CNN

Haven't politicians learned with the stimulus and AIG that "swift action" is not a good technique for any type of government action?!?!?!

I'm an American relocated by his work to Canada and have been able to see first hand the healthcare system in this country. Don't listen to right wing pundits – they healthcare system here is running well compared to the US. I've never had a problem with wait times and can't tell you how refreshing it is to know I can easily see a physician for any serious ailment I have – without worrying how much it will cost. The entire society benefits and is taken care of. Healthcare is a basic human right – not a privilege. Canadians live longer than Americans on average – a consequence of bad healthcare?

Wake up, folks! There will be no chance of Socialized Medicine unless the Democrats have a 60-seat filibuster proof majority in the Senate, which will not happen until at least January of 2011.

Do you hear of Europeans, Canadians, Australians or populations from any other country with so called "socialized medicine" falling all over themselves to switch to the US system of health care?

No, you don't!

Why do so many Americans go to Canada for their prescription drugs?

How many people from these countries has anyone on here actually met that are in the US for treatments or procedures they can't get at home – other than the occasional disgruntled interviewee on Faux news?

One doesn't count – there are hundreds of millions more who like their "socialized" health care system just fine!

They way the critics of nationalized health care speak, we are being invaded by hordes of people flocking to be treated under BCBS, United Health, Tufts, Pilgrim or any other insurer.

My guess is that if someone else has something better than you, and you can't have it then you might as well hate it!

RE: dickelocker

The taxpayers fund BASIC research that drug companies depend on – Yes it is true. The Drug companies cannot afford to do all that research. If the drug companies did all that the costs of drugs would be even greater.

BUT, the costs of testing the drugs, bringing those drugs to market, human trials. Those costs are NOT funded by the NIH and those costs are huge.
Sure the mistakes can be big – and the FDA for the past 8 years has done a terrible job – but, the taxpayers are not paying for everything.
We need a better team at HHS and Obama is going in the right direction.

Oh God, there goes our health care! Can I sign up now for the knee or hip replacement I might need in 20 years?

So, jo, you want people you take care of to "live happy fruitful lives with out having to live on a shoe string budget." But it's okay with you if I have to live on a shoestring budget to pay insane taxes just to give the people you take care of a free ride?

It's interesting to consider the GOP "government can't do anything right ever" stance on any domestic initiative. These are the same GOPers who thought that our military (run by our government) could impose American style democracy in Iraq, simultaneously ending a 1,500 year old Sunni/Shia War. Apparently, THAT was a piece of cake, but trying to get everyone a doctor is so impossible that it should not even be discussed?

I'm sorry Kennedy is in that condition, but that gives him no extra points. He's always been wrong about health care. All he can talk about is "insurance, insurance, insurance."

It seems Ms. Sebelius is on target talking about rising costs. I'm glad to finally hear someone address the cause instead of the symptoms.

I hope she ignores Kennedy and his failed plans, and begins work to cut medical costs.

If the costs of medical care go down, insurance can be affordable again, and we won't have to socialize medicine, which would run costs even higher.

Kennedy has always wanted socialism. I'm encouraged that maybe Ms. Sebelius wants affordable health care.

Any "health care crisis" in this country is the direct result of government meddling in health care. And Sebelius wants even more government meddling? Ridiculous!

Maybe someday people will realise that all governments have the collective IQ of a house plant and trusting them to do anything is utter foolishness. Government incompetence is legion–how anyone can think that, given the opportunity, they wouldn't mismanage health care into an insanely expensive, totally useless, mess escapes me.

Ah yes, another crisis and more legislation (Socialism) cramed down our throats.

Socializing health care is not a solution, it is a new problem in itself. The health care systems in the UK, Canada and even Massachusetts have gotten worse, not better, under socialized health care policies. I know people what something done NOW every time things do go exactly as planned but when we look at socializing anything you need to look at the long-term effect, not the short term good feeling of having accomplished something.

Exit question: Do you really want the same people who overlooked the AIG bonuses running your health care system?

OH NOES!!! NOT SWIFT ACTION!!! Here we go with the cries of "soshulizm" and what-not. The GOP wants nothing more for the Obama administration to get bogged down and stagnate so they can complain about how they're getting nothing done or taking too long (while simultaneously causing the delay) and make it look at the same time like they saved redneck Amurika by causing his "pinko commy policies" to fail. Yawn yawn double-yawn. I hope she universalizes health care faster than the GOP can organize a "party unity" vote of "No" on something proposed by a Dem (without even really knowing what it is).

Ummm...right....ok Mr. Senator. You've seen the best of medical care recently. Well guess what? Keep pushing for national healthcare and the best will never be seen again in this country. You can count on that.

Great maybe we can increase taxes and put our country more in debt. The government has done nothing right in the past, what would make anybody thing they could run healthcare. Also keep in mind the number of people that are employed by the healthcare industry. Maybe Sebelius can put together a new pork package.

Mr. Phil, What's the latest information about the Post Office needing more money and needing to reduce the delivery days. People on your route are fortunate to get all of their mail, I certainly don't and I do get alot of my neighbors mail. Ever go inside a Post office as a customer and wait in their long and slow lines and they throw up the closed sign? If you've been a Government employee for 40 years, then you really don't have anything to compare it to, it's the only way you know it.

Healthcare reform needs to happen now. As a Nurse for over 30 years, I am tired of our healthcare being treated as a free market commodity; with all the profit going to big corporate CEO's. If, everyone is covered, then the bargaining will stop and the price will be the same for us all. Example, the charge is $2,000 a day for care in the ICU. Blue Cross and Blue Sheild negotiates to only pay $400 per day, United Healthcare Negotiates to pay $450 per day and so on an so on. Only the uninsured have to pay the full price, which then gets written off as a huge loss and expressed as the need to raise prices. Not so if everyone were paying the same price. This contracting makes everything so complicated. The Dr's office has to figure out the co pay for each of the different policies, so do hospitals, labs, and so on. If, everyone is covered, then there can be one price for all, which will greatly reduce expense and should reduce costs. The CEO's are now deciding what healthcare my Dr can give me, or what hospital I can go to, based on how much profit they can make. They are not concerned about the quality of care provided, only in how many millions they can make each year. We can still have private insurance, government sponsered insurance, and options for employers; but there will be no excuse for charging some more than others for the same service, and distorting the costs of things.

I welcome good health care but I don't want it less than my current and good health insurance...would like less co pays though.....

Why are people who are relatively healthy being told to pop cholesterol lowering pills as a preventie measure to ward off heart and other diseases? Why are people not being urged to eat healthy food and exercise? Why is a pill the answer to every problem? What is the FDA doing about the contents of, e.g., processed food which contribute to the dilemma? This must be the most obese nation on earth and that, in addition to drug problems, are contributing towards high insurance premiums and chronic ill health.

I work with adults with developmental disabilities and things are tight for the residential programs I run. Now ask yourself why that would be.Oh is it because the first thing to get cut when anything goes wrong int he health care system is Medicaid... you would be right. SO hopefully Secretary Sebelius can change that. So that the people I take care of can live happy fruitful lives with out having to live on a shoe string budget.

Sebelius will do a great job at this post. Healthcare without a doubt is the single most important task over the next 10 years.

When has government ever been able to run anything effective and efficiently?
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How about fire departments? Do you have to call 17 times and go through paperwork before they put your house out? How about the FDA? There are occasional mistakes (more than ever in the past 8 years when their funding was slashed), but I don't worry about getting worms when I eat a hamburger. How about the FAA? I know the planes I fly on are safe and have been inspected. How about the FDIC? Do you panic every time you put money in the bank? I'm not saying the government is perfect and never screws up, but if you treat government programs with the appropriate amount of respect and give them the funding they need to do the job they're set out to do, they can actually be a lot more efficient than the free market because they're not beholden to shareholders, just to the customers. There's a reason insurance companies do whatever they can not to pay for service. It's called the bottom line. If the government program is not based on making money, but on providing service, they can do a remarkable job.

Swift action alright she will probably do away with Medicare and the state programs and tell all of the disabled in this country good luck your on your own. Hey all of my fellow Veterens out there your next on the chopping block !

Why is this even an issue still being discussed? Are you that inhuman that you can see another person suffer and not want something to be done about it? Seems like most republicans are. Its all about money to them. Yet, when you drill into their thick skull the fact of the cost saving benefits universal health care, they shuffle away babling some GOP code word of the day.

GOP-A party of Low Information Voter majority controlled (puppeted?) by the ultra rich corporate manipulators of America. At least 85% of the republican party would be democrats if they were wise enough to see it was in their complete interest.

This lady could do great things. Something must be done and she seems like someone who will be dedicated to practical solutions.

Reform Health care? Yeah-Obama wants to socialize health care; what a terrible mistake that would be for America. A lot of people in the Scientific industry will be out of jobs in no time. America does not have a clear understanding of how easy american people has it in this country even if its through medicaid. Wait untill Obama socializes our system; you will be told when, where and for what. Ask a Canadian, if you doubt.

CNN would you post comment for once?

Hey Scott:

Ask anyone on Social Security or Unemployment or Welfare if they've ever not gotten their checks on time. As far as the Post Office is concerned, in my 40 years on Planet Earth, I've been able to mail thousands of items without them getting lost (not to mention the sheer logistics it takes to get a piece pf paper from one side of the world to another). This whole concept of the Post Office being slow is blown completely out of proportion. The government can run things efficiently as long as there's a strong management team.

The pharmaceutical industry is in the same fat-cat position as AIG, but the public is not outraged. We, the taxpayers, fund up to 100% of research for new drugs through the National Institutes of Health, then turn those drugs approved over to pharmaceutical manufacturers to sell (NIH does not require refund of research monies). The Rx industry is not losing money, even during this depression, and their expensive CEO's are, in effect, subsidized by us taxpayers. I agree with L.Muni: Cost of advertising greatly adds to the inflated cost of US prescriptions. Like the banks, we need a private-public regulation and consortium to deal with medical costs. The cost of prescriptions in the US is hardly related to the cost of research (we subsidize) and production (minimal cost when outsourced). It is related to executive greed. rel

I doubt there will be any tort reform looked at (trial lawyers lobby).

Probably no help for the insurance costs that doctors must carry to save their career in the case of one mistake. (see my first point).

Unnecessary tests conducted to help cover in case of a lawsuit drive the costs up so the doc can perform the CYA maneuver. This contributes heavily to rising health care costs (see point 1).

When a doctor recently offered his patients a $79 per month plan and he'd do it all, the state told him he couldn't do that because then he would be in the insurance business (government intervention for you).

Government is NOT the solution for all problems. It shold be seen as a LAST resort, not the first option.

Lets socialize healthcare. Now that the government has taken over the financial market, the insurance market and the auto industry why not healthcare?
You voted for change. How do you like it?

All the rhetoric about bloated government red tape is b.s. Medicare is by far a vastly superior system than the current private health care industry. The administrative margins alone put the health care companies to shame! Medicare is there to make people healthier. Private healthcare insurance is there to make shareholders rich. When people get healthy, share holders lose money and vice versa. As long as we can make it efficient and fair, and ensure that people are allowed to pursue whatever medical choices they want, I support Sebelius. No mandates from the gov't. Free choice. If you want to spend your own money for the best plastic sugeon in Beverly Hills, go right ahead. But if you need a competent doctor to perform cleft lip surgery, you should not be denied one.

In 1990, the Government seized the Mustang Ranch brothel in Nevada for tax evasion and, as required by law, tried to run it. They failed and it closed. Now we are trusting the economy of our country and our banking system to the same folks who couldn't make money running a whore house and selling whiskey. I have the same level of confidence in their ability to legislate and regulate a health care system in an efficient, cost-effective, life-giving manner.
Speaking for myself, I'd prefer to buy my own whiskey.

We as a nation have to do something about healthcare, and I appreciate her comments. As a nurse, I can tell you that a huge portion of people that come in through the emergency room are there for conditions that could be easily addressed at a local community health clinic. We have to get back to local, public health services so that the hospital emergency rooms aren't bombarded by people who simply have no where else to go for medical services. Managed care had it's turn, and obvioulsy it has not solved much. We need to allow people to be able to receive services close to home and community health centers are the best providers of such care. People where a lot more healthier when they had such clinics and visitng home nurses.

Will be glad to get Sebelius out of Kansas. There can be no universal heath care without tort reform. In addition there should be standardized pricing of services.

Obama mocked McCain during the campaing because McCain proposed taxes on employer provided health care to finance universal health care. How does Obama propose to finance it? In the long run 80% are going to end up with worse coverage than we now have.

Swift action, huh? You're not going to be able to see a doctor very swiftly, that's for sure.

Maggie... believe me, your numbers just don't add up.

Baze... while I generally agree with much of what you stated, the biggest cost in healthcare is the amount of care given in the last year of life. This will not be a problem going forward, as the government run system will not allow that to occur. You get old, you get out. Ask the Europeans.

Why not make all health care non-profit and prohibit our personal and our families health from being traded on Wall St.?

We are no more valuable than pork bellies or soy beans to these corporations while the CEOs and senior management running them rake in billions at the public's expense!

Yes, pledging swift action on health care.

Until the industry lobbysts begin their dance of spreading some "green" fertilizer to ensure things stay just the way they are.

Swift action on health care – sounds like an opening monologue for Jay Leno.

Hillary Clinton ran on health care reform and look what it got her.

Democrats aren't fear mongers so don't accuse us for no reason. Health bills amount to half of the bankruptcies in the U.S. and we need to reform the system now and we shouldn't let something like a person's abortion views get in the way.

We need a solution that lowers the cost of health care and insurance for those who already have it and provide health insuracance for those who do not have it and can't afford it. To have the government just pay for everyones health care without lowering the cost, will just pass the full cost to the government and will solve nothing and result in massive deficit increases or tax increases. The cost must be brought under control.

we have been getting bounced around like a ping pong ball and we are very lucky, back and forth between health care systems

how can the health care industry think this is a good system? In four years four different plans.

We at least have been on a plan, I hear stories constantly of people who have gone on COBRA (really expensive) or worse, no plan

THIS IS A DISGRACE

We're broke, but let's go buy a new yacht and a vacation home.

Oh yeah, you need to fund it for me.

You have to love Uncle Ted's remark, "...We have sickness care and not health care. We have too much bureaucracy. … Costs are out of control. .."

He alludes to preventive type care, but his life has NOT been the model of clean living. Although I must admit, his remark is correctly directed.

If he thinks there is too much bureaucracy today, he probably needs an optometry appointment with his next chemo treatment. He has to be blind to not see that injecting government will increase the size of the bureau.

The next time you're at the DMV, just pretend you need medical care and you're at the clinic.

Until we get health care costs under control, this country will never be able to compete with any country in terms of manufacturing. Excessive costs are also a huge impediment to small businesses. Health care reform has to happen to keep this country on a productive track.

Sebelius is a good choice.

When has government ever been able to run anything effective and efficiently? Take a look at the post office, you want that for your Health Care? I agree something needs to be done, but I have no confidence that the government can do it.

Health care costs are likely to go up and quality down, that is if you will even be able to get treatment. Health care costs should be reasonable for everyone to afford and available to everyone, but the government should not try to socialize medicine. Quality of care is more important than Quantity.

Nationalized health care covers more people with the basics but specialized care is sacrificed. The unfortunate death of Natasha Richardson is a good example. They didn't even have a helicopter for emergency transfer to a hospital with neurological services. There was a similar story of a young girl in the US who was immediated transferred via helicopter. We have to make sure we get this right.

it is shameful, we build sports stadiums, have space explorations,cutting edge scientific discoveries, and to date ther are citizens without affordable healthcare, food housing and recently employment

Unless we get very honest about what the problems are with health care than we're not going to solve it. Here are the problems

1) Illegals and lazy unemployed Americans receiving uber expensive emergency room care

2) Fat smoking Americans ignoring the doctor until they are on death's door

3) Unethical doctors tossing around prescriptions to crazy patients, and effectively getting them hooked on symptomatic treating medications

Keep all insurance simple:

Patient pays a $10 co-pay.
Insurance pays 80% up to $5000.
After that, insurance pays it all.

It doesn't matter if you have a pre-existing condition. Once you have insurance, you've got it for everything. There's no limit.

As far as buying insurance through your workplace, again, keep it simple:

Individual pays half of their coverage, company pays the other half.
Family - $25 per person per month.

Buying independent insurance - keep it simple.

$50 a month, full coverage.

Another Democrat Fear Monger.

It will burden us more when half our pay check goes to the gov't for VA type health care.

The simplest way to bring down the price of healthcare in the US is to regulate advertising of prescription medication. Anywhere else in the world people can buy the exact same medications we do at a fraction of the price. This is not because of any government backed health care, it's because the prices we pay are grossly inflated to cover the gargantuan amounts spent to advertise on US TV.

Although I think Tom Daschle was the ideal candidate for this position, I think Kathleen will do a good job at it. She understands the importance and the urgency of the situation. Plus she's able to reach across the aisle. This healthcare reform will need to be bipartisan. I hope Congress doesn't pass up this opportunity to finally do healthcare reform.

No, thanks. A waste and huge potential government bureaucracy.