Candis CQ Collins, state coordinator for Health Care for America Now.
On Nov. 7, the House of Representatives approved by a vote of 220 to 215 its version of a bill that would create a national health insurance system. The legislation would cost approximately $1.1 trillion over 10 years, but provide coverage to most — but not all — Americans who currently do not have health insurance.
Only one Republican voted for the legislation, and 39 Democrats opposed it.
The debate now moves to the Senate, where majority leader Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada must lead lawmakers in creating their own bill.
Republicans have threatened to filibuster any vote on the bill, calling the plan unaffordable and an intrusion by big government on people’s individual rights. And some Democrats are unhappy because of concessions made in the House bill on insurance coverage for abortions.
Offering health insurance to the approximately 46 million Americans who lack health insurance was a central campaign promise of President Obama.
With the battle over a comprehensive, national health insurance system still raging, where do you stand on the issue?
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Osama said he wanted to over extent us militarily and bankrupt the U.S.
Obama wants to pass a health care bill that will bankrupt the U.S.
Are they working together?
Is there a difference between them?
David, I have not read anything more ridiculous recently that these statements by you. President Obama did not get us into these wars, where the hell have you been for the last 8 years? The health care / health insurance that we presently have is what is bankrupting America. The present health care / health insurance system we have was created by the same folks that created the housing, banking, auto, Wall Street disasters. Again I ask, where the hell have you been? You need to read carefully the other comments on this site.
Obama is president. Billions of taxpayer dollars have been given to very wealthy people, drinking Dom. Our boys are still coming home in bodybags.
And, where are those opposed to war, opposed to having our boys “over there” getting killed now?
I do believe ignorance is bliss. For anyone that doesnt know the facts about our current healthcare system, please look at the portion of GDP that we are currently spending and how much debt we are occuring because of this system. And still, not everyone is covered. To pass healthcare reform is to provide cost savings to future generation because we are practicing preventative not secondary and tertiary care. I wish people on this blog would become more informed about the “real” debate and not take soundbites and FOX news as their main source of “reliable” facts about healthcare.
Secondly, I cannot believe the audacity of some people to pay blatant disrespect to the office of the Presidency. If you want to make a comparison to Osama why dont you take your last statement (bankruptcy) and apply it to GW, who doubled our national debt and put us under the crushing weight of China with the huge trade deficit. This is a typical culturally insenstive comment! If his skin color was different and his name was David, would you have compared the President to Osama Bin Laden. Ignornace at its finest.
Interesting how Americans sign on for two expensive wars, no questions asked, that have brought us nothing but casualties and fatalities for our service men and women and a huge finaical costs yet when we try to use our own tax dollars on our own people we only THEN become concerned? For a so called Christian nation, this abject disregard for our brothers and sisters is sad.
OJ, I could not agree more on your assessment of our nation. I hear everyone quoting scripture regarding all other issues, yet they forget this one…. “To whom much is given, much is required”. It is incumbent upon us as a nation (people who can provide more) to provide those that are not so fortunate with the same blessing we have (i.e. Health insurance, proper education, ….”FOOD” for crying out loud). It is a sad time when we can go to war at the tune of trillions yet, 1 trillion dollar healtcare reform that will cover 94% of Americans….we cannot afford.
OJ, I totally agree! We have become an “it’s all about me” nation, and stopped being a nation of neighbors who help each other and don’t allow people to fall through the cracks. And David, shame on you. No matter how much I disliked GWB and disagreed with his policies, I never, ever compared him to a terrorist or accused him of being LIKE a terrorist. I have too much respect for THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT to do such a thing. That is un-American and just plain shameful.
thank you orange – well put.
if we were to look at the health care systems in place in Taiwan, Germany and Japan we would see why their economies are growing and heir people are healthy and happy – their systems work, cover everybody and cost less – please people, if you haven’t been to any of these countries in the past ten years, do not respond that these countries are in poverty – there is more poverty HERE than in the rest of the first world
big insurance, drug, and health care companies have convinced us that healthcare should cost an arm and a leg – then people are put in a position of going bankrupt paying for health – it is little wonder, then that people don’t want to cover anybody else’s healthcare
american companies are sending americans into the toilet – they send our jobs elsewhere to pay for their first class plane tickets and yachts and then have the gall to paint it in words like “Obama is Osama” “Obama is Hitler”
@Orange Julius: 1. I’m a Christian, but I don’t believe there’s any such thing as a “Christian” nation. 2. It’s wrong to assume that those who either support the wars now, or supported them at one time do so with “no questions asked”. @Tired of Haters: I agree with your assessment of our nation as “it’s all about me” and your comment about respect for the President. But if we were a nation of neighbors who helped each other we wouldn’t need a government-sponsored health system.
I am doubtful that the government is capable of running a health care system in a cost-effective way. I’m not convinced the current plan will do it. I agree we need change. I disagree about the current approach to change. That’s why I’m not in favor of any of the bills that have been presented. Maybe they should go for a more incremental approach and change it a bit at a time. Start with the stuff most everybody agrees on – though I’m not quite sure what that is.
The REASON Medicare is in trouble is that the government is in charge. With the heavy bureaucracy, mismanagement, nepotism, a large percentage of useless employees with lousy skills, the government screws up a big percentage of too many programs. These poor people think they’ll get better healthcare? Wrong. At least, here in the U.S., they can go to a fully equipped ER and get help. Under a rationed government plan, they would stay in line, sometime until they die, to get any help at all, due to the large, elephant-seal-on-land that would be our public healthcare. The medical people would be paid low wages, causing talented people to seek other careers and we will have C and D students cutting us open, if they ever even get to us before gangrene sets into our wounds.
Tonya, you are obviously highly opinionated against our government and its bureaucracy. Can you provide any personal knowledge regarding your accusations? Or, as I suspect, are your OPINIONS based on the outrageous ranting and raving of the likes of self-described entertainer Rush Limbaugh?
I am not against our government in all areas. But, when it comes to me and my family and our healthcare, I do NOT want the same group that gives millions to 3rd world countries and lets our people starve, seen in “Feed the Children, in Appalachia”. I have seen “Public Healthcare” in the UK, Canada and even in the touted French system, in Paris, near the train station. The “nurse”, who was a student, didn’t know how or where to place and IV in a friend of mine who was sick, nor did she have a place to hang the fluid, so I held it. The room was sparce, out-of-date and unsanitary. I had a friend who had an anurysm in Canada and she had to fly down here to have it repaired, or “wait it out” in Canada. She offered money and they could not take it. She asked about the Hippocratic Oath and was told that they do not adhere to those principles. I have family and friends in the UK and tjey are going to France for care. Think Katrina, think million-dollar libraries in cities where policemen and teachers are on Food Stamp programs due to the “rationing” of government dollars.
Do you think I am ranting? I have fought a corrupt insurance system and won. One positive chage after another. b
If someone says something that is different from your opinion, it is not always “ranting”. Did you know that?
I’m sorry but what you have just done is ranting. It is disconnected and incoherent. In one place the French system is worthless and in another a person is leaving the UK to go to France for treatment. I am not convinced.
I second that Jim, I believe it was a rant as well. However, I believe it does warrant addressing. First, we can just take the VA system for starters. It is a Universal Healthcare system for veterans. Are the rooms thrid world? Do the nurses know where to start IV’s and have places to hang them? People want to make Universal Healthcare a “bad” system because it is not the same in other countries. Ask people this? Does France, Canada, or any other country spend as much on their medical system as the US does? Yet, if you look at the Infant Mortality rate in the African American community, you would think it was 3rd world. It is comparable to the Infant Mortality rate in Africa? That is under our current healthcare system. Now does our current system look so great now? And dont take my word for it, please check the facts…their undisputable. Also, look at the lifespan (which is the benchmark for healthcare systems). The US is 51st in life expectency. Where are all the other industrialized countries who have universal healthcare systems? Don’t take a few isolated incidences and generalize universal healthcare systems. There are positives and negatives. We need to take the best practices of all systems (even our current system) and put them to practice.
Mr. J.Q. Public (what a presumptive name) you are correct on all points, of course. There was an excellent program on our local PBS station (I believe it was Bill Moyers Journal this past Friday night) that gave a rather comprehensive summary of the so-called universal coverage provided by quite a few countries. Many of them we arrogantly “look down our noses” at that has lower health care costs, good to excellent service, etc. Now one of the common complaints expressed on the program was by the health care providers that they were compensated far below that of the comparable “professionals” in the US. There is the “rub”. Those within the health care “industry” feel threatened. This I feel is the “bottom line”. I retired from 37 years on the faculty of a medical school campus, as a basic science professional, and I see this as the primary if not singular reason for the vocal opposition to the so-called “public option” health insurance proposal.
What YOU said…and I agree with this, is: “There are positives and negatives. We need to take the best practices of all systems (even our current system) and put them to practice.”
And, what I said was not a rant. It was what I have experienced, you insensitive
snob. It is what others
have experienced. People are leaving the UK for French healthcare. Canadians
are leaving Canada for US healthcare.
Lets take care of our system by true reform, not a takeover by a bureaucratic
monster such at the US Government.
Oh, and, when did receive healthcare from the VA? How was it?
I apologize. I didn’t mean to call YOU a snob. That was for Mr. Jim V.
Well, phooey…I posted my note to you on Mr. Jim V’s reply.
I apologize. I didn’t mean to call YOU a snob. That was for Mr. V. I can see that you think and have a bit of respect for fellow debaters.
Back in the 50’s my Dad was on the hospital board. I remember him complaining about the cost going thru the roof because of insane government regulations.
We probably need health reform; but more government control is not the answer.
Does anyone really trust chickensh*t sleazeball democrats to fix it? They are our biggest problem. That is setting the fox to guard the chickens.
Please don’t any of you moro*s try to blame Bush/Cheney again. All that proves is that you are ignorant enough to believe the propaganda.
Denial of the disastrous condition the Chaney/Bush dictatorship left the United States in is not exactly a healthy way to recover the constitutional republic we once enjoyed. Childish name-calling is not any more constructive.
Hi, David, Jim, O Julius, CC Ryder, Tired of Haters, riri, Tonya Mc Iam Jacques from Canada and sure I am an outsider looking in, an yes you have the right to tell me to bud out, but you guys are having a logical discussion on the internet which I can comment like it or not. Because, you must understand my country has offered me a health plan which is more then what you have right now and it did not come easily. But yet its far from being perfect, but I will keep it never the less. All you guys David, Jim, O Julius, CC Ryder, Tired of Haters, riri, Tonya Mc, and many more if their heart is at the right place that take time to give their opinion is what will cause this situation to become better for all your Nation. If you all step back and really analyze what each and everyone are saying it’s the same. I tell you guys you have a guy right now at the helm which I believe gives a dam about what you guys think, feel, love, hate, believe in and will do his best to hear you out, if given a chance.
By the way, do you believe the Doctors and the pharmaceutical companies are really here for us or just for the money? Or is this thought toooooo scary to fadom. Living in the USA or Canada or any where else in this world for that matter, the treatments are the same even if you can afford it or not; Now if you want to really open a discussion here guys, all of you must have your own opinion with all the diseases like Cancer etc,,, which Millions of $$$$ have not found a cure yet, and why? Is it maybe because we the population have been brain washed to think that the Docs and these pharmaceutical companies are doing their best? Or is truly for the money?
I have come across a book by Mr. Jim V. Humble (76 Yrs young) which can offer you a different opinion with proof.
Send me an e-mail at 1130162@rogers.com I will send you a FREE pdf titled “MMS” Miracle Mineral Supplement that will show you all drugs treat the symptoms and not the cause.
Ok I am ready for your comments, punches, slap in back of the head etc,, I hope, from a friend in Canada Jacques.
Thank you, JAcques F. Bigras, your insight is valuable. We in the US seem to live in a bubble and think that only Americans have the wisdom and intelligence to solve these universal problems. I have always had great respect for the Canadians, British, and Australians for their unpretentious approach to life in general and politics in particular.
Voting no because you don’t want to pay for health care for those who do not have insurance does not make sense. We already pay for those who do not have insurance, and usually pay more because they wait until late to see help.
An ounce of prevention costs much less than a pound of cure.
A public program that focused on prevention could save trillions of dollars on costs that taxpayers will have to bear if there is little attention or money available for prevention and early intervention.
I urge you to vote YES, Yes for money for prevention, early detection and early intervention.
Carolyn Hayes, RN BSN MBA
I think the poll is bios. The current healthcare plan costs too much. Other countries who use systems like this have lower healthcare expenses. The US is one of the most expensive health systems on the planet (I’m not sure how many people realize that).
“Pass the bill so that the country as a whole and the tax payer can pay less in-total for health insurance” should be on the list.
In my opinion the House bill definitely needs work. Allow customers to purchase health insurance across state lines, competition will result in lower cost health insurance premiums. Create an insurance pool that insurance companies can bid on for the uninsurable and unemployed similar to Medicare, pass legislation to direct companies to deduct payroll “taxes” (insurance premiums) from their employees and earmark for insurance for that individual employee. Come on Senate do your thing and get this insurance mess straightened out. GOD BLESS AMERICA, be ever vigilant folks there is evil out there hellbent on destroying our freedoms and annihilating our Christian and Jewish brothers and sisters ! No kidding folks do a little research okay?
Cha! You think! You are logical! You don’t want to toss the baby out with the dirty water!
Thank you!
Those poor unfortunate lambs who do not know their history are doomed to repeat it. Government run and and controlled healthcare is but one piece of this evolving puzzle. Once big and unfettered government gains control of banking, education, healthcare, housing, big industry (automobile), organized labor, then what remains to offer some barrierl/protection between the people’s individual freedoms and big government but the Constitution of the U.S. Need there be a lecture as to the etching away at the foundations of our constitutional rights, especially the first one and the second one? Agree or disagree, the first two constitutional rights can only exist provided neither is belittled, diminished nor altered. Wake up America!! We lambs are being led down the path of socialism. Socialism and free enterprise/capitalism) cannot and will never exist side by side in the same society. Our current health care programs are not in need of replacement which will be the case if the single payer system/public option gets passed into legislation. Nevertheless our current system is in need of well over due fine tuning. Two changes which can easily be implemented from Washington are well worth the effort to consider, debate and for discussing its feasibility. First, legislate tort reform to significantly reduce frivilous lawsuits against doctors, clinics and hospitals. Reduction of malpractice insurance premiums will significantly reduce the cost for medical procedures. Secondly, legislate ammendments to existing interstate laws to permit the hundreds of current insurance companies to offer and sell their hospital/medical insurance policies across state lines. Unfettered competition between the insurance companies will drive down the cost of medical insurance cost.
Joe, TTD,
You are too logical. People who want “CHANGE (WOO-HOO!)”, without careful observance, waying alternatives or observing differing systems, have a name in my area. These “fans”, short for fanatics, are like people who worship an actor, not wanting to know what the real person is like… It’s “Yellow Dog”.
Hollywood in the Whitehouse.
I study issues and do not vote for a Republican or a Democrat, unless I believe in the individual, and that’s hard to do. I’ve voted for both. Often, people don’t even know the person with whom they sleep, until the divorce brings out the true “self”.
I really love the USA and don’t want to emulate countries, where citizens would cut off a finger to live here instead of their own homeland.
what makes any one think by having health insurance will mean having good health care?
if there are no doctors or care givers no healt care but you have insurance
Are you implying that if we lower the cost of health care insurance / health care that there will be no doctors available to care for us. If this is your point, you are completely wrong on two issues. (1) The health care system / health care insurance system we presently have is rationing health care services by virtue of a system that is unaffordable to millions of people. (2) I have known over the course of 40 years of working side by side with physicians, nurses and other providers that their financial rewards from being in the health care fields is not what attracted them to the profession and was not what troubled them the most about their profession. I have noticed that some and I hesitate to say it seems to be primarily Republican conservatives, seem to think that the ONLY thing that motivates people to go into a profession or act responsibly is financial. I completely reject this notion. Many of the people I know in health care are there to provide good care to their patients not themselves.
I ask you respectfully and as a patriotic Americans to look at the following troubling lines that I have read in the bill. You cannot possibly believe that these proposals are in the best interests of the country and our fellow citizens.
Page 22 of the HC Bill: Mandates that the Govt will audit books of all employers that self-insure!!
Page 30 Sec 123 of HC bill: THERE WILL BE A GOVT COMMITTEE that decides what treatments/benefits you get.
Page 29 lines 4-16 in the HC bill: YOUR HEALTH CARE IS RATIONED!!!
Page 42 of HC Bill: The Health Choices Commissioner will choose your HC benefits for you. You have no choice!
Page 50 Section 152 in HC bill: HC will be provided to ALL non-US citizens, illegal or otherwise.
Page 58 HC Bill: Govt will have real-time access to individuals’ finances & a ‘National ID Health card’ will be issued!
Page 59 HC Bill lines 21-24: Govt will have direct access to your bank accounts for elective funds transfer.
Page 65 Sec 164: Is a payoff subsidized plan for retirees and their families in unions & community organizations: (ACORN).
Page 84 Sec 203 HC bill: Govt mandates ALL benefit packages for private HC plans in the ‘Exchange.’
Page 85 Line 7 HC Bill: Specifications of Benefit Levels for Plans–The Govt will ration your health care!
Page 91 Lines 4-7 HC Bill: Govt mandates linguistic appropriate services. (Translation: illegal aliens.)
Page 95 HC Bill Lines 8-18: The Govt will use groups (i.e. ACORN & Americorps to sign up individuals for Govt HC plan.
Page 85 Line 7 HC Bill: Specifications of Benefit Levels for Plans. (AARP members – your health care WILL be rationed!)
Page 102 Lines 12-18 HC Bill: Medicaid eligible individuals will be automatically enrolled in Medicaid. ( No choice.)
Page 12 4 lines 24-25 HC: No company can sue GOVT on price fixing. No “judicial review” against Govt monopoly.
Page 127 Lines 1-16 HC Bill: Doctors/American Medical Association – The Govt will tell YOU what salary you can make.
Page 145 Line 15-17: An Employer MUST auto-enroll employees into public option plan. (NO choice!)
Page 126 Lines 22-25: Employers MUST pay for HC for part-time employees AND their families. (Employees shouldn’t get excited about this as employers will be forced to reduce its work force, benefits, and wages/salaries to cover such a huge expense.)
Page 149 Lines 16-24: ANY Employer with payroll 401k & above who does not provide public option will pay 8% tax on all payroll! (See the last comment in parenthesis.)
Page 150 Lines 9-13:A business with payroll between $251K & $401K who doesn’t provide public option will pay 2-6% tax on all payroll.
Page 167 Lines 18-23: ANY individual who doesn’t have acceptable HC according to Govt will be taxed 2.5% of income.
Page 170 Lines 1-3 HC Bill: Any NONRESIDENT Alien is exempt from individual taxes. (Americans will pay. Aliens, legal or illegal will be exempt, please note.)
Page 195 HC Bill: Officers & employees of the GOVT HC Admin.. will have access to ALL Americans’ finances and personal records.
Page 203 Line 14-15 HC: “The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax.” (Yes, it really says that!)
Page 239 Line 14-24 HC Bill: Govt will reduce physician services for Medicaid Seniors. (Low-income and the poor are affected.)
Page 241 Line 6-8 HC Bill: Doctors: It doesn’t matter what specialty you have trained yourself in — you will all be paid the same! (Just TRY to tell me that’s not Socialism!)
Page 253 Line 10-18: The Govt sets the value of a doctor’s time, profession, judgment, etc. (Literally — the value of humans.)
Page 265 Sec 1131: The Govt mandates and controls productivity for “private” HC industries.
Page 268 Sec 1141: The federal Govt regulates the rental and purchase of power driven wheelchairs.
Page 272 SEC. 1145: TREATMENT OF CERTAIN CANCER HOSPITALS – Cancer patients – welcome to rationing!
Page 280 Sec 1151: The Govt will penalize hospitals for whatever the Govt deems preventable (i.e… re-admissions).
Page 298 Lines 9-11: Doctors: If you treat a patient during initial admission that results in a re-admission — the Govt will penalize you.
Page 317 L 13-20: PROHIBITION on ownership/investment. (The Govt tells doctors what and how much they can own!)
Page 317-318 lines 21-25, 1-3: PROHIBITION on expansion. (The Govt is mandating that hospitals cannot expand.)
Page 321 2-13: Hospitals have the opportunity to apply for exception BUT community input is required. (Can you say ACORN?)
Page 335 L 16-25 Pg 336-339: The Govt mandates establishment of 2 outcome-based measures. (HC the way they want — rationing.)
Page 341 Lines 3-9: The Govt has authority to disqualify Medicare Advance Plans, HMOs, etc. (Forcing people into the Govt plan)
Page 354 Sec 1177: The Govt will RESTRICT enrollment of ’special needs people!’ Unbelievable!
Page 379 Sec 1191: The Govt creates more bureaucracy via a “Tele-Health Advisory Committee.” (Can you say HC by phone?)
Page 425 Lines 4-12: The Govt mandates “Advance-Care Planning Consult.” (Think senior citizens end-of-life patients.)
Page 425 Lines 17-19: The Govt will instruct and consult regarding living wills, durable powers of attorney, etc. (And it’s mandatory!)
Page 425 Lines 22-25, 426 Lines 1-3: The Govt provides an “approved” list of end-of-life resources; guiding you in death. (Also called ‘assisted suicide.’)
Page 427 Lines 15-24: The Govt mandates a program for orders on “end-of-life.” (The Govt has a say in how your life ends!)
Page 429 Lines 1-9: An “advanced-care planning consultant” will be used frequently as a patient’s health deteriorates.
Page 429 Lines 10-12: An “advanced care consultation” may include an ORDER for end-of-life plans. (AN ORDER TO DIE FROM THE GOVERNMENT?!?)
Page 429 Lines 13-25: The GOVT will specify which doctors can write an end-of-life order. (I wouldn’t want to stand before God after getting paid for THAT job!)
Page 430 Lines 11-15: The Govt will decide what level of treatment you will have at end-of-life! (Again — no choice!)
Page 469: Community-Based Home Medical Services = Non-Profit Organizations. (Hello? ACORN Medical Services here!?!)
Page 489 Sec 1308: The Govt will cover marriage and family therapy. (Which means Govt will insert itself into your marriage even.)
Page 494-498: Govt will cover Mental Health Services including defining, creating, and rationing those services.
In conclusion, how can any U.S. citizen in good conscience, re-elect their two senators and two of our four Arkansas representatives that have voted in Washington for this garbage with the intent of ramming this legislation down our throats? Yes, we all agree that health care reform is needed but to seize upon that need by those who wish to ultimately destroy capitalism is an abomination.
For those of you who do have the vision to comprehend what the future holds under this proposed health care legislation and for those of you who have yet to “see-the-light”, my advise to you is take every precaution beginning now to never get sick nor to ever grow old. If you can avoid those two pitfalls, then continue to re-elect our current legislators and congressmen.
I spent 32 years of my life in government, and anyone that believes its capable of dealing with health care in a compassionate way is delusional. You say debate, government says mandate. You see yourself as a human being, to the government your a number….nothing more. You have a hard luck story to tell, sorry, government isn’t interested…..pay up, or suffer the consequences. Government allocates resources based on the law, and numbers…..not compassion or common sense.
It is really crucial for family members to educate themselves about the bio chemical science that is occurring in their loved one to realise the true nature of how “possessed” by the disease their loved one is. This will let them to take matters such as blame, disgrace,anger and misguided cause off the table and focus on actions that will aid. Once seen household members are better accommodated to realize, respond, and speak to the disease while also raising and supporting the spirit of the individual they love. It is very critical for family to sort out the demon from the person, and know the difference. Finally, that is the hard struggle that the stricken loved one faces within themselves and as much as we may see ourselves as victims, they are the ultimate victims of this beastly disease.
Ohh nice post but really??