CNN

Hey Rudy, I believe you don't know what your talking about.

PLEASE STOP referring to “Universal Healthcare or Single Payor System” AS Socialized Medicine. This is a play on words used to frighten us by ignorant Politicians and those with a vested interest in making money from Insurance Companies. Also, Medicare is not Socialized Medicine either!!!

The goal of “Universal Healthcare or Single Payor System” is to have a mix of Public and Private financing in order to offer all of us the equal access to quality care by eliminating the Insurance Company middleman who state they don’t practice medicine but every time you turn around they tell you who what and how you can be cared for and that is if you have Healthcare coverage.

In California, Senator Sheila Kuhel’s SB840 – California Universal Healthcare System (Single Payer)

In the United States House of Representatives, Representative Conyers Bill – H.R. 676 United States National Health Insurance Act (or the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act) (Introduced in House)

HR676 In General – The health insurance benefits under this Act cover all medically necessary services,
including at least the following:
(1) Primary care and prevention. (2) Inpatient care. (3) Outpatient care. (4) Emergency care.(5) Prescription drugs. (6) Durable medical equipment. (7) Long term care. (8) Mental health services.
(9) The full scope of dental services (other than cosmetic dentistry). (10) Substance abuse treatment services.
(11) Chiropractic services. (12) Basic vision care and vision correction (other than laser vision correction for cosmetic purposes). (13) Hearing services, including coverage of hearing aids.

(b) Portability- Such benefits are available through any licensed health care clinician anywhere in the United States that is legally qualified to provide the benefits.
(c) No Cost-Sharing- No deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, or other cost-sharing shall be imposed with respect to covered benefits.

None of the programs offered are 100% free but the dollars spent in tax/fee collection will go towards coverage not profit and in most cases there are no additional cost to us unless we want insurance for things not medically necessary.

We need to take the Lobbying money out of politics and be free of profit making insurance companies and Pharmaceutical Companies that only think of money first.

Remember the Insurance & Pharmaceutical Companies are spending a fortune on advertising to show us how they want to protect children (Lowest Risk Coverage) and offer free medicine to a few. (See PHARMA ads with Montel Williams). You could almost bet that for every dime they spend they make at least a dollar.

Since our taxes are good enough to pay for our Federal, State Employees and Elected Officials then it should be good enough for us. Let’s put everyone on a level playing field and we will have GREAT COVERAGE at a savings.

If your curious ask a insurance agent what it would cost for the above coverage with no deductibles at your age. Remember pre-existing conditions are ok with the above but probably not ok on an individual private insurance policy. There is no government profit motive just savings.

Good Luck to all.

I'm an independent contractor in new york city, no health insurance no benefits, I'm the republican dream, elect this guy and the rest of you will live in my world, pray you don't get sick, I do.

Run for your lives!

Content Canadian,
Its called sarcasm. I dont believe these things personally, however, many people in this country do. We actually agree. When making an arguement you need to meet people where they are at, thats all I was doing. I know our system sucks and I dont support the whole "stop the domino affect" theory. So stop laughing and read carefully next time.

Since it is painfully obvious that many of you have already had your fair share of the kool-aid I am probably wasting my breath but oh well, it's fun anyway.

It's funny, you get a bunch of mad Democrats and show them another Michael Moore "documentary" and suddenly they have an indept understanding of how universal healthcare has affected the economies of countries throughout the world.

Some of you suggest that we should pattern ourselves after Canada, Western Europe, England and Cuba. Consider the populations of some of those countries. Canada has 32 million, England has 50 million. France has 64 million. And the shining beacon of hope for many of you, thanks to Moore, Cuba has a whopping 11 million. Well friends, if you take the total populations of ALL of those countries and DOUBLE that figure you get close to the TOTAL population of the United States of America. Now, if you can't understand why switching to a universal healthcare system with a population as big as the United States is a bad idea I just don't know what more I can do to help you.

To: Outraged Activist"

You make me chuckle with the usual "everything is better in the US" and "we lead and they will follow" arrogance. Check all the statistics....Americans don't need to "set the tone"for the rest of the world; they need to catch up.In almost every area your country continues to lag behind the rest of the industrialized world except in terms of military might and inept, dangerous foreign policy and you gov't is totally frozen in doing anything positive internally or externally.

Could not agree with you more Ericka. You hit the nail on the head, too bad not enough people will see and understand those issues until it is far too late.

All of you thinking Giuliani is some sort of saviour, be aware he is not.

And enough of the insurance companies telling us what is in our best interest. For God sakes are you all for real? They need to make money! And they won't make money if doctors decide for them!

I have to wonder how many New Yorkers under Guiliani's watch,previously uninsured, received health insurance. If you can't help a city, why submit a plan to help a nation. He's as bad as what we have now. Still riding the coat tails off of 9/11.

Too late, Greg... we already turned into a communist country back when we socialized the police department, fire department, court system, food and drug safety system, road system, army, navy, air force, coast guard, and Marine Corps.

...And why are you posting here if you don't trust CNN?

"There is NO question that socialized medicine would have drastic consequences on the health of our economy, as well as the health of American citizens. Socialized medicine ONLY bankrupts countries, just as socialism itself does."

Let's see... Canada. Nope, not bankrupt. In fact, their currency is close to the value of ours and they have a low deficit. What about European countries like England? Nope, not backrupt. Low crime, good health care.

Here's a tip, try actually knowing what you are talking about before you open your mouth and spew out nonsensical rhetoric without having even the slightest proof.

"SOCIALIZED medicine" = "COMMUNIST COUNTRY"? Let the RIGHT-WING HYSTERIA BEGIN!!

We already have socialized medicine it's called Medicare, and for the services it provides it's my understanding that it does it more efficiently than private insurers.

Obviously, our corporate overlords have already corrupted some out there without even gearing up their inevitable multi-billion dollar campaign to keep the status quo.

It's nice to know Rudy is going to create incentives for states to come up with new solutions to drive down the cost of health care and prescription drugs.

As long as you don't have an idea relating to medical mariujuana that is. This guy is in favor of selling you drugs like Oxycontin to ease your pain, and having the federal government kick down your door, and put you in a government cage if you don't use federally approved drugs, in spite of state law sanctioning the use. So much for "limited government". I can't blame this man for his position, Rudy and his corporation, Giuliani Partners, are paid consultants to Purdue Pharma, makers of oxycontin.

Medical Marijuana has the capacity to help where other drugs have failed, or work with fewer side effects. Rudy is strictly opposed to any use of this because "there are better alternatives", such as his payor's wildly addictive and expensive drugs (good combo, huh?)

It is cheap (free) to grow, is safe and has a 5000 year history of use in which no man has died. Oxycontin kills every day.

This man is a constitution hating pig. Stay away.

Greg,
You say socialized medicine (by which I assume you are refering to any form of universal healthcare) bankrupts countries.
No country has perfect healthcare system, but I cannot see how Western Europe's economy is crippled.
Do you have evidence to back up your claim? Don't say the USSR-its economy failed, but it sociallized a lot more industries than just medicine.

A lot of good, insightful comments on here so far, but I still have one burning question:

WHY is it that many, many people in countries with nationalized health care still prefer to go to private doctors and hospitals? Friends in France and England, cousins in Argentina...they all go to private doctors when the chips are really on the table for serious health issues.

Sure, under nationalized health care (lets stop calling it Socialized, since we all know thats just an inflammatory term), you won't pay a penny when visiting the ER or the like. What will you think of it when you're waiting two years for that surgery or other specialized medical procedure?

And the market DOES determine the fairest, most competitive price...but special interests keep the price artificially inflated through contributions and political strong-arming.

Each man for himself, send his job to India, give him a communicative disease (now even obesity is declared catching), feed him empty agribusiness food trucked from somewhere in the third world, scare him into depression or rage by constant fear mongering, keep his replacement service job low paying, tax him at a higher rate then anyone with capitol, allow unscrupulous lenders to take anything he can scrape together with sub-prime mortgages and credit card debt, outlaw unions efforts for fair wages and conditions, destroy our oxygen factories (national forests) so someone can rape the public lands for private gain, throw the GIs out because as a disabled veteran they might cost some money, and etc.

One for all, and all for One: taking care of the shared social needs of each US citizen for the greater good of all in concert with each-other.

Keeping Joe Q Public afloat or adding to the money coffers of the Mega Rich, at least we know who are Gulliani's friends and who he sees as his slaves.

I see this as anarchy versus ordered society, the work of the "devil" versus "forces for the common good".

Think about it folks, SOCIALIZED medicine. Our government (the same one you pseudo political activists are always whining about) 1) has FAILED to fix social security; 2) has FAILED to secure our borders and implement a reasonable immigration policy, AND NOW YOU WANT THAT SAME GOVERNMENT TO ENACT A SOCIALIZED MEDICAL HEALTHCARE PROGRAM???

Any reasonably competant human being could see the logical flaws inherent in such an idea. And to those of you out there that think we need socialized medicine, let's face it, it's time to stop getting all of our political beliefs from CNN and whatever Michael Moore documentary happens to be out in any given year!

Everyone agrees that our healthcare system needs to be fixed but let's not turn ourselves into a communist country just to get it done.

I saw Giuliani at a recent campaign event and he discussed this topic, and it is the same old tired Republic party rhetoric about "let the market decide"

The MARKET has decided!

The MARKET has decided to not insure almost 50 million Americans! The MARKET has decided not to accept those with pre-existing conditions! The MARKET has decided to price it's product so many Americans can't afford it!

THE MARKET IS BROKEN!

The Republic party doesn't seem to get it that we are in a health insurance crisis, and a $2000 dollar tax credit maenas nothing when a policy costs $10000, and there is no guarantee that they will even accept you if you have the premium!

Thankfully, the Democratic Party gets it, and that's why you see most of the candidates coming out with their own Universal Health Care Policies. Just another issue where the Republic party is out of step with mainstream America.

Giuliani's retread of an already failed policy is DOA!

HAHA... Rick from KC, that was amusing. Yeah, I'm with you man – nobody is buying this stuff from Giuliani. His handlers are really delusional if they think he is convincing in that regard.

"He will focus on fixing the tax code to help people buy their own insurance.."

Help people buy the same old unaffordable health care, eh? Nothing like "having the power" to purchase the same old unaffordable heath care when gas is still hovering around $3.00 per gallon.

I'm not impressed.

Giuliani health care? That's an oxymoron.

AGREE!

There is NO question that socialized medicine would have drastic consequences on the health of our economy, as well as the health of American citizens. Socialized medicine ONLY bankrupts countries, just as socialism itself does.

Giuliani seems to understand this better than ALL of the Democratic candidates who are ONLY pandering to the legions of Americans who are concerned (for good reason) with the state of our healthcare system.

Great job, Rudy!

"He understands that failed mandates and wasteful, unaccountable bureaucracies lead to the exclusion of millions of Americans from quality care and health insurance"

I noticed that he didn't mention sky rocketing cost of healthcare and the outrageous price of prescription drugs.
When I was between jobs, I worked over 50 hours a week with a temp. agency who did not have any type of insurance plan for me. I tried to purchase one independently but was denied because at 5'8" and 115lbs, I was considered underweight (even though I have no health related problems). To make matters worse, I was trying to pay down my student loan bills and got saddled with a $2000+ medical bill because I made the mistake of having my blood drawn once for an iron workup due to fatigue (probably due to having a job during the day and a paper route at night). The people who think this system is working are only fooling themselves. People's health and livelihood should NEVER be at the center of a profit driven business. I think our tax dollars would be more WISELY spent in a universal healthcare plan versus unending, illegal wars out in the middle east.

But how is he going to connect healthcare with terrorism? Healthcare won't scare us into voting Guiliani, and I haven't heard anything from him but dire predictions should we dare vote Democratic. Could this be a putative second note from the "terror" candidate?

CNN,

Can you please explain why you post this this story was and ignore the story of the Georgetown County South Carolina Republican Party presidential primary straw poll that Dr. Paul came in at 2nd place (well ahead of Giuliani)?

You people are so dishonest! I can't believe how you refuse to cover this honorable man!

Dan, all of the Republicans support free market health care! You don't even know his plan yet and you say he has a reasonable plan. Brilliant. And I don't believe Giuliani one bit when he says he's in favor of limited government for anything! The man is an authoritarian plain and simple.

Giuliani's plan sounds like it was written by the insurance companies. Adjusting the tax code for the people who don't have insurance won't help them because they don't have enough money to pay for it anyway. It will be another plan that leaves things as they are which is what electing Giulani would amount to anyway.
Why is Giuliani afraid of the YOU TUBE Debate? Could it be that someone might ask a serious question about his Iraq policy or his psuedo health care reform that would force him to tell the truth?

Shockingly we ALREADY have a health care system that puts the power to choose a health care plan in the hands of the individual instead of government. The reality of such a system is the 40 million people who cannot afford the plans being offered.

Many of the 40 million uninsured and underinsured people are elderly folks enrolled in the Medicare system. Medicare is horribly broken and many medicines are not covered by the program, which is exactly why bus loads of elderly people go to Canada and Mexico each year to buy meds.

I am not in favor of the socialistic "universal" plans the democrats have nor am I interested in funding the medical needs of immigrants who blatantly break our laws by sneaking into the United States. I am in favor, however, of fixing the bureaucracy called Medicare. I haven't heard a single candidate, republican or democrat, discuss the medical burdens of the elderly.

People seem to believe that more personal control is always the better choice. But people fail to realize that the average American can’t afford to look out for themselves, literally.

So what should be done? Should we let our capitalist minds get the best of us, "let the best men and women be taken care of," and for the losers claim "they had an equal chance at the American dream and or health care and its to bad that you blew it."

I don’t think this is the best route. We need to look beyond ourselves and look towards bettering the nation. Unfortunately not everyone who lives in America truly care about this COUNTRY'S well being and are self centered.

People also want to bring up the issue of raised taxes and how this is going to kill our economy. I wonder how many lives we could save if we as individuals weren't so self-centered. The same people who shout don't raise my taxes to save fellow Americans are the same people who want to "free" the Iraqis, who really hate us. Are we willing to spend billions on saving others but not ourselves? Those same people are oblivious to the differences in cash flow that will be affected by the decrease in bills towards private insurance companies who charge more for what the pay out, hence there existence. The government could use all of the money gain for taxes to help people. If they aren’t spending it on direct claims it could at least be used for research instead of a CEO’s new Ferrari.

You critics can say I'm not looking at the big picture. That America needs to set the tone for the rest of the world. We need to stand up and promote what we believe in.

What better example can we set than taking care of our. You can call that a little self centered if you want but its focus is our nation, not your wallet.

Considering he hasn't unveiled it yet, it seems a little early to call it a "reasonable plan."

Finally, we get to see a health care plan that puts the power to choose our own health care instead of government choosing it for us. So far this is the only candidate on both sides with a reasonable plan.

Thank God! Finally, someone who has an idea for healthcare that doesn't involve economy crippling socialism.

Funny how the Democrats jump up and down and say they care about American's healthcare, then they turn around and suggest that we should provide free healthcare for all the illegal immigrants and their children.

Gee, maybe THAT is why our healthcare is in such need of overhaul.

"Rudy Giuliani strongly believes in limited government "
Does anyone believe this?