And, another issue comes to mind. Situations like infertility are not health CARE as defined by this debate. So when it comes to all the optional, but somehow medically related issues, I certainly wouldn’t expect any public plan to pay any part of it. If private insurance wishes to offer those things as extra options for a price, then they’ll do it they can stay afloat doing so. But the taxpayers are not.

And don’t forget, whatever wonderful solutions our federal gov’t comes up with, is going to mandate what we must have and what we cannot have. And ALL of us, the taxpayers, our children, our grand children, our great grandchildren are going to be paying the debt, whether it works or fails.

I just cannot imagine the paperwork. Have you never had to call the IRS and ask a simple question? Just have one minorly complicated income situation, and the “worksheets” become a nightmare. OMG. I see an entire new career, much like the tax accountant, the federal-medical-form-filler-outer consultant.

I have to say, my favorite thing so far on this post is jm’s bit about the taxpayers’ alleged deep, abiding, multimillion-dollar concern for the health of members of Congress. Has anyone ever heard of this? Does this actually have traction?

Suzie, Jenny: Of course you’re going to find good experiences in a bad system, just as you find bad experiences in a good system. But think institutionally. What shall motivate the government to do this well for more than 300 million people? Can it? What drives “right-sizing” here? Indeed, isn’t such all too often contraindicated in a government program? Where are the cost controls? When there is no money anyway, what’s another zero or three (and man oh man, have we ever proved that so far this year/administration)?

Any concerns about privacy?

Phil: I can make no sense of “in the long term, uninsured citizens cost us more than insuring everyone.” When 89% of Americans answer that they are satisfied with their current health care, there is not a massive, multi-trillion-dollar problem to solve here.

I wouldn’t leave it as it is. But I also damned sure wouldn’t commit the most expensive fallacy of the excluded middle in the history of the world. Adopt my plan, or watch civilization end.

Of course, I don’t believe the plan is about helping people anyway. It’s about dependency on the state; just another power grab.

But I’m just paranoid that way.

the bottom line for health care is that we need to get costs contained and manageable before we worry about getting everyone “insured.”

Also, I do have a friend that is a military wife and she is a breast cancer survivor and she has had nothing but nice things to say about the health care she received then and now.

I don’t know how we should fix the healthcare system but, it’s broken.

2.) no

3.) no

4.) yes

5.) In the long term, uninsured citizens cost us more than insuring everyone. In addition to the fact that insurance companies and big pharm have too much influence on medical decisions, the free market system is not a great way to manage health care. I can’t tell you how much time I spend trying to get insurance companies to give authorization to pay for a medicine that would be in a patient’s best interest. May god have mercy on those with HMO’s.

Signed your local community clinic cardiac nurse.

My hubby has been on the Army’s medical plan since 1967 (operated by the US government). Since 1985, he’s gotten VA medical benefits (also operated by the US government). When we got married in 2004, I became a Tricare (military, government-run plan) recipient.

I can take or leave Blue Cross. VA and Tricare have consistently been efficient, professional, thorough, and open to our preferences as to treatments, docs, everything, plus the Rx benefits are amazing… we spend little to nothing on meds.

Just my two tiny cents.

You mention the cost of insurance coverage, but insurance coverage is not the same as “the cost of health care.”

Again, I say, open the markets up. Let insurance companies compete across state lines. And, we need to get away from the idea that insurance should cover EVERY little thing. It used to be that insurance was there to cover a catastrophe, not a sore throat. Walmart and CVS are competing to bring you the $10.00 strep test. If one cannot afford $10.00, Medicare is already in place to cover the least fortunate among us.

And, tort reform is absolutely necessary to bring down medical liability insurance costs that are passed onto the consumer. Do not imagine that you can sue the U.S. Gov’t if they take over medicine and screw you up. Ask those in the military health system if they have any legal recourse there.

By the way, the military system is a model of what universal health care would be like. I’ve yet to talk with someone who isn’t exasperated with the long wait times and inability to get necessary referrals.

– the LCOE pig