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My dad is 64 and worked for a company that did not offer health care because of the cost. So when my dad started to get leisions, he ignored them. I threatened to call 911 if he didn't go with me to the ER. He was diagnosed with diabetes, PAD and a blockage of the heart. Now he has medicare A a,d must pay 1100/mo for his care before ins kicks in. He brings home 1700/mo. Medicare hasn't done a cost of living adjustment since 1984!

Mike in TX says ask a Canadian about our problem. Living in Canada i can testify that in no way would tried my health care system for what u guys in the states have. No Canadian has ever gone backtupt because medical bills, it's unheard of here. I was blows away the pack of lies ur politians feed you about universal health care in canada. I pick whatever doctor I want, get my drugs reimbursed, and dont pay for medical treatment so I dunno which Canada Mike is talking about. My friend the other a few weeks ago discovered the lump on his temple was skin cancer and within a week he got an opperation to remove it and skin graph. Guess how much it cost him...$0. Wake up America your being lied to, health care is not a privilage, its a human right

This process will reveal what the congress is really made of. I wish them and President Obama much success on this (and other matters).

The president should wait a while until we can see some sunshine break through this financial storm we are currently riding. As it stands now, no one can predict the cost of restoring our economy and the risk he takes is not having the funds to foot such gigantic venture. The idea is very good but my humble opinion, is that the timing may be a little too soon. He is still my president but can we afford it now. He has already given tax cuts and with less and less people and companies paying taxes, simply because they cannot afford them, there is bound to be budgetary shortfalls in the next year and so.

I have lupus (an incurable, life threatening autoimmune disorder) and if I didn't have a job with health insurance, it is a death sentence in this nation. I think that I will make citizens arrest for those in Congress who do not support or vote for national health insurance for every single member (who force me to pay for their collective health benefits with my taxes) and charge them with reckless endangerment of lives, negligent homicide, and throw in embezzelment.

Members of Congress and any other elected officials health insurance benefits are paid for with tax payers' money and it is well past time for these ingrates to reciprocate.

As a business owner we are paying 800.00 per month to Workmans comp insurance for 2 employees and we haven't had a claim in over 10 years. Wouldn't it be better if the money wasted on Workmans comp was spent on Health insurance coverage for our employees? We can't provide both, so it goes to the required Workmans comp.

I love our President.

I need some real health care... I haven't seen the dentist ??????? My teeth are all falling out.... I don't know if I have some dibilitating illness cause I haven't seen the doctor for a physical??????? Please Mr. President we need a lot of overhauling in this area.

Another "plan" another "drop" in the market. Anyone see a pattern here.....

it needs an overhaul

smartest groid i know and i know 2.

One more great dip in to the wallets of the few that are not recipients of the Obama welfare state already.

Until comprehensive healthcare is guaranteed to every citizen of this country we cannot hope to effectively compete in this global era, PERIOD!
Anyone who does not see how our businesses, small businesses and individual citizens are weighed down by this 800 pound gorilla is simply not facing up to reality.
America needs to get with the 21st century...it's gonna be hard, it'll take a long time to get the kinks out, and it will never be perfect...nothing is.
But having experienced a family member with cancer, and $800,000.00 worth of medical bills...it becomes very apparent that the system that so many people say works just fine...ain't working at all.
When a person has to sweat out the fact that if they lose their job, they lose their medical coverage...well that is just plainly uacceptable...
Get real people...it has nothing to do with socialism and everything to do with common sense and priorities.

Duh! Didn't Hillary call for the same a decade ago? Mr. Originality, he's not.

Well, we could give all the money to the healthcare companies and ensure that working people have to shell out money from their paychecks directly to the companies, while the companies control how much that is, or we could join the rest of the industrialized world and boot all but the best functioning healthcare companies and let them sell only supplemental insurance to the rich who want to buy it and offer free healthcare for those who deserve it.. everyone.

Tough choice, I know.

Thank you Mr President.

That's right, put the Greedy American Health Care System in check.

Remind them that Greed is a dea.dly sin and it destroys.

I've been an federal employee for 35 years. Every month, $82. is taken out for Medicare, and $216. for the cheapest health insurance available for "family" . "Family" used to cover Hubby, myself and 2 children. Now, it's just Hubby and myself. No discount. I pay the same premiums as a family with 10 kids. My 2 children's coverage ended when they reached 23 yrs old. They are both college graduates and UNinsured because their employers don't don't offer any plan, and they can't afford private insurance. I pray that they stay healthy and have no accidents.

@mkn and joe:

Glad to join both of you in the sane group. I don't understand how anyone can't see what an absolute necessity it is to fix our broken system. It is shameful that there are so many people in this country who are going without any healthcare coverage due to the exhorbtant costs that they can't afford.

Joe, I'm sorry you were laid off, and I'm sorry that you don't have insurance, but the government should not be running health care.

This is the government that has bankrupt social security and Medicare, and the state of the VA hospitals is horrible. You really want them telling you what Dr. you can see, and when, and what meds you can take.

Have you seen the problems that they have in Europe, France, Canada where they have to wait for months to be treated.

The UK just told patients with stomach and breast cancer that they can't have medications for it because they cost too much. This is how you want your health care???? I sure don't!

Joe, I'm sorry you were laid off, and I'm sorry that you don't have insurance, but the government should not be running health care. This is the government that has bankrupt social security and Medicare, and the state of the VA hospitals is horrible. You really want them telling you what Dr. you can see, and when, and what meds you can take. Have you seen the problems that they have in Europe, France, Canada where they have to wait for months to be treated. The UK just told patients with stomach and breast cancer that they can't have medications for it because they cost too much. This is how you want your health care???? I sure don't!

Let's get on with it!

Another crisis that can only be solved by Super-Obama.

This is like deja'vu.

Dear Joe:
You are just as sane as the rest of us.
The insanity lies with those who think the health care system isn't broken.

He's moving right down his checklist for destroying America. First the economy, next foreign policy, now healthcare. Hopefully when the Republicans regain control of Congress in 2011 there will be enough of America left.

Obama needs to face the fact that the cost of health is in large part the doctors, the prescriptions, and the hospital costs, including CT's, MRI's, and endoscopy procedures.

Obama is asking the wolf to mind the henhouse. The doctors need to charge a little less. Those golf clubs are expensive, true, but too bad.
The hospitals are making life and death a business. Watch those billboards everywhere. How much does that cost? And the TV advertising too? The tests are astronomical. Who needs robots to do surgery. Ok, get rid of the doctors and let's have robots.

Healthcare is like the Middle East. The problems are not solvable. Medicare and Medicaid are an admitted mess, with billions of fraud. The government is the worst of the offenders.

Obama needs to face the fact that the cost of health is in large part the doctors, the prescriptions, and the hospital costs, including CT's, MRI's, and endoscopy procedures.

Obama is asking the wolf to mind the henhouse. The doctors need to charge a little less. Those golf clubs are expensive, true, but too bad.
The hospitals are making life and death a business. Watch those billboards everywhere. How much does that cost? And the TV advertising too? The tests are astronomical. Who needs robots to do surgery. Ok, get rid of the doctors and let's have robots.

Healthcare is like the Middle East. The problems are not solvable. Medicare and Medicaid are an admitted mess, with billions of fraud. The government is the worst of the offenders.

Just remember the Party of No will do all in it's power to stop this legislation, even given the fact that 72% of Americans is in favor of some health reform.

repubs only have the interest of the insurance conglomerates interest in mind, not the average Joe(see the first post)!!

Obama needs to face the fact that the cost of health is in large part the doctors, the prescriptions, and the hospital costs, including CT's, MRI's, and endoscopy procedures.

Obama is asking the wolf to mind the henhouse. The doctors need to charge a little less. Those golf clubs are expensive, true, but too bad.
The hospitals are making life and death a business. Watch those billboards everywhere. How much does that cost? And the TV advertising too? The tests are astronomical. Who needs robots to do surgery. Ok, get rid of the doctors and let's have robots.

Healthcare is like the Middle East. The problems are not solvable. Medicare and Medicaid are an admitted mess, with billions of fraud. The government is the worst of the offenders.

Obama needs to face the fact that the cost of health is in large part the doctors, the prescriptions, and the hospital costs, including CT's, MRI's, and endoscopy procedures.

Obama is asking the wolf to mind the henhouse. The doctors need to charge a little less. Those golf clubs are expensive, true, but too bad.
The hospitals are making life and death a business. Watch those billboards everywhere. How much does that cost? And the TV advertising too? The tests are astronomical. Who needs robots to do surgery. Ok, get rid of the doctors and let's have robots.

Healthcare is like the Middle East. The problems are not solvable. Medicare and Medicaid are an admitted mess, with billions of fraud. The government is the worst of the offenders.

Obama needs to face the fact that the cost of health is in large part the doctors, the prescriptions, and the hospital costs, including CT's, MRI's, and endoscopy procedures.

Obama is asking the wolf to mind the henhouse. The doctors need to charge a little less. Those golf clubs are expensive, true, but too bad.
The hospitals are making life and death a business. Watch those billboards everywhere. How much does that cost? And the TV advertising too? The tests are astronomical. Who needs robots to do surgery. Ok, get rid of the doctors and let's have robots.

Healthcare is like the Middle East. The problems are not solvable. Medicare and Medicaid are an admitted mess, with billions of fraud. The government is the worst of the offenders.

First thing he can do is get those people trying to sell you health care without you looking at the fine print to stop their calls. Trying to get health care and they all say – send the money – only today for this great deal – then when I ask to for them to send me something to review – they either go silent or hang up – what's with that? Seem some truth in health care would go a long way!

to: Joe

get a job and stop complaining. we all know it was a mistake putting Obama in, but it doesnt help to cry about it. now get off the couch and look for work.

Nobody should ever have to pay for 300$ a pill for drugs. This is all I have to say.

Name one thing the "gubment" takes control of and has done well taking care of?

Come on sheep, ANYTHING?

Make it so the insurance companies have a level playing field in the public and private sector, do away with phony lawsuits that are making good doctors leave the practice and lastly, NO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT should get FREE service BEFORE ME OR MY FAMILY.

No green card, no money, no service, go live off of your country, LEAVE MINE.

These are the main things that are killing us, but it is "mean to bring them up" as the truth indeed sometimes hurts.

Come on, where are the haters for something policy oriented? Are you cowards going to spew 300 "comments" about a story on Obamas' children, then leave nothing for substantial issues? To be fair, none of you have a leg to stand on. All I have heard is viciously stupid hatred about things most of you no absolutely nothing about.

You show your ignorance by opposing what Obama is doing. Not because you won't just let him do it, but because it is by the best (and only) idea now. Repubs don't have ideas, they have laundry lists from the rich. Tax cuts are the rich mans' way of keping the money out of the hands of the people they stole from, and simutaneously the uninformed's feel good quick fix.

Pay attention: Projects like health care reform and ending the rape and pillage of Iraq are the only way we can make this country strong enough to weather the rest of this Republicession.

Quick history note: Notice how all recent recessions/depressions since 1873 have all occured while a [r]epublican president was in office? Fiscally responsible indeed...

Obama could save billions in health care dollars if he made medical malpractice tort reform part of his plan. Lets sell who he throws under the bus the greedy trial lawyers or the American taxpayers.

The community organizer / social worker president is wrong again! We the American can wait until the Democrats / liberals lose the Congress in 2010 and the community organizer / social worker president is out of office in January 2015. We have never seen incompetence like this; this goes so far beyond the Jimmy Carter presidency level of incompetence. This maybe the first president that has to resign for being incompetent.

I really hope so thing is done with health care. I was recently laid off, and my wife just started a job paying 9$/hr. But the health care for the family would cost her right around 800/ mnth (51%) of her gross monthly income. Now keep in mind that is gross, throw in taxes, she would be lucky to bring home 400 a month. Is it just me or is that just insane!!

Here is a solution for health care and stimulating the economy.

Expanding Medicare to all ages would save money because Medicare's overhead is only 3% versus 20% for private insurance.

This expansion would require raising the Medicare payroll tax. However, the tax increase would be offset by the fact that businesses can raise wages when they are relieved of skyrocketing health insurance costs.

Bruce West, Orange County, CA