare takes effect. Healthy individuals' insurance rates are NOT protected by the new legislation. It only protects the rates of those who are unhealthy. Prepare to get your rates jacked up to help cover the costs of this new legislation.

Oh, and if your current insurance does not meet minimum government standards when the legislation takes effect, prepare to get a really nice surprise in the mail from the so-called government of change. Read the fine print of this legislation to find out what your surprise is going to be.

David, your lengthy post has a very basic problem. The US govt. has never created any "lean" programs and has mismanaged or bankrupted everything they touch. Your post is more "Ivory Tower" theory with pretty much no possibility of successful implementation, let alone ongoing success.

marc cola I have a friend who was uninsurable because of prior injures but under ( Obama care) he has had several people call him seeking to sell him coverage for a reasonable price

It sure beats the hell out of the private industry that had the habit of dropping customers because they had the gall to file a claim

David....one doctor that sees people in his office for checkups does not constitute 80% national savings. I don't know why you even bother posting that useless link.

Are you kidding when you suggest moving all the doctors into living quarters at the hospital? By what right?

You do realize that communism has not been successful don't you?

willowbrook - David, your lengthy post has a very basic problem. The US govt. has never created any "lean" programs and has mismanaged or bankrupted everything they touch.

The Historical Example proves that they can (if the situation is the same, Great Depression) as demanded by US Citizens.

Joe-755363 - David....one doctor that sees people in his office for checkups does not constitute 80% national savings. I don't know why you even bother posting that useless link.

That one doctor represents many of the private Medical Practices (Medical Profession) versus Insurance Corporations. If you think I am kidding all you have to do is research the numbers of Medical Facility Closures (Bankruptcy Courts).

You do realize that communism has not been successful don't you?

You seem to not know the difference between Socialism and Communism.

SO BOTH OF YOU DO THE RESEARCH AND COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS INSTEAD OF PERSONAL ATTACKS, or uninformed posts.

Lets see, no job, no money, no insurance. Gee did the government waste money on this research too? What do you expect the people to do when all the jobs are sent overseas and they have no income. Schiit money to pay the bills.

at this point, I think 3rd world healthcare might be a step up...

Roll Out The Barrel, pause, Lets Have a Barrel of Fun - 25,000 deaths and counting..now according to the mid-point in accepted deaths per year of those that lack the access to health we are just about the 24,750 mark of Americans having died due to lack of health care. This is the mid point for the deaths per year of the Harvard Study and the Academy of Science. I posited the 45,000 to 50,000 because no reputable study or group of people have come forward and debunked the study findings. Then averaged out with the Academy study.

There is a poster that cited "The Academy of Science" (never heard of them) study results of 23,000 deaths to lack of health care as a counter to the results of the Harvard and partner's death number of 45,000, hey I just thought that is pretty close to 50,000 and if during tough economic times people would tend to die more from denial of health care we might have a higher number here. Regardless the number is give or take a few thousands at 25,000 to-date, Americans dead because they don't have health insurance. What kind of mad house is this? ".....Does 25,000 dead and counting mean anything to you?

The System cannot be sustained for to much longer before the whole apparatus falls apart, thats what I think, I also think there are those that have made it a goal for the president to fail and to thus the American people to suffer needlessly for political gain. We can brace for another premium rate hike in California, the Anthem Blue Cross for profit corporation just won the battle to raise its rates as high as 35% or more I suppose. I could be wrong but the rate hike can now go forward one of the last legal obstacles to overcome has happened overcome. Let the rates go up!!

Bye................

Please feel free to PROVE the facts here wrong.

When I saw it was a Kaiser Health News story I was skeptical, since I wasn't familiar with KHN news service. But it seems to be a non-partisan, non-profit news service, specializing in health news:

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/kaiser/

I purposely put a link that was not from the KHN web site, to be as objective as possible.

Read the news report, and it is not difficult to determine the source of the data, which to be precise is the US Census Bureau, which is the definitive source for this type of data, really . . .

Really!

The new data comes from the 2010 US Census, which due to the huge numbers of highly educated American citizens who cannot get a job in our great nation led to the US Census Bureau being able to hire the best educated temporary workforce in its history . . .

The important thing is the data, not the personal opinions of the various people quoted in the article . . .

And because some of the people considered by the US Census Bureau as "having health insurance" actually have health care policies that have arbitrary limitations and restrictions which effectively make their health care policies worthless in the event of a major or catastrophic medical event, the percentages are arbitrarily low . . .

For example, someone who "has health insurance" might have a policy that pays a maximum of $10,000 for the life of the policy, which maps to about two days in a hospital for a major illness or whatever, which essentially is the same as having no health care coverage, for sure . . .

For sure! :(

Ultraviolet360

What makes you think rplatt1 is a "fascist freak right-winger" just because he asked a dumb question?

If you actually readthe story, this news isn't any more beneficial and/or detrimental for the left OR the right! Depends how the good ol' political chorus wants to sing its tune!

While I'm positive most of America believes the health care system needs a major overhaul, Obama's "solution" is flapping in the breeze! With the economy down the tubes and little hope on the 'current' horizon, who...exactly...is going to pay the costs for this socialist ideology?

If right-wingers are "fascist freaks" for questioning the logic and the timing of healthcare reform, then left-wingers are complete lunatics for not questioning anything!

Not saying this is the case, but it is not beyond the realm of possibilites that legitimate, qualifiable sources are sometimes used to further your own agenda.

You cannot honestly say the choices of what stories to run and the timing of such would escape the microscope.

Actually the news data today regarding poverty and uninsured health coverage for American's rising is bad news for the people currently doing Nothing to improve this economy and getting people jobs. No job, no health insurance! Period! Unless you like that free government health care where you get to wait in the emergency room spilling blood and barfing your lungs out!

One of the things I would like to see broken down out of these numbers is this:

For the average young couple in good health, insurance policies are ridiculously high. They have very high deductibles, lots of exclusions (especially preventive measures) and generally don't pay off. Granted, in case of accident or serious illness, the insurance is there to cover.

But in today's economy, how many young and middle-aged people, especially those without children, are gambling on not needing insurance rather than paying the premiums? They may feel they are better off putting the money aside to use for medical expenses. (Even if they do so, it wouldn't be enough in case of anything major.) If there are a relatively significant number of them, it would skew the information by including them as unable to afford insurance rather than opting not to carry it.

My understanding was that this is one of the ways requiring everyone to have insurance is expected to result in overall savings. By having people pay toward health coverage all along rather than waiting till they figure they're at a point where they might need it (or till Medicare kicks in), there would be less people unable to pay catastrophic bills. It would put more money into the system. Premiums wouldn't need to raised as much to have others cover the written off doctor/hospital bills.

Of course, this will only work if overall costs are brought under control, payment is required for routine preventive care, and deductibles are brought back to a reasonable level.

Kevin

The article even says it's the economy. Why do you demonize the republicans for saying the same thing. The democrats have been in charge for over three years and it isn't getting better. If you continue to tell some people that you are going to provide them with more and more unemployment money and you're going to offfer them low cost health care they will continue to suck the proverbial teet. Don't you think it is time for our democrat leaders to focus more on getting people back to work? This is America, the land of opportunity, not the land of welfare for everyone that feels they deserve something for nothing.

JH

How is this in any way getting something for nothing?

Where do you guys get this crap?

It was democrat that froze wages and caused employers to start offering insurance to attract employees in the first place. If that wouldnt have happened, we wouldnt have medical treatments paid by a 3rd party and prices wouldnt be so high. Prices only come down when the person receiving something is actually involved in the price. Instead we've got yet another entitlement but from the employers instead.

Great, let's have fewer and fewer employed and paying higher taxes to pay for the ever-rising unemployed who can/will remain unemployed as long as the current status is maintained to have better (free) healthcare than the workers do. To take a quote from Seinfeld, "I think I've woken up in bizarro world". Everything is completely back-asswards of the way it should be and the libs keep pouring more fuel to the bizarro world machine and running this nation into the ground just as fast as they possibly can ... all the while, the libs keep blaming Bush.

I wonder at what point we can start to assign some blame for the present, worsening situation to the current administration and policies?

jh maybe it would be nice if republicans focused on getting people back to work instead of just blocking everything the dems are trying to do.

And the wheels on the bus go round and round. It's the dems! No it's the GOP! No it's Obama! No it's Bush!

Get rid of health insurance altogether. Prices for health related issues WILL go way down very quickly.

Ultraviolet360

It is ignorant pathetic people who believe the dems when they say the repubs got us into this mess that is hurting this country. Were there no democrats in Congress for the past decade? We are not in this mess because of one party or another. We are in this mess because of both parties. But we have one party control right now and I don't see anything getting better.

And please watch your name calling, Tyler's here today. I wouldn;'t want to see you get banned for a week. Just kidding, after your tirade you deserve it.

" the republican health plan is simple... you're rich... you're treated.... you're poor... you're dead...."

And there is a problem with that? How is it my responsibility to pay for your health care? Why is it okay for you to take food off of my table and money out of my pocket that I would use to maintain my ability to provide for my family and myself? Please explain why it is okay to steal from me to provide you or anyone else with a service? Need to be seen by a health care professional and don't have insurance? Pay cash. Don't have it? How does again give you the right to steal my ability to pay for mine?

What it boils down to is exactly that. You believe that it is okay to take from me so that you can have. Even to the point of putting me in the poor house as well. Rich? far from it. But if you think the rich ultimately are the ones that pay for this BS legislation you are dumber than a box of rocks. Historically the "rich" do not end up paying the net result of socialistic programs. No, that would be the consumers, tax payers, middle class, who, in the end do their best to pass that cost down the chain as well.

Democrats and republicans have set this country up to destroy itself. Quite a feat considering no other country could do it... no, that took a special kind of rat bastard... it took politicians convincing people like you that you are entitled to take from someone else simply because they have it.

Enough with the left vs. right bickering. Whether or not you agree with Obama's HCR bill (which I don't), I think we can all agree that there is room for improvement in our healthcare system. So let's all take a step back and try to find some real common ground instead of just in-fighting all day.

Kevin, yes the Dems are in charge and have been for a while and things arent getting better...but who do you think got us in this mess in the 1st place...the good old GOP. I am sorry but you cant just hate Obama for the situation that our nation is in, let us not forget who ran our country for 8 years, 2 terms people and the whole time it was down hill. At least Obama is trying, he may not be right, and he may not be getting the job done as fast as we would all like him to. But give him a break, give him some credit...he stepped into this $hit and wants to make it better, but the GOP keeps crying and whining and making the people believe what they want them to with blatent lies and the worst part is so very many actually fall for that crap...

kevin-1696542

? The Demoncrats have the house, senate, and white-house.

The republicans just have complaints. Thus the demoncrats havent been blocked by anyone other than their own part with REAL people that have REAL complaints FROM their own party.

And while Republicans wanted REAL reform, the Demoncrats wanted to spread on the cost to everyone and make it even more ineffiecent for insurance, phrama, and lawyers to benefit.

And for pete's sake Bushes policies did NOT ruin the economy. In fact it was climbing and doing GREAT until 2008 where Demoncrat defended Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, vested in trillions of dollars in bad assets, trashed the economy. Bear Sterns and AIG werent even in the same ballpark as the F&F fiasco !!

Talk about a Republican wet dream? Boy, this is it!

Freaking EXACTLY! The root of the problem is the high cost of medical treatment; bring that cost down overall and us poor folks could actually afford to see a doctor without insurance. Oh, but wait... the insurance companies would never allow that; neither would medical professionals since their belief is that they should be rich.

"new health care law is expected to accelerate the cost further,..."

Just how exactly is it supposed to do that?

hsmith, in case you never noticed the cost of everything goes up. it's a fact of life.

"new health care law is expected to accelerate the cost further,..."

Just how exactly is it supposed to do that?

NOTHING IS "FREE". All health care costs that ARE NOT PAID FOR (every dime, to every citizen, and every illegal) is payed out of someones pocket. Directly through higher premiums, higher costs passed on to consumers, and higher taxes.

The sooner we can all understand this, the sooner we can begin to understand, that allowing government to eventually "collect and disperse" ALL monies related to healthcare, can not end well. When has our government ever done anything efficiently and effectively? Just because it supposedly "works" in some other nation 25 years behind us technologically, does not automatically mean it can work here just as "well".

STexan - The government does this now for our seniors and they have wonderful insurance that's very affordable. A senior on Medicare @ $110.00 per month premium with a suppliment for another $200.00 per month is getting fully comprehensive coverage whereby they have NO further out of pocket expenses no matter how many times they are in the hospital or how many times they see their doctor. That type of insurance should be availabel to every American.....Medicare for all.

Laurie, Yes our seniors are paying at least $310 a month for health insurance and paid medicare taxes for decades in advance to becoming a recipient themselves.

Now, let's take that same premise and ask all the HCR supporters to pay this out of their pocket without my subsidation in 2014 and see how many takers bite.

There is no way all this "free" stuff is going to work.

Laurie who do you think is paying for medicare tinkerbell with his fairydust? or are the doctors working for peanuts? here is the answer it is we the working class who pay for it through our ever rising healthcare cost now what do you think is going to happen when you add another 50 million people to it I dont think Tinkerbell is going to have enough fairy dust to go around so it will be the working class who will pay for it

There is a fundamental difference between the left and right on how to make America the greatest nation; the left believes that nobody should receive a poor education or die in the streets due to preventable illnesses and poverty, the right doesnt mind the idea of walking over dead Americans on the way to work b/c it was their choice to be poor...Oh BTW unemployment is NECESSARY in capitalism!

Laurie, those same people who you think are only paying $310.00 per month for Medicare also paid a percentage of every check for every payday for all (or most) of their working lives. This "insurance" costs $310.00 per month (actually my parents pay more than that and still have out of pocket for medication) for each person who may only have a check of $1200 to $1500 per month (if they are lucky). And they are going to cut Medicare to pay for this farce of Health Care Reform. I could write a book on all that I have experienced with my parents and the problems with Medicare, but I will refrain.

While I am glad to see some parts of the reform bill and agree with them (like allowing parents to cover "adult children" who can't get insurance as this probably counts for a portion of the currently uninsured), I feel that most of this is going to cost us dearly and will result in lower quality of care.

#5.4 Laurie: Learn what you are talking about before spouting off; it just makes you look so pathetic to others who KNOW what Medicare is all about.

1.) Every State has a different set up because every State allows some insurance companies to operate in their State & not others. See: State Ins. Commissioner.

2.) Medicare part B is costing us under $100 & since our county is in a poor part of the State, we get a big bennie; we signed up for the extra 20% part B for nothing. State subsidizes it, so we get what you THINK we pay for for UNDER $100 month NOT $310/Mo.

3.) Some procedures aren't covered under part B., so guess who pays? I know; I paid it. You want "state-of-the-art" or do you want an older procedure with more side effects & less efficacy? Guess which one Medicare covers?

4.) Part D-drugs-is a God-send even tho. we use only one med. that isn't generic. BTW, that nasty Bush got that passed. When it comes to health care, I forget NOTHING! And even with the slow attempt each yr. to close that "donut hole" costs, it STILL is sometimes is cheaper for patients to go to Canada for meds.

The Bush tax cuts were generous across the board. The 10% brackett dropped to "0". The child tax credit was adopted and the EITC was expanded greatly. This definitely affected lower income tax brackets. The tax brackets are already progressive for higher income taxpayers and there is far more fraud at the low end than the high.

We're all in this together and if we go back to preBush brackets because it's their duty to help, then we should all go together. Responsibility has a way of opening eyes and I can only imagine the look on many taxpayers face in 2012 at tax time. Democrats would be unelectable for a decade.

WOW Someone with a thinking brain.

private sector should do more of the mechanics. That way we're not changing the budget every year and direction every 2 yrs. The thrashing is killing us.

If by moderate, you mean moderately socialist, you're wrong.

Anyone who thinks that a single payer system will provide the same level of health care for 50 million additional people without costing each of us an arm and a leg seriously needs to go register for an Economics 101 class ASAP.

How about you bring jobs back to America and then you'll have more people with insurance.

Nice speech, do you take notes from Obama?
Socialism is an extreme as well.
And talking still hasnt given results.

Forgive those "extremists" that are complaining the numbers dont add up, and the rest of us are now paying for others, in a broken inefficient system. Nothing got fixed because the Democrats with the House, Senate, and Whitehouse passed a bill that got nothing done.

They just made a larger inefficient market to give more money to Insurance, pharmeceuticals, and Hospitals that will continue to gouge because, again, NOTHING HAS BEEN FIXED!

That goes both way's. O and his lacky's only want hard line socialistic direction i.e. Big gov. Jobs do not come from the government and the current administration is helping spread the word about how bad capitalism is by regulating them into the ground but capitalism is what makes jobs.

Ok, I have to say it...When times are good and we have jobs, we pay taxes...taxes which are supposed to support unemployment, social security, welfare, etc. When times are bad people have no other choice but to turn to those things that they too paid taxes on. I am not saying that everyone deserves a free ride and yes there are those who abuse funds like unemployment and welfare, however there are also those that worked all of their lives and lost their jobs, insurance, homes, and can barely afford to feed their children. They have every right to take advantage of programs that were set into place to help them, ESPECIALLY when they have paid into them all of their lives. So any one who thinks that they have become responsible for the poor and that they are paying for these things, think about the possibility that you may, at some point need it too. Should you be undeserving? You paid your taxes right? I know I did, and if necessary i would have no shame in asking for help from the government that I pay into...

Melbel, I hear you and have been there and back myself. A safety net is fine a free sailing boat for life (or your childbearing years) is a sure sign that the policies in place have vehemently failed us, morally and financially.

Justin, I fall into a caregory you don't seem to have considered. I found a job after being unemployed for a year. I now make $12K/year less than I used to, get no vacation time, and have NO health insurance, but at least I'm working, right? I decided to do the responsible thing and try to get coverage on my own and was shocked at the quotes I received! I am 33, have never smoked, and am in excellent health, yet still couldn't find decent coverage for less than $300 per month. And add in my husband? Ha! A second mortgage would be cheaper. We have budgeted and scaled back as far as we can (drive cars that are paid for, no eating out, cancelled the gym membership, whatever) and still can't afford health insurance.

Yeah cause W really had the economy humming! Loosing 650K jobs per month. Here take it and run with it BO. How about the banking and lending system at the end. Lehman, Bear Sterns, Merrill, Wachovia, Wamu - Just a couple of failures there. How do you run a small business without lending? You don't.

Its called the business cycle. Its how the market cleans out the extremists. You're supposed to save enough to take care of your self during the busts. Tony Blair bragged he'd ended boom and bust. Now he's the most hated brit in britain.

"Its called the business cycle."

And yes, you usually tax when its an up economy to get revenue and halt inflation.

You don't spread the cost around, make things as inefficient as possible, and raise taxes during a recession.

"Its called the business cycle. " You said it buddy, now only if you knew what that really meant.

Jabber

They are only talking about letting the Bush tax cuts expire for the top 2%. Not too many folks and I doubt it includes you. Of course the rates would go back to the Clinton era which only included one of the largest economic expansion in US history. Don't forget all Bush economic projections include reinstatement of the taxes for "all". Deficit will be looking at very fuzzy math in the near future do to tax cuts. Pay now or pay more latter.

They are only talking about letting the Bush tax cuts expire for the top 2%

Just note that "the top 2%" would still get the full benefits of all tax cuts for the first $250K of their income. The non-extended tax cuts would apply only to income above $250K

The tax cuts to income under $250K would therefore apply to everybody.

Better yet -

Medicare for all or Medicare for None.

As a small business owner I'd gladly pay into Medicare at something like the real cost.

Last year BCBS raised my premiums to $2700/month for coverage that had been $280/month, simply for changing jobs. The insurance companies are the REAL death panels.

here,here

Sure, who will pay for that? Now everyone is "on the plan" but the same number of people pay taxes. Single payer solves what exactly? This is not an attack on your comment, I'm asking you to tell me the benefits. By stating Single Payer 5 times in your post you must be an authority on this knowing the in's and out's so please share.

As long as the govt isnt the single payer. The only reason medicare works at all is cuz it can grab money from the general fund and its population quickly dies off; but not a quickly as they used to. No way it would scale up to everybody.

The "first thing" was the Democrats ignoring over half the country and shoving a partisan bill through that was unpopular when they had majority. They knew this would happen. If they actually thought it would lead to them holding majority forever so it couldn't be repealed, they were dillusional.

What does the bill (as passed) do for all of these uninsured? How can they pay for "affordable and accessible coverage?" Oops, it's not a hand out program per se. Sure it sounds like a great "win" for the left but it only accomplished a couple of small but very important things.

It would have been cheaper to just buy policies for the uninsured... until the companies figured out the have another 3rd party payer that will cover any premium.

Please, give me a break...you talk, Miker, like you know what "all people" or even "some people" are not willing to do.....there are plenty like my sister who has worked hard all her life, and with one catastrophic event her husband became ill and can no longer work, he's on medicare with no supplemental, she's on medicare and what little extra she has in finances goes to pick up his supplemental and she no longer has enough money to pay for her part of the health insurance after what her employer picked up. So....think before you rant because "some people" you may be ranting against could be your loved one or other family member...it could be you next. My sister is perfectly willing to pay for health insurance but now there's nothing in sight that she can afford.

catgoddess - get your family together and help your sister. She needs it. Don't wait for our government to help because you already can see what they have done. The more restrictions they put on health insurance companies the more the rates are going to increase.

My sister is perfectly willing to pay for health insurance but now there's nothing in sight that she can afford.

That's why we need a bi-partisan health care reform bill. The Democrats didn't even address the issue of why it's so expensive. Last months update on the # that will still be uninsured in 2014 even with this bill enacted is around 26 million. Odds are your sister may be one of them.

For every one person who truely needs help (be it SNAP, welfare, health care, housing) there are at least 4 people who abuse the system simply because they can.

I train unemployed people on computer "Office" software. These people are referred to us from several state agencies. The ratio is about the same. One in five actually want to learn something better in order to get better paying jobs. The other four do nothing except come up with excuses for not being in class.

Oh and the best part is, the one in five who actually want to get better jobs come from all walks of life - hispanic, white, black, asian. And they overcome the same obsticals that prevent the other four from attending class (I'm feeling ill, my kid got kicked out of day care, my cable needs hooking up, my car isn't working, my dish network is being installed). It's all a matter of personal responsibility and determination.

Excuse me,
But the Republicans started this debate with silence. They knew the people were being priced right out of the health insurance market.
They did nothing.
Business owners have been dropping employees from their insurance in droves. People have been rescinded and denied coverage for pre-existing conditions, lack of health insurance is the number one cause of bankruptcy in the nation. They talked about tort reform but the states that had tort reform didn't show much affect on premiums. The basis for the health care reform act is a Republican plan from the nineties. (maybe that's why they hate it so much). Since that time Republicans have done nothing but obstruct and obfuscate. Meanwhile health insurance profits have been lucrative indeed.
Where is the savings you ask? How about preventive care, with everyone insured they don't have the ultra expensive ER be the first portal for care. Who do you think pays now for the uninsured? Did you notice the 35% increases in premiums? Employers who can't afford insurance for their employees have already been relieved of the burden but the few left are at a competitive disadvantage to the rest of the world who don't ask the employers to pick up the bill. By the way, for those employers who have dropped or greatly diminished premiums, did they then use that money to increase their employees salaries? If you right wingers say it's socialized how come all the re-distribution is going the other way? Go ahead destroy unions,Medicare and S.S., public education,the GI Bill, but they created the only middle class the world had known. You uniformed are destroying the American way of life. Tinkle down dudes/dudettes.

JH: thanks for the suggestion, and we're already each doing everything we can. I'm retired and on a pension as are my siblings. I have an automatic deduction going from my checking account every month to help my sis a little at a time with just paying for utilities and groceries (there have been months when she's had to go to the local food pantry and not ashamed of that, but still....). So we didn't just sit around and wait for the gov. but we're doing what we can.

Miker #12: I HOPE you are sitting down when i tell you this, but there was a time ( no, not long, long ago in a gallaxy far, far away) when employers picked up 100% of the employees AND their families' health care costs. In a mere 30 yrs. we have turned what once worked well into a horrible mess due mostly to greed.

And yes, I know what the thought of losing health care at a serious time entails. Hubby's company was going under & I was 9 months PG. Luckily the comptroller's wife was having a baby too, so the premiums got paid or we'd have been w/o any care for a planned c-section.

I never dreamed I'd be worring about health care again. I thought if my parents & everyone I knew beyond 65 had Medicare, it was a safe bet we would too!

1st. generation to live a lower lifestyle than our parents-no not our kids, US!!!!

"1st. generation to live a lower lifestyle than our parents-no not our kids, US!!!!" DITTO! Both my husband and I work our tails off, have insurance through his employer, which now has a $10,000 deductible! We have $8,000 of medical bills sitting on our table with no way to pay. Everything has gone up in price, but our paychecks haven't. Every pay raise we have gotten for the last 5 years has been eaten by higher insurance premiums. At one time my husbands employer paid %100, but they can no longer do it--and to avoid paying for anyone else's, they opened a plant in China, outsource most of the work to them, and keep a skeleton crew here. When they do need an extra hand, they bring in temps instead of hiring someone. The greed of the corporations are what is going to destroy this country.

Wonder how many voted for BO expecting to get free ObamaCare and still cant afford it.

Funny those that are complaining are the ones harming.

The democrats passed that monstrosity and will hurt/harm people with that "reform".

Republicans wanted reform.

Democrats wanted to spread the cost around we can all share in the inefficiency. They made deals like protecting pharmaceutical companies from generic competition for many additional years. That isnt reform, thats democrats giving a payout to their buddies. And the sheep say "yes we can" !!

Actually jabber, the health care bill made it possible for medicare to bargain for the best price on drugs whereas the republican plan had medicare accepting whatever price big pharma handed them.

Of Course there is an easy way to pay for health care. Everyone talks about Medicare and Social Security going bankrupt because of the aging population and more demand on the system. Demand is not the problem, supply is. There are not enough people paying into Medicare and Social Security (or to a national health care system) because Corporate America and Wall Street have sent some 40 million jobs to China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, etc. Workers in China making profits for Wall Street do not pay into Medicare and Social Security. We need to tax Corporations for every out sourced job they send off shore. I figure $24,000 a year per job that is done in China or India should do it. We we get those jobs back here, people working and paying into the system. I would be happy to pay the $700 a month for my Blue Cross Blue shield premiums (with a a $2500 annual deductible, no prescription coverage, 20% after the deductible, $30 co-pay) into Social Security (or a national single payer health plan) and let me get onto a national single payer system. Instead I am making the Blue Cross Blue Shield wealthier (nice new corporate Lear jet and hefty CEO bonuses too boot). The Government can do no worse to screw things up than Lehman Bros. AIG, BofA, CiTi Group, GM, etc. Corporate America is no more, and might be less competent, than a Government Bureaucrat (after all we praise our Military for being so wonderful with its $900B annual budget). So the answer, start taxing the hell out of corporate America for those outsourced jobs in India and China and bring those jobs back here.

Well, in all honesty no Country on earth has "free" healthcare. Nothing is free. Canadians pay for it in taxes. Which is fine, a good way to do it.

People in England and Canada wait weeks and even months before they can see doctors. It may be free, but it isn't as wonderful as you may think. If you need an operation, it can take months, even longer before you can be scheduled. There really isn't any free ride, anywhere if you look at the fine print.

America is only the greatest country on Earth in a few small ways. Offhand, militarily and wealth come to mind. For the most part, however, the rest of the world has surpassed the United States in quality of life, education, health care, etc. Doesn't anyone wonder why Canadiens live 5 years longer than Americans on average?

Yes, I know, if I don't like it, I can move... Thanks, but I prefer to stay and fight to make the country great again, rather than abandon it.

And we pay social security with taxes and its losing money and inefficient.

A social system is good, if they fix the issues first. If they dont then paying tons of taxes for little return is at best stupid, at worst - you will harm people and not help.

In Canada, the gov't takes almost 50% of your paycheck in taxes. It's not "free".

As for vacation days, this is what happens when gov't allows corporations to hire 3rd world labor. You end up having to compete with them at their level for your own job.

A Canadian politician flew to Miami for heart surgery just this year. That should tell you something about the system we're trying to move towards and what some people who have it will do to get away from it even if they have to pay full price. http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=canadian+politician+florida&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=

Actually my husband is from the UK and his parents and family still reside there so I have first hand knowledge of the health care system there. The lines are longer for elective surgeries. For illnesses that need immediate attention they don't have to wait. They also have dental care covered. When my husband was younger he had to have knee surgery. He was willing to travel into a London hospital so he had the surgery within one week. No waiting. When his father had an accident a couple of years ago the doctor made a house call. Also the taxes are not higher than what we pay here. Quite the contrary. Also in the UK you can buy private medical insurance if you choose to, and doctors can accept it, but most people choose not to because the care provided by the NHS is excellent. I am not saying it is perfect but it is much better than here.

Way to much propaganda about how bad the system is in Canada and the long waits, etc. Half my family lives in Canada, they actually see doctors faster than I get to see mine. I have some British friends here with me for 3 weeks and there response to the criticism and long waits "rubbish". The say it takes no more than "a couple of days" to get an appointment to see a Doctor for most things. All this propaganda about National Health care in Canada or England is just that Propaganda spread by the Health Insurance companies (Who stand to loose the most with a national system) to scare Americans who do not know the facts and fail to seek out the truth.

I deal with clients from UK, Canada etc., and their tax rates are through the roof. I will say once they come here on visas with a larger salary they are all glad to stay here and find using their own money to pay for insurance is still to their financial advantage.

A nanny state cannot survive and our lower income population would not be asked to pay into a system as would be necessary. We make mandates but expect the middle class and above to subsidize those in 2014. Sadly, sometimes I think they should just assign us families to support so I could just write them a check - I might at least get a "thanks" for it.

First of all the Canadian Health care is NOT FREE!!! They pay alot in taxes for there FREE healthcare. They also have deductables $3,000 for family (could be more) For my mother to see her doctor for her diabetes she has to wait a year to get in. My mother also had surgery when she was put on the ward there where 6 men and women in the same room with her. My sister-in-law just moved to a new city a year ago and is still looking for a doctor that is taking new patients. Do some research on the FREE Canadian Healthcare....

#14.6 Yeah Right: You pretty much summed up what my family in Australia have as far as health care & a stand of living comparable to ours.

BTW, since I have no insurance til Medicare in 15 months, I guess, like the Canadian system, I will just have to be "put on the waiting list" for knee surgery until then. Effectively it's the same thing.

And the new HCR law will do nothing to change that!

Yeah but I get a kick out of all the people that don't want to change the system because "they have insurance" and think they are covered. They have no idea. Alot of these under insurred are the ones against health care reform. The staus quo was not working. Too many working middle class families distroyed by medical bills. System needs fixing. Don't know if this will get it right but something had to be done. Would have been nice if the Republicans were willing to participate.

The Republicans were willing to participate. What part of "closed door proceedings" did you not comprehend? Obama even got caught with his pants down saying they weren't presenting any ideas when they handed him the stack of ideas they had submitted on television. He backpeddled and said he had read those ideas and they had used over 120 of them in the bill. Of course now he still says they have never presented any ideas again. That kind of lying makes me think this health care bill is 100% the opposite of what he claims. He cannot be trusted with the future of my health care.

Republicans helped come up with end of life discussions "living will" being covered. Dems introduced it into bill and it then became "death panels". That is not participating that is hindering. Cost is the problem. Why not let people get living wills paid for? So you can keep people on ventilators that don't want to be on ventilators? Most of our medical cost coming in the final 90 days of life. This is such a simple fix that would of save us billions and was totally shot down by the "death panel" squad. Please explain what you mean by participating.

obviously you have health insurance...

One can only hope that all those like Exodite Dragon get what they wish for and find themselves out on the street, unemployed and with no health insurance. I'm not totally happy with the people I voted for, and they aren't doing everything I wish could have been done with the economy, the war, the f****d up insurance conglomorates in this country, either...but we had eight years of REALLY f****d up and no one, repub. or dem. could have fixed it. I say let them have it back if only to show us all what a really bad job they did in the first place.

Janet Anderson

We actually need to reform HC not pass on the bill.

We only made it larger, more expensive, and made pharmeceutical, hospitals, and Insurnace companies richer.

If we fix the problems first, then we can talk about socializing it afterwards.
Heck if we actually fixed most of the problems, most of us wouldn't mind socializing most emergency and preventative services.

Just offer the insurance companies reinsurance in exchange for no-denials or recisions. Its the big payouts that give the companies excuses to do these things.

@Janet Anderson & catgoddess:

You misunderstand my statement if you believe that I am against affordable and effective healthcare in its entirety. You cannot deny that the grotesque monstrosity that was brow-beaten through Congress is anathema to what we need.

At the time of the bill's signing into law, a comment was made that it didn't matter what the law looked like - the important thing (and I'm paraphrasing, do forgive me) was that it was on the books so it might be amended later.

My question, of course, was how much later? That and wondering if anything from the bill, as it was originally intended, would ever see the light of day. We have no public option. We will be forced (if we lack insurance) to pay into the coffers of insurance concerns that have been harming the public for the sake of their bottom lines. Those same entities that deny people most in need of prompt treatment are to be rewarded with mandatory payments from each and every one of us. Even then, the law won't help everyone: it will only cover up to 92% of the population. In my eyes, that is a complete and utter failure. We are not capable of ensuring that everyone will receive coverage; we reward the abuses of Big Insurance with tithes from the middle and lower class; we fail to give people a choice in opting in or out of obtaining coverage.

Ted Kennedy's unfortunate death was, in my eyes, the toll of the bell for sane healthcare reform with this Congress and this administration. I would rather have a broken law taken off the books than be allowed to come into full effect and ruin us all on the psuedo-promise of changing it for the better in an unspecified amount of time.

Whining about illegal aliens is getting very old. How about the illegal aliens who pay into the system and DO NOT USE IT?

Hey Dennis, please show me some of these phantom illegals that pay into the system and don't use it.

Also, while you're going, please tell me how to reopen the 15 hospital emergency rooms that have been shut down because of the sheer number of non-paying illegal aliens they treat. Also, while you're going, please tell me why US citizens should have to attend classes with people whose parents refuse to teach them English. My daughter's school was two full grades behind in English because the school we moved her from was 45% non-English speaking or English as a second language. And, if you've addressed all the above, please tell me how you plan on stopping the violence that has spilled over the border into our southern states.

Perhaps you're an uppity yankee who has to deal with none of these issues. If that's the case, great, please get off your high horse. If you live in a border state, please remove your head from your behind.

Illegals that pay into the system? What planet do you live on?

a criminal that pays sales tax is still a criminal.

Many, many, many illegal immigrants use false SS# in order to get a job and then pay taxes, etc . . . w/o receiving the benefits.

Dear Justin

To the rest of the world, a Yankee is someone from the USA. In the USA, a Yankee is someone from the north. In the north, a Yankee is someone from New England. In New England a Yankee is someone from Maine. In Maine a Yankee is someone who still uses an outhouse.

Which uppity yankee group are you referring to?

Illegal aliens are purchasing insurance and being denied the use of it? That's new. Taking the route of getting a fake SS# rather than becoming a legal citizen is a choice they make, not something my tax $$ should encourage or reward.

and all the damn politicians who rant about social security and medicare and want to "fix" or get rid of it don't care..and why should they? They will have lifetime pensions and lifetime healthcare. They couldn't care less or give a tinker's damn about any of the rest of us...that includes all the so-called t-party politicians, all the libertarians, all the green party candidates. AND FOR SURE ALL REPUB. AND DEMS.

You got it right buddy......it's the truth......

It wont. Insurance rates are driven by the unknowns. HCR just increases their exposure to unknowns and limits the things they can do to mitigate it. Its like hiring in europe. Once you hire, you can get rid of the bums so you're really reluctant to hire.

I stayed away from big business most of my life and I can guarantee you it wasn't even CLOSE to minimum wage paying jobs. That's where most of the $50K-$150K jobs are. Less overhead, fewer employees to spread the company income around to, and a good business plan that fills a niche is way better than a big company with thousands of employees at efficiency.

As for it bringing down the cost, Obama admitted the cost will go up.

All they needed to do was fix the programs already in place. Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, VA, free clinic all existed for the very reason they wanted HCR. If you have 5 broken ones run by Uncle Sam and can't fix those, adding a 6th one meets the definition of insanity.

Most doctors aren't millionaires. The majority of your hospital bill goes towards their lawyers and malpractice insurance. Funny how the Dems didn't wanna address that little tidbit.

THAT was the problem with the bill, it gave special interests a feeding galore and socialized everyone's payment so that we ALL have to pay for the inefficiency.

How is allowing pharmaceuticals for have an addition years to protect their cash cows and not allow generics to compete going to help us?! It isnt

If it were fixable - why didnt we just fix the issues, instead of making it everyone's problem and have everyone have to pay for it?!

The party of NO - was pointing this out to the sheep Saying yes we can (as they run off a cliff and try to take everyone with them!)

The party of NO - was suggesting fixing the issues, and not passing the buck to those that wont pay health insurance, and to hospitals and insurance that LOVES to overcharge us.

How is the HC bill going to fix the HOSPITAL ( not insurance) from charging me 1300 for 6 stitches and 1200 for an ambulance ride?! NOTHING WAS FIXED EXCEPT SPECIAL INTERESTS POCKETS!

"It is certainly better than doing nothing as many would have done."
Wallstreet journal posts "Insurance to increase rates because of HC bill" last week ...SO I BEG TO DIFFER!

If the party of NO had cooperated with writing this Health Care Bill it would be much better than it is now. However this illustrates how much Health Care Reform is needed in this country...

Wow, you really are blind. The Dems didn't need any Republican suppor to pass the bill until March 2010!. The senate could have passed HCR legislation before Aug 2009 but did not because the Dems could not agree within their party. They only needed 60 votes to stop debate and get the bill to the floor for a final vote. The Dems couldn't get it done because tha plan is that bad!

Stop repeating what you've heard as talking points and go educate yourself!

and reform is needed even more now that HCR is here.

No wonder so many Democrat voters can't remember their party yelling about WMDs, who was in control of Congress the last 2 yrs of Bush, etc. This is crap that happened only a year ago and they're rewriting that history too...sheesh. Forgetting what the Scott Brown election did for the Democrat supermajority is very convenient.

we didnt become great by giving everybody everything they want. Workers' Paradises dont work.

Is america even in the top 10?

A "nation" IS the citizens and it's laws. Tell your congressman to fix Medicare, Medicaid, VA, and free clinic, throw in TORT reform, repeal HCR, and we'll have health care covered.

Allen you are delusional. Congress works for the folks that don't want anything fixed because they are making their fortunes off of it. Our nation IS the citizens that are in control. the rich. And BS detector you must really be going off...having a middle class IS what made this country great. FDR's new deal helped to create and PROTECT the middle class. But hey guys...let's not let reality and history get in the way of our beliefs right? TORT REFORM???? Really???

But hey, we had money to wage unnecessary and immoral wars now didn't we?

While Iraq may have been unnecessary, you cannot call it immoral as we did remove a brutal dictator that killed millions of his own people.

As for Afghanistan, please go tell my cousin who's fiance died on 9/11 that is an immoral and unecessary war!

If you don't like the way our country is and think it's shameful, please go live in the third one of the third world countries that have universal health care and tell us all how great that healthcare is.

Imagine if the money that went into this war had gone into healthcare. How much was spent on death that could have helped life?

At least now, 50 million people have the opportunity to improve their lives, if they can figure out what to do with it. Opportunity is not the same as success.

Health insurance didn't help people in the planes or in the twin towers. It's 2 separate unrelated isues and you should know that.

Did you know that if we had another 9/11 attack with the same death toll that the # of civilians who died in just those 2 days would surpass every single soldier who died in Iraq and Afghanistan since both wars started? Is this what you are proposing as an alternative or do you think they'd stop attacking us if we all gave them a hug or something?

STLMIke-----both wars were and are a needless waste of lives and money. Neither Afghanistan nor Iraq declared war on the United States! Osama Bin Laden declared war on the US and our fearless republican leader "{clown}" at the time decided the US needed to declare war instead of going after the perpetrators His decision to go after the individual "Bin Laden" and group Alqaida instead of declaring war would have saved trillions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of lives. The biggest deterrence to Iran was Saddam Hussein we succeeded in killing him and now Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has free rein. Yes we have done so much in stopping the terrorists and hatred of the US.

Um, no...everyone is paying for health insurance. Where have you been getting your misinformation? Put simply, when 35 million more people are paying for insurance, the premiums go down. More people paying in=lower premiums.

We don't even have a government option, all the insurance is through private, for-profit companies. Please explain how that is anything like a socialist economy?

The math doesn't add up Clotho. If you throw in everyone who is a guaranteed high risk that will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars each, the insurance company has to fork out more $$ and premiums go up. Then you have to add spreading the cost for those who can't afford to pay for it to those who are paying for it already. Tell me again why my tax $$ is being sent to Free Clinic...I can't remember.

Tell me which section the bill keeps them from upping my rates every single year while you're at it. I'm required to purchase it so what happens if they decide there are too many freeloaders and I have to pay $50K/yr?

What you're describing is the failing business model for Social Security. Everyone pays into it, many will die before they use it, so it'll never go broke, right? Apparently not.

In this case Socialism would be great!!! Too bad it isnt there.

When you pay 1,200.00 for ins premiums, and your yearly physical is not covered, this is pure stupidity out of greed on part of Ins. Company. It looks like it would be in their interest to even require a yearly screening so if a illness surfaces, it could be caught in time. ...

We will never match EU or any other western country of the free world, so long we have stock market and shareholders dictating the value of American people's lives. It is a disgrace and shame how this country treats it's people. US has no right to point fingers at other countries' human rights abuses. There is one going on in this here, and 50 M people plus those who are being rejected and no one knows because they don't report... they are the witnesses!.