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The government in conjunction with the insurance already make the decisions about your health. The physicians have very little power over how you're treated and why. The notion that we have this totally frre system with no bureaucracy involvement is false. All insurance companies follow Medicare guidelines already. Once again the conservatives are trying to scare you into thinking that you'll run out of choices under an Obama plan. They never mention that 50 million Americans have no choice. But then again they're conservatives, they don't care.

It goes against everything that this nation stands for when a taker who has never given anything to society gets equal or better health care than a productive giver who works extremely hard and has the fruits of his or her labor taken from them to be handed out to a taker whose only purpose in life is to vote Democrat each November.

Libs are all about class warfare, take from the good, give to the bad. Just like they lied about the tax cuts that were actually free money for voting lib to those who don't even pay taxes, they will dishonestly spin their national health care the same way.

old timer April 27th, 2009 11:47 am ET

Where can I get more information.
Where can I donate to the fight against Mr Obama;s health plan.
Say no to Socialized Medicine.

So you have no idea what you're for, but you know exactly what you're against because Obama is in front of it?

Please do what you do best and seek only the information you want to hear, instead of the truth, which may conflict with your view of the world. Like always.

Don't learn anything new now, or get new ideas, because that would be socialist.

More great work from the Party of No.

Same old same old, nothing new and nothing gained.

I think the problem is, Republicans are against evolving. Changing the government to the changes of its people. Republicans don't want change. They want the 1950's back. That's why they're the "Party of NO". That's why they don't offer any new ideas to the health care crisis, because they don't like "new".

Some of you better understand that your tax dollars are being used to pay for others right now because they don't have insurance. Not everyone if fortunate enough to get at jobe with affordable health insurance.

ObamaCare: your healthcare delivered with all the efficiency, compassion and customer service of the DMV or the US Post Office.

Nice...

I'll keep my HMO, you keep the change.

Please don't fall for this crap, America! The ad uses LIES and SCARE TACTICS to distract Americans from the actual facts (straight from the playbook of Rove, Limbuagh, Cheney).

The sponsors of this ad are afraid of no longer making billions from of a band-aid or aspirin pill!

We are well overdue for SOUND ECONOMIC POLICY applied to our healthcare system!

As a health economist I'll say there are things about Obama's plan that are not ideal. But the fears that the conservative groups consistantly use are based entirely on irrational fears and misconception that the GOP have done a great job perpetuating.

First, universal coverage does not necessarily mean government run. The Netherlands has universal coverage. The government mandates that everyone have PRIVATE health insurance from PRIVATE insurance companies. The government sets minimums that these companies must provide for minimum coverage. Some people receive subsidies based on income, and that's it.

As far as rationed care. As some people have pointed out, we already have rationed care in many situations. HMO's and PPO's will only cover so many general office visits in a year before you have to pay more out-of-pocket. But the fact of the matter is completely unrestricted access to any and all health care would be a TERRIBLE thing. It's simple economics. The higher demand the greater the price. The more resources going into the health industry the less there are for other industries. Letting anyone have absolutely any type of health care just because they want it or can afford it is not necessarily the best use of limited resources.

The American public must get away from the "fast food health care" mentality where they can get anything and everything, have their way and have it NOW. Otherwise health care costs will NEVER come down.

When are these GOP people going to stop...They are never going to get it that Obama as won and will be in office the next 8 years..They are still out there grabbing on to anything they can, and still they can not make any relevant point..Instead of wasting their time complaining and saying no to everything little thing Obama says or does, they should be trying to figure out who their real leader is and get their own mess and party cleaned up..

For the record, I nearly died in the emergency room after waiting for over 4 hours after showing up at the hospital. Right here in the good old USA.

Socialized medicine is not a bad word and should be explored. The current system is broke..
Millions of Americans do not see doctors anymore, there only option is emergency rooms at a couple of grands a pop.
Many suffer from curable ailments but have no insurance or big bucks to get treatment. We are actually living in the dark ages compared to Europe and forced to try the more affordable snake oil drugs as advertised on TV, which are basically all placebos.
It is ironic that many working Americans are paying for health care(medicare) but cannot afford current health care prior to the age of 65.
They should consider themselves lucky indeed if they can reach 65 alive.
USA is the only country as far as I know where corporations are saddled with health care costs for their employees/retirees in some cases.
Makes it very hard for those companies that have to compete in a global market like GM, Ford etc.
I wish pres. Obama the best of luck with his new plans. He cannot go wrong.
Anything is better than the joke health care we currently have.. Zilch for many Americans.

We must have universal health care. While some have the luxury of choosing whom or which hospital to go to, many others don't have anything to cover their health care. It's time to stop being selfish and let all Americans get covered. Health insurance industry is a waste of national resource. Let's get rid of them. We can use one-payer Medicare system for all Americans.

Ok, let me try to understand for a minute...

Half of Americans uninsured, and a (quite literally) fatally flawed care system designed to profit medicinal corporations = Good

Healthcare for all citizens as a human right with the option to purchase supplemental insurance if that person wants to = Bad

I'm very confused.

I think if the millions of Americans without health care get ill, then the conservatives should foot the bill. How can we consider our country a leader when it doesn't even take care of its own citizens like every other industrial nation in the world. The conservatives are the most selfish and ignorant people on the planet.

Why would any resonable person begruge health care for some one ill. Just consider we are human beings.

When you hear this ad, you will be hearing lies. I have experienced healthcare, and emergency care as well, in both the United States and Canada. I have been treated at one of the top hospitals in the United States. I would rate the care, treatment, and expertise about the same between these two countries. Just as there are some hospitals and doctors who are better than others in the U.S., so it is in Canada as well. I would rate the wait time, and emergency care in Canada better than the United States. This ad will be propaganda by people who only have a financial interest. Let's hear the truth from others who have used the health care system in both countries. What's the real difference in the care between the two countries? First, not everyone can get care in the U.S., while everyone in Canada can get the care they need. Next, when you complete a 3 or 4 day stay in a U.S. hospital, you might see a bill for $25,000. In Canada, they wish you a pleasant day (and they actually mean it!), and you don't have a bill. Since the U.S. government is already taxing us to death, shouldn't we get something for it? How about what every Canadian already enjoys, healthcare that's every bit as good as U.S. care. Speak up, those of you who have experienced health care in both countries, it's time the people of the U.S. knew the truth.

This ad is NOT true, do NOT believe it. I wonder how much they got paid to say all those lies. You are NOT forced to use the Canadian Health System for free, you can always opt out and pay your own, or have your doctor through a private insurance company EXACTLY like you have in America already. The only difference is that if you don't have insurance or can't afford it, no big deal the government can pay. Our government gives us choice in Canada. See why Capitalism doesn't work? Because it's all about how much you got, over who you are.

Standard conservative ad spot, tell lies about what the plan is and just say No. Typical scare tactics founded on lies. Hopefully the American people can still see through the GOP lie machine.

Where is it written that health insurance is a right and not an individual's responsibility? Does this mean the government should also pay for our car insurance? Should they pay for our homeowner's insurance? It may sound course and having a "lack of compassion" but so is forcibly taking others income when the government has determined that it is the taxpayers responsibility to pay for others health insurance.
It is sad that many of you claim conservatives have no compassion when you have no idea if they take care of others voluntarily? Is this not stereotyping? Conservative complaints are not that these people receive healthcare, it is that the government should not have the power to determine who receives the people's charity. Don't allow the government to have that kind of power. We need to draw the line in the sand.

I just love to hear all your comments about health care in Canada. Some of them are preposterous. I live in a city of 40 thousand and we have an MRI machine. I have had 2 knee replacements and have not had to wait a long time for either, also had free physio afterward. Our health care may have some problems, but overall it is far superior to yours. Many people from all over the world come to our hospitals for care, especially the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children.
I believe Dr. Day is a proponent of private health care, so I would take his views with a grain of salt.
My brother is an American citizen and by the time he pays big bucks for his coverage, it is more than we pay in extra tax to comer our health care.
Check your facts before you decide our system does not work. Socialism – huh – you already have it with your medicade!!

@ ron, who had to take out the second mortgage:

Not saying that you're not being truthful, but I'm a bit skeptical of your numbers.

EVERY health insurance plan I've ever seen has a "stoploss" provision in it, meaning that your out-of-pocket costa for a policy year are capped, usually at arount $5000.

If you indeed got nailed for $40K, I would look long and hard at your policy and fight the insurance company on this.

If you want your healthcare run like the DMV, go ahead and support Obama.

I only have one question – once Obama takes over US healthcare, where are the Canadians going to go?

I will not be forced to work twice as hard because I now have to pay for someone else's health insurance with my taxes. Call it what it really is – tax payer funded health insurance. If you do not have it, get a job that offers it. Try McDonald's. They have a health plan. My family comes first, charities come second.

It is laughable to look at all the liberal arguments on here advocating 'free coverage' to all (which apparently includes illegal immigrants). There is nothing 'free' about it...it will have to be paid for through increased taxes on those of us who stayed in school, so we could get a job to support our family.

It reminds me of an old saying..."A government that robs Peter to pay Paul, can always count on the support of Paul."

I am employed and have insurance. I am, also 51 years old and due for a colonoscopy, however, I cannot get it, even with insurance. The reason- well, in order to afford by employee's helath insurance and cover my two children- I had to buy the insurance with a 5 thousand dollar deductible. I cannot afford to pay the cost ofthe colonoscopy which would be applied to my deductible. So, while I have insurance, it still doesn't help me. I am " under insured ".

So, if I were in Canada I might have to wait a few months..or even a year for the test, but at least I would be able to get it.

Our healthcare system is designed for the wealthy, not the middle class. I am sick and tired of the right wing scare tactics. They are just afraid that they will lose their benefits and the hell with everyone else. I can only hope that smart people will see through this and support the health care reform that we so desperately need.

I would prefer to wait a fer hours or even days to get full medical coverage. Beats the hell out of having no coverage at all.
I have many Canadian friends and they sure don´t experience the type of problems that this Conservitive Group is trying to promote. It is terrible to have our airwaves and TV sreens filled with disinformation by private, profit making organizations and special interest groups
How low these groups are, to want to deny medical care to our own citizens. Shame on them.

Another outright lie by the people from the party of fear.

Wow! What a collosal waste of money!

Congratulation to your wonderful President Obama again and again.
Here in Germany we already have health care and health insurance for everyone, even if you do not have a job so you cannot pay for it. And I have to tell you it works perfectly well. You do not have to wait hours for a prescription or an operation, if you need it urgently.

Give President Obama a change and you all will profit of his health care programme. Believe me, it is going to work for you, too!

I'm REALLY tired of hearing if we had a Medicare-like system extended to everyone that everyone would experience the horror of rationed care.

1. I've never heard of a single instance of a Medicare user having their care rationed (nor of a President, Vice-President, Senator or Congress person having their government-supplied health care rationed).

2. It is inconceivable that private insurance and privately-funded care would ever be outlawed in the U.S. (and, in fact, it is legal in Canada, the UK, Germany, etc.).

3. I ALREADY have rationed medical care - my PPO allows me 1 co-payed doctor visit every three months. After a recent surgery due to an accident, I delayed follow-up visits to my doctor for this reason, and I recently didn't go to a doctor for stitches to a seriously cut finger because I'd already had my quarterly visit. I pay almost $6,000 a year for this, and I'm very healthy, with no prior or ongoing serious medical conditions.

"Hudson April 27th, 2009 12:19 pm ET

"Tell Congress you won't trade your doctor for a national board of bureaucrats,"

Yeah… I'd much rather have the board at my insurance company decide my fate!!!"
.................

Yo!
Rocket scientist!!
You do realize that a "Board of Bureaucrats" already decide your fate with regrads to you & your families health. Its the "Board" that sits for your insurance plan, they're primary concern is the bottom-line for their company ..... not whether you live or die or can even afford the treatment you need. And you can rest assured that most of the people on those "Boards" have no medical training or experience what-so-ever .... and yet you're trusting them already and don't even realize it!

Your choices for a physician are limited to who participates in their plan (think network Dr's). If your chosen doctor decides he/she is tired of dealing with your insurance company, they can opt out and no longer accept it.

Typical republicans preaching smaller government, but wasting millions of dollars trying to stop a good idea (and obviously coming up with nothing of their own), keep these repubs out of congress!!!!! Please, I just want to live a happy life!

@Some guy, who challenges "these conservative folks to give up their health insurance for 1 year."

Why should I? My health insurance is part of what I'm paid.

How about this: I challenge you to get a job that includes health insurance.

Here's the deal: In the course of my life, I've spent about twenty-five years going to school. I've been professionally employed for thirty-six years, some of that overlapping my time in graduate school. I've earned, by huge investment of time and effort, my living and the benefits, including medical insurance, that accrue to my job.

And people like you just want to waltz in and demand that, without putting in the same effort I've made, not only that you receive not only the same benefits, free, that I've worked to earn, but that I, through taxes, pay for them! Don't you get it that that would kinda tick me off? How would you like it if, as you're going through a grocery check-out, some dude you've never even seen before rings up a lot stuff and demands that you pay for it?

Save insurance for "catastrophic" illnesses. We don't buy (or expect our employers to buy) insurance to cover burned-out light bulbs in our houses.

As individuals and employers we need to quit paying for health insurance to cover mundane health problems. Let consumers begin to pay their own bills, and the price of healthcare will become much more competitive.

Strip down or eliminate Medicare and Medicaid. Again, we'd see people become selective and careful about when and how much they need health care. Prices would get in line.

Tort reform is also critical.

Let me buy prescription drugs from a free market.

matt April 27th, 2009 12:20 pm ET

You said, "We already have government run healthcare – it's called Medicaid". Funny, my son just lost his job and can't get Medicaid...............and he has health issues. As for all those "luxury" items that you claim so many have, he has an old style 19" TV, an Xbox that his brother bought him, and he will soon be loosing his car and cell phone because he no longer has income to pay for these things. Nor is he getting any unemployment benefits. At least I can give him a roof over his head............for now! So before you start putting everyone in your little basket of world philosophy, there might actually be those who might just benefit from universal health care...................including your daughter and yourself.

Too many of us, myself included, aren't up to speed on ALL the ramifications of the various proposals. We ALL need to do homework, that's for sure, and most of us won't, and that's for darn sure. So we'll listen to those on both sides of the issue who can spend the biggest bucks trying to persuade us with disingenuous commercials.

I say that, WHEN YOU TAKE AN AVERAGE, the current system IS broken. I concede that many wonder doctors and other health-care providers are doing their best, and I'm lucky to have an acceptable health-care plan at an acceptable cost. But when I in seven Americans doesn't have health-care coverage, WE ARE DOING SOMETHING WRONG.

So, stop the denial . . .

It's unbelievable that those, so called, conservative are trying to let us believe how bad the health care is in England or Canada, absolutely hogwash, the best health care is in Europe, with doctors conducting house visits, if needed, and the longevity being the highest and the very low new born mortality.
So tell me why is bad? May be because everybody has a chance of having a long and happy life, and not having to worry to see a doctor because of the cost.
Please, let's ask these people to stop spreading lies about other countries state of the Health care. We in the USA have a major problem with poor or non existing health care, people not having the money to get the right cure or medicine.

Barb in canada. Good comment.

Wake up America. If the GOP is spending that much money to prevent so many from having health insurance, they must stand to lose a great deal if we gain that which they regard as a privilege for the under privileged.

So how much more in taxes am I going to have to pay if socialized medicine is introduced in the U.S.? I think this is a question that would first need to be answered before moving forward.

Ronald Lister...

I might somewhat understand your argument if you really thought about what you meant. There are a lot of people who don't have a lot of money who deserve health care and who deserve to live just as much as CEOs or people with trust funds. Teachers, social workers, nurses, etc., all work to improve our society. But, they do not make as much money as some, nor do they make as much as they deserve. Part of the problem is that we value corporate big-wigs far over those who to better the community. Think before you speak.

Oh, puh-leese!!! I wonder how many of those conservatives putting money into that ad are without health insurance.

Currently I am employed and so I have health insurance and I am willing to give up some concessions if necessary so that the other 40 plus million can be insured as well, such as increase my share of the premium or higher co-pay per visit.

I do not necessarily see the U.S. plan as the same as other countries. We already have Medicare and Medicaid the uninsured could be moved onto those if you are uninsured or unemployed.

The feds could subsidize the worker's premium on a sliding scale according to income so the employed that work for a small company that cannot afford to offer health insurance.

There has to be a better way than what we have now and now is a great time to start looking to find it.

More of the same distortion of the issues coupled with the time proven strategy of "fear, smear, mock and lies" from the right and the republicants.
And as usual, no alternative plan or even suggestions to consider for the current debate.

I'm really surprised and shocked to know that the Canadians are dying awaiting medical help. What a nonsense manipulation, politicization of the reality!!! I'm afraid, the ordinary American's who are awaiting a practical and affordable medicare system might believe what this report said.
Look, I'm a Canadian living in Montreal. It is said that the health care system in Montreal is even worse in Canada. But it is really not as worse to die awaiting certain treatments. I think the Canadian system is fine and will be better just by increasing Medical Professionals. The waiting is within tolerance and above all affordable.
Here is my message to Rebeca. Kindly let your people know, if they had a Healthcare System like in Canada, they would feel Havenly compared to what they have now!!!

As usual our republican friends on this forum ask the rest of us to "trust" them that the socialized medicine is bad without giving any facts. Please explain why is it bad for a citizen to have a peace of mind that he/she will be given proper medical care when he/she is old or lost his/her job?

Waiting lines in Canada ... give me a break. I happen to have a good US health insurance for myself and my family. I should be happy, right? Wrong! Recently I needed to get an urgent care for my 4 year old son. I had to wait 9 hours in the emergency room! US needs more doctors and government regulation on how much they can charge for their services. I am sorry but 1 day in a regular hospital should not cost 1-2 thousand dollars.

How incredibly SELFISH! I am one of the nearly 50 MILLION Americans without healthcare coverage. I am a cancer patient who has worked hard all my life – and now, this?

There is no excuse, save the obvious GREED, for the lack of healthcare for every American citizen. The people who oppose single payer universal healthcare for America should be very ashamed of themselves. And those who spread propoganda to try to block passage will ultimately have to answer for the continuing deaths which occur as a result of their actions.

Let me first state yes I am a Republican, no I do not agree with this ad. It is high time my party stop using misrepresentation to disagree with a plan.

My family is from England, my dad was in US Navy met my mom and you can imagine the rest. We go and see family there every so often last year while over there I lost my meds along with part of my luggage during the flight and figured I would be fine for 3 weeks until we got back to the states. I suffer from Hypertension, Bipolar 1 and ADHD.

I have no health insurance of any kind as I make to much to get Medicaid and I dont make enough to afford the insurance offered from work. My doctors, medical and drug exspenses are paid out of my pocket cash money.

My exspenses are as follows:

Visit to a DR: $110
1 month supply Lamictal $328
1 Month Supply Cymbalta $140
1 month supply HCTZ/Lisinooril $210
1 month supply Ritalin $30

so 1 month average costs in US: $818

And thats with the hopes i never get sick.

I make roughly $1610 a month while looking into my job related insurance carriers the most affordable at $318 a month does not even have a prescription plan.

Back to my story, I had some issues over in England and went to hospital. THEY called my Dr here in NY varified my meds and treatment regimine and due to my extremely high blood pressure kept me one night for observation. When discharged I obtain perscriptions for all meds had them filled got back to my normal state and enjoyed the rest of my vacation with my family.

Total cost for this treatment: $0.00

You can argue it all you like against the health care plans these countries have, but all of these facts I can back up 100% and I have all the paperwork to prove it.

How can you deny that?

Jackie in Dallas April 27th, 2009 12:25 pm ET

Concerned Citizen,

I also went out to try and track down the group putting on the commercial, without success.

Google "Rick Scott"
A fine unpstanding citizen

My daughter was 2 months premature - my final bill was over $40,000 with good employer provided health insurance. I had to take a 2nd out on the house. It's a great system, health insurance companies got rich, doctors got rich, mortgage bankers got rich all because my daughter spent 6 weeks in the hospital. Eventually it will all trickle down to me. Wait that doesn’t smell like money I feel "trickling" on my head.

Now I get to work until I'm 80. It's OK, I'll just pull myself up by my bootstraps, maybe get an education, pick up a 2nd job.

Oh wait, I already have a higher education than most US citizens (paid for by working myself through school), I already work 60 to 70 hours a week as a manager at a major software company, Maybe I'll go protest higher taxes, wait - I had to work that day to pay off the 2nd on my house. I'm out of ideas - any of you conservatives have any ideas?

To those of you who would like to make others beleive that the Canadians and Brittish do not like their care and bleet "Just go ask them how they like their care". Well..........I have talked with those who have received care in Canada (Canadians) and those who received care in England (Englishmen)....Several from both countries and not one of them has had anything bad to say about it. In fact they are quite happy with it. Admittedly the sample size is small (just under 20) but my experience, with those who are involved in their respective system, is that they are overall quite happy with their care.

Do some of you who are against health care for everyone understand the FACT that uninsured people comming thru the ER (who by law have to be seen) drive up your costs? Do you UNDERSTAND that the insurance companies are against this because it may (probably will) cut into their profits? Are you for helping out your fellow man or are you for insurance company profits? Will you fall for their Fear Mongering once again?

I am so tired of these anti -intellectuals who use these scare tactics towards people who will accept this nonsense as Gospel. This century cannot be run like the last whose business models are obsolete now. I am a retired oncology nurse and I can attest to this: People ARE making decisions to die rather than bankrupt a family or lose a home to pay for treatment. And they are folks who have played fairly and followed the rules their whole lives. I've seen tens of thousands of dollars billed from just one day's treatment. The individual has lost his/her value in the present system. Don't blame the docs' either ; they and their staff care deeply. Only ,their hands have long been tied by the insurance industries and the government. We need total transformation in health care delivery.

Mari – "Every program that the Democrats have championed throughout our history has been labeled……. communist or socialist by the GOP. Nothing new here."

Did it ever occur to you that maybe that's because they ARE Socilaist? I guess not.

How's that "Great Society" and that "War on Poverty" working out for you?

Canadian health care has its problems, but it's far better than the US!

This ad is crap and I hope more people in Canada correct the information in this ad. I am a Canadian and does receive free health care but I also have the choice to get additional private health care as well. Canadians do not have to rely on government health care only we also have the choice to have other plans. That is what Obama is trying to do, Do not use Canada in your distorted ad to try and justify your position for not wanting to help those who cannot affort private health care. At least in Canada there are no 2nd class citizen we are all treated equal.

I have health insurance and it's a joke.Just because I have insurance doesn't mean they'll cover whatever procedure I need done. You pay all this money and have to meet a deductible and you still don't know if they'll cover it. Sign me up for Universal Healthcare.

I'm all for Universal Healthcare, I don't care if it's not the best. I'm paying for the one I have and it's horrible. Doctors are able to charge whatever they want and expect the insurance company to cover it and if it doesn't you're stuck paying the doctor. I had a doctor charge me $250 for a consultation fee for surgery clearance and he was my primary doctor. All he did was take out blood, nothing else!!!!

Another Doctor removed a mole without my consent and wanted me to pay the balance the insurance didn't cover. Ha, took me 2 weeks to fight it .He ended up removing it from the bill and paid the laboratory that tested it. He was just to remove a hernia nothing else. Had to tell him that I consulted with a lawyer and knew my rights.

Give Obama a chance with healthcare. It is better than the alternative we had during the Bush administration. Our senoirs had trouble signing up for their Medicare during the Bush years there were alot of confusion. Alot of people out their are hard working people and works everyday to make a living and cannot afford healthcare, because it is to expensive for them. Good oversight on these companies is the best thing that the president could do. I believe the majority of Americans would like to see a good oversight commitee that would monitor these healthcare companies that is taking advantage of the people. You have to have monitoring, because their are people out there in these companies that likes to take advantage of the American people.

There are always be some who will complain no matter what, and every system, public or private will have those who have had a bad experience. I am from the US but have lived in the UK for a long time and aside from waiting for wellness appointments a little longer than I would like, I have never had a problem with the health care system. It's very good.

I remember 10 years ago trying to get health insurance for my chronically asthmatic 7 year old. I was told, no way, he is not insurable. And I was going to pay for it!! So much for privatizing health insurance. What I was being told, is that I could watch my child can die!! He only got coverage through a group plan. And being a mother who spent more than my share of time in the ER, wait time can be as bad as any where. ( I lived in a third world country as well as Britain and used those ERs as well).

In the last two years. I have had no less than three relatives who were mis diagnosed right here in the USA in major, life threatening diseases. Another fact, the major cause of hospital deaths in this country is medical mistakes.
Please people, health care isnt perfect anywhere. But before you critize other systems, check out the facts.
For the average American man or American woman who does the absolutely necessary jobs at the lower pay scales, their health costs are at the same level of an executive.( I once worked for health insurance company and.most companies give their executives a much better plan anyway).
Why should my child, my parent or my sibbling die because we cant afford the high cost of health insurance? One trip to the emergency room can wipe out the average family even if they all have two jobs each.
We all cant be million dollar executives with million dollar bonus packages and million dollar benefits plans but we all need affordable health care!!

Hmmmmmmmmm-
Lets see:
1) dying while waiting for health care
2)dying because you don't have and can't get health care
3) dying because you have health care, but your insurance won't pay for the treatment
4)dying because of just plain malparacice
5)dying because doctors misdiagnose/overdiagnose for fear of malpractice.
6)dying because you eat the crap on grocery store shelves

Tough choices, eh bucko?

Rick Scott is the head of the Conservative Patients Rights Action Fund

Mr. Scott built Columbia- HCA Healthcare into the nation's largest hospital chain. But in the late 1990's, the company faced an array of charges that it had defrauded the government, charged private insurers for unnecessary tests and improperly paid kickbacks to referring doctors. The board forced Mr. Scott out, and the company paid billions of dollars in fines and penalties;
He is the Bernie Madoff of halth care

CNN would do a better service if they reported who is funding this group. Look who has the most to lose if we have a successful universal health care system that works: Insurance companies. They don't want to get cut out of the system. Private practice doctors have whole teams of people they pay to try to get claims paid by insurance companies who's profit margins are tied to denying claims. The system is already full of bureaucrats shuffling paper. That cost is a drag on health care.

Insurance companies and their execs are funding these PAC's to stir up fear in the masses. They adopt names like Patients Rights Action Fund so it looks like they represent Joe Sick-guy. Don't believe the hype.

@Bill in Austin, who said: "Typical conservative approach. Complain without offering anything substantive to the mix."

Bill, the principal thing a lot of us are complaining about is any government involvement in health care at all. Government always screws things up, creating mountains of bureaucracy, wasting mountains of cash, and benefiting very few at the expense of most.

If you want an explicit substantive suggestion, it's this: Keep government out of health care! Neither the country, nor the people who live here, can afford the multi-dimensional catastrophe that will ensue if government is allowed to further interfere with the practice of medicine.

The collective voice of reason against witless populism.

Ooh does that mean we will get government run health centers in our communities, again. We went through a process this weeknend with a friend who did not have health insurance and had to go to the emergency room. Wonder what's that going to cost. It's possible, because he is unemployed, but own a house, that the 2 day stay in the hospital may cost him his home. This is shameful.

In the 80s, Reagan raised the national debt to 3 trillion dollars. Even back then, health care was a major issue going nowhere because of the conservative anti-communism Reaganites. Health care reform is an absolute necessity in this country, and is long overdue. I was sick to death of the "socialist/communist" mantra in Reagan's administration and I am equally sick of it now.

I would take less than perfect health care and waiting lines over no health care any day. I think this group might change their tune if they ever lost their jobs and had to pay for health care on their own.

Fact:

My mother had 3 open heart surgeries without any waiting time
My husband son was treated for cancer within 18 hours of his arrival at the hospital
My husband had a spinal cord tumor removed (13 hour operation) within 3 weeks of his initial appointment with a neurologist which took us 2 weeks to get (btw, he also had a CAT scan and 2 MRIs done within that 3 weeks)

Total cost to us: 0$

I'm from Canada and I'll tell you, there are waiting times when it's not urgent (it's called triage and it's a way of weeding out people who only go to the hospital because they're paranoid) and you do have to know how to work the system but I WOULDN'T trade it in with a system that lets people die simply because they don't have money.

Canada is a democracy but if universal health care means being a socialist than I'd rather be that than a capitalist and let people die because their income is not great enough!

Lets see some transparency regarding this group. The President has been very forthcoming .... what about this group.

Who among us really beleives that this moniker ... The Conservative Patients' Rights Action Fund ... was predominately the result of anything assciated with "patients"?

Oh, sure, they might be able to trot out a paid "front" person but efforts with names like this are primarily intended to fool the less educated, more guliable segments of our population. Those "Joe-the-Plumber" types that would vote against their own self interests under the svengali influence of a master manipulator. Rember how Joe was against the Obama tax cuts that would hav helped him ????

I'd like to see some legislation that would prevent groups from naming themselves in deceptive ways.

I started getting the best health care in my life 3 years ago. I have been a member of many of the big HMO and other health plans.

The one plan that beats them all is government administered. The worse thing that happened to me is waiting 1 hour to be told my prescription could not be filled at the time because they were temporaily out it. Two days latter it was in my mailbox.

A procedure that cost me $2,000 with a civilian plan cost nothing with this new one.

What is this plan?? VA Medical.

I wish everybody would study pres obama plan because it isn't a government run insurance it will provide insurance to people that can't afford it or can't get it and it will help employers with their cost
so I hope the people will read the plan before they cast their judgement.

Oh I see.... "let people suffer and die because it costs us money". Yeah, what a great idea. NOT. Sorry conservatives, you are done for.

Rick, you said, "Yet another horrible Obama plan that needs to be voted down".
Question, why? Your response is much like the Republican response, with no substance or alternative. So I ask you, what is your problem with President health care plan, and your resolve? Do you not take issue with private health care companies increasing premiums while at the same time increasing deductibles, lowering covered services, while they increase their profits, pay, and share holder payouts? I feel sorry for you Rick for your lack of compassion and concerns over others.............except yourself I'm sure.

I find it pretty hilarious that a lot of so-called "pro-life" people on here are saying that humans don't have a right to decent, affordable health care. What happened to the right to life? Does that not involve being able to get care if you're sick so you can stay alive?

Why? Do the GOP not want everybody to have health insurance? It is disgrace that the USA is the only industralized country not to offer healtcare to its citizens.

Every program that the Democrats have championed throughout our history has been labeled....... communist or socialist by the GOP. Nothing new here.

The tragedy is, that many Americans are being told half-truths or 'scared' about national health care. In this day and age of internet, I hope that people will do some research. Turn-off the reality shows and check out national healthcare in various Nations. Then make an honest, informed decision.

Too many, have the wrong idea that they will be forced to give up the healthcare they have now! If you like your program stick with it.

Everyday, millions of American tax payers, file for bankruptcy, and the # 1 reason is ........ HEALTHCARE COSTS! (look it up, don't take my word for it)

Information & knowledge is power, folks, don't be fooled by the GOPers propaganda!

What is wrong with people in this country?
Do people choose to be sick? Imagine "I hope this never happen" that this swine flu spread much more and people are dying by the minute and don't have insurance to get treated what will happen in this country.
Healthcare should be free for everybody period and should be run by the government. Education should be free as well for the poor willing to attend public school.

More scare tactics, deliberately misleading. And they trot out the "s" word. I hate to tell them, but we already HAVE socialized medicine in the U.S. It's called Medicare, I am a participant, and it is terrific. I have universal access (instead of being limited to an HMO and PPO), coverage is extensive, wait times are the same as everyone else, and I never worry about being financially ruined by health care costs (the leading cause of personal bankruptcy in the U.S.). Sure, it's expensive (and I'm in a Medicare Advantage Plan, for which part of the true cost is hidden) and I also pay extra for a better plan (all of $58/month), but take my word for it: once you've had it, you'll never be without it. That's what people in every single country with government-sponsored health care will tell you, too, based on many, many opinion surveys.

Oh yes, the DMV office that opponents of health care trot out regularly? Actually up here in Wisconsin our DMV seems to work quite well, I've never had to wait more than a few minutes, and most business can be conducted by phone. And I suggest that these same complainers now try calling a private (for profit) health insurance company to get an error in their bill corrected, and total up the waiting time and frustration for THAT!

As I read through the comments its (generally) easy to see by people's names and locations whether they are for or against government health care.

Look at the names and locations folks. A smaller and smaller percentage of US citizens are producers and savers. The rest of you are consumers and wasters.

The 10th Amendment would seem to make it illegal for the federal government to take power over the health care system. But Bush, Obama, and congress don't really care about the Constitution. We're no longer protected by the rule of law.

Fools! Cry out for more "government" goods and services! You, your children, and grandchildren will become slaves – without even fighting the oppressor.

We're doomed to be slaves of the state.

KC April 27th, 2009 12:11 pm ET

So, Old Timer, are you on Medicare? That is socialized medicine for the elderly. If you're not on Medicare yet, are you going to reject it as "socialized medicine" when you qualify?
____________________________

Last time I checked, there's money taken out of every one of my paychecks to pay for Medicare. So let's see... start working at 18... qualify for Medicare at 65... 47 of paying into the system. HOW IN THE WORLD can you call that socialized medicine for the elderly if I paid into it my entire adult life?????

I work in health care and be assured our system is broken. Mortality and morbidity rates for the uninsured and under insured are much higher than the insured. Having business pay for insurance imposes a huge overhead which makes US businesses uncompetitive which leads to shipping good paying jobs overseas. 2 million people filed for bankruptcy last year as due to medical bills. We have as a society higher infant moratlity rates and lower life expectancy rates that countries with a single payor health care system. Facts are facts folks. This add is just another deception designed to maintain a broken and unfair system. It is time to acknowledge that health care is a human right and that we as the richest country on the planet can indeed afford it. Morality and common human decency demands that it is time to join other civilized societies and provide single payor universal health care for all.

Concerned Citizen,

I also went out to try and track down the group putting on the commercial, without success. I'd be willing to bet a pretty penny that HMOs, insurance companies, and the radical right are right there passing the bucks, though. Add to that the pharmaceutical companies, too. They all stand to lose significantly if a universal health care plan passes.

Fact, our health care system is broke. Fact, my insurance premiums are paying for health care the uninsured can’t pay. Fact, there are millions more today, who are now uninsured, then there was in Aug of last year. Fact, over the last years, my out of pocket expense has increased significantly, while my coverage has decreased. Fact, a single catastrophic health event can bankrupt even the most prepared family.

These facts are irrefutable.

So we have a right wing group that doesn’t like the President’s plan. What a shocker. But what alternative is being offered to fix the problems. Again none!!! Only mindless, biased propaganda.

This issue has been discussed and debated for decades and not one representative we’ve sent to DC has had the courage or stomach to do anything about it. Right, wrong or indifferent, we now have a President who’s done talking and is demanding action. It’s about damn time.

Dr. Day is a proponent for the U.S. system of Healthcare. I have no problems with the Canadian system, I see my Doctor when I have to and I don't have to pay up front. Dr. Day may see some Canadian rich people, but, I will bet he bills the Governement.

I have a friend who had hip replacement surgery done within 2 months of her finally deciding to have it done. She has a therapist come to her home 3 times a week to assist her, all at no cost to her.

I really am tired of people in the U.S. talking about a "Socialist" system. Sure, we pay taxes, but, its better than becoming bankrupt in your Senior years.

What people fail to realize is the difference in the systems those two countries have versus what Obama wants. Both of those systems are completely run by the government. Yet they still rank better than the US. We should go towards a model similar to France which has both private and public healthcare. France is ranked number one by the World Heath Organization. The US is 37. Canada is 40 and the UK is 18th.

I feel like any congressman or woman who votes against healthcare reform should loose theirs. Afterall, they are enjoying it on our dime. Everyone in my family is healthy yet our deductible is $5000.00 a year plus the 20% not covered. Not to mention the co-pays. My mother just got a letter from Medicare today. She recently was admitted to the hospital because she has a defibrillator implanted in her chest and it was acting up. Medicare apparently didn't see that as a situation that warranted admitting a person to the hospital so they will not pay for it.

We have people dying in this country because we don't have healthcare. I'll bet that if you track the money most of the 1million this group spent on ads was from the pharmasuitical companies.

We have to fix our healthcare system and we have to do it NOW!

So we are faced with a choice.

Currently our health care decisions are decided by a bunch of profit-orientated greedy insurance corporations who only care about profit and not the health of the people.

The other plan is to have our health care decisions decided by public servants.

While both choices are not optimum, I would feel safer by having public servants who are accountable to the people being involved as opposed to the profit-above-health companies we currently have.

Unless someone can come up with a better idea, we are faced with choosing the least worst solution of two bad solutions.

Michael from CA wrote:
"For anybody that thinks government run health care is a good idea, just go visit your local DMV and have a good look at what government run anything looks like."

Actually, Mikey, the DMV is a state run entity. If it's messed up, it's because the yahoos you elected in California can't get their act together.

Here in NJ, I think the DMV runs pretty well. It USED to suck. I dealt with it when it sucked. Spent a whole 8 hours waiting to get a license. That's not the case anymore, though. Typically, I'm in and out, no problem. Although Governor McGreevey did a million things wrong, fixing the DMV was one thing he got right.

How can this group be against something that hasn't even started or been worked out yet........What do you think our insurance company's are doing right now.....they decided what they will pay for and what they won't.......leave it up to the conservative's (usually the rich, white republicans that are against it) because they don't care whether the less fortunate people of this country have health care or not....do don't be fooled by these right wing conservative nuts......

We are proud of our health care system here in Canada. I am happy to pay a bit more in taxes for the peace of mind that I won't go bankrupt if me or a member of my family gets a serious illness. The bit more we pay in taxes probably doesn't equal the huge premiums you pay to private firms. Our basic wait times are no longer than yours and our care is second to none. People come from around the world to our special cancer and children's hospitals. A friend of mine who lives here now but was born in the US can't get over the excellent care she got when she had an operation here. She said she would have been out of pocket thousands of dollars there. I don't know who this Dr. Day is but he must be a wealthy, Republican supporter who doesn't want his cushy pay system disrupted. It seems greedy to me that some people in your country don't care that over 47 million people have no health care. What happened to the Christian value of being your brother's keeper? Pres. Obama is not saying he will completely overhaul your medical plans. If you like paying extremely high premiums to HMO's then you are free to continue. He just wants to balance the pay scales so that all of the other poorer people can have basic coverage. Seems sensible and compassionate to me.

"The health, education and welfare of our citizens are our most important assets." This is the mission statement that guides Canadian healthcare, education and social policies. It means that a healthy citizen is an asset to their country. Therefore, access to healthcare is a human right and social justice issue for all Canadians. Is it costly? Yes. Are there waiting lines? Yes. But at least they have a waiting line. 46 million citizens of the United States have no health insurance, no waiting line and no hope, thanks to Republican fear-mongering about universal healthcare.

This Universal Health care is to mandate preventative and routine care. Anything above routine will need to be checked against a survivability cost index. This will be dismissed as scrare tactics to start, but it is their full intention to do this. There is already language to create a board to conduct the study and create the index.

Conservative, Liberal, it doesn't matter you shoul be scared. It will put your life in someone elses hands that you didn't choose. Do you want some nameless faceless political appointee to look at your health care needs and say, the surviability vs cost index on this type of case is too high and deny your procedure ?

Imagine, you are 85 and need a hip replacement and instead they give you pain meds and wheelchair instead of the hip because the cost payback exceeds your life expectancy ?

Forget that little bit of extra income kiddies (21-30) and you choose not to take health beni's. All that extra income, fork it over, cause BO says you must buy health insurance.

While you can find discontented patients and doctors in any country, the fact of the matter is that the U.S. ranks lower than any country with universal health care on several important measures: we have the highest infant mortality rate, and we have the highest rates of obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke. We have millions who do not even get basic care, and hundreds of thousands who can get only minimal care by going to charity hospitals and waiting hours. We have children without basic immunizations or decent health care. We have all too many mentally ill who are homeless and on our streets. We also have alarming rates of alcohol and drug abuse problems and no place for many to go to get treatment.

Out of the last 9 years, I've been without any form of health care more than 7 of those years. It might surprise you to know that I'm a middle class, 58 year old professional, with a white collar job. But most companies these days are cutting out or cutting back on health care benefits. I pay my taxes (i.e., I'm not on welfare, nor have I ever been). But I haven't been able to afford insurance. Even now, with a health care benefit, it is minimal, and has a very high deductable.

A universal health care program is not going to take the place of your family doctor or your private insurance. Countries such as Canada and England have significant numbers of private plans, as well as the public health care. If you want to stick to your private care, you can - but the hundreds of thousands who have no care at all will not be spreading disease if they get regular care. Baffles me why people think that this is BAD!

Pat--"Healthcare is not a right"? It's exactly that kind of mentality that places a dollar value on a person's life. I guess all that stuff in the Declaration of Independence about "promoting the general welfare" of the people was just a bunch of lip-service paid to our citizenry, huh? A society that does not make health care a right is a sick and diseased (and soon to be failed) one indeed. Priorities?

We already have government run healthcare – it's called Medicaid. I'm so tired of hearing the lefty argument about the millions of people that don't have healthcare. These are the same millions of people that have the latest cell phones, car stereos, Wii's, plasma screen TVs and so on. These people choose to spend their money elsewhere, rather than pay for their healthcare. And for the people that truly cannot afford healthcare, they already fall below the poverty line and qualify for medicaid.

I am a single father and make tough decisions everyday about where I spend my money. I have cut back on all of the luxuries that I used to have while part of a dual-income household. I have forgone the plasma TV, the Wii and the new cell phone that I would really like to have. My car has over 120K miles and I'm not quite able to save as much money as I would like. I also spend more than what I should have to for health insurance to make sure my daughter and I are covered. I could certainly cancel my insurance and have all of the toys that I want. But where's the responsibility and accountability in that?

Frankly, I'm tired of the entitlement attitude from the working class. You are not entitled to free healthcare, shirking your mortgage payments, your "Get Out of Debt" free card, or my salary. Time to man-up and take care of your own responsibilities.

If you read all the comments, it's clear to see that some people, no matter how smart, will believe the fear mongers; and that's exactly why these ads are dangerous.

some people just don't get it and never will

The group behind these ads are not conservatives. They are very large businesses, afraid that any sort of health care reform will mean lower profits. I work in health care, and in my state, we began auditing DME purchases a few years back. We saved millions of dollars, so much money that a consortium of states joined us. Last year we saved $19 BILLION dollars! Guess what happened, this group, these health care businesses, bought off a bunch of state legislators, both Democrats and Republican's, MORE Democrats than Republican's, actually, and they killed our ability to challenge their over charging. DOn't get sucked into the conservative vs. liberal argument, this is all about greed and corporate corporations running amuck, just like they did with the mortgage meltdown, with derivatives, with student loans and payday and title loans (same companies, by the way), with outsourcing jobs or displacing U.S. workers with cheap Indian guest workers, ,with everything that sank this economy. It is greed and corrupt political hack from both parties that put themselves before this country. Call it treason and kill them.

Question, will this stupid group put up some of its money to pay for my personal health care!? because i don't have coverage...

Yeah! It is about time that 46 million people wake up to the notion that no one cares that they don't have health care and can't afford it.

What do they think this is? The land of the free? No, it is the land of the rich. Let's hope health care protects us from the masses without who contract swine flu.

Next, they will begin to think we should dispose of the dead flu-victims' bodies.

Bill in Austin April 27th, 2009 11:47 am ET

Typical conservative approach. Complain without offering anything substantive to the mix.

_______________
Substance huh Bill:

I live in MA and not only will you get a fine for not having insurance but with the economy the way it is, it is now harder to get a job that offers health insurance.

For those of us who have jobs and insurance, rates have gone up but wages have not. Also access to our physicians is much more limited. Waiting times have almost doubled making it necessary (and costly) to go to the ER whenever you can't get in to see your primary.

I also just found out that my cancer has returned. I am fortunate to have insurance. However I have been told that should Obama's plan get put into place that many in my position won't get the proper treatment for their cancer.

Socialized medicine is great if you are healthy and Bill I pray you and yours are, you need to think what COULD happen should you have to wait a month to get in, can't get the correct treatment. Mark my words, DEATH from diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes will increase.

We must find the best of both worlds and think of those who need the help for a change!

"Tell Congress you won't trade your doctor for a national board of bureaucrats,"

Yeah... I'd much rather have the board at my insurance company decide my fate!!!

It is a predictable fact that government control in any industry will create inefficiency and waste. If you are concerned about the poor or the sick look only to the work done by private charity. Charity and non-profits have done wonders for our nations sick and poor. The government cannot fix this problem. The government didn't invent Taxol or AIDS medication. Government control will only slow or halt progress where we need to most. HMOs are the reason healthcare is in the state it is now. Remove government control and government sponsored insurance oligopolies and the industry will thrive.

Do a search on ABC News ... a story about 3-6 months ago. A cancer patient on Oregon's version of Medicaid (A state run healthcare plan) was denied a cancer drug that would have extended her life. (It may have had the potential to save her life ... it's been a bit since I read the story.) Nonetheless ... her and her doctor's request for the medication was denied ... but the board that denied the life-extending drug DID let her know the board would authorize a signoficant dose of opiates to end her life.

This is the future of medicine when gov't appointed boards are in charge of YOUR healthcare.

My PCP in the 90's was a Canadian emigre ... He warned against Hillary Care or any other version of socialized medicine. He said doctors will leave medicine ... and if you think that won't happen .. just TRY to find a PCP that will take a Medicaid patient ... or better yet .. a specialilst that will. Good luck with that.

Look ... the system we have now is massively cracked and EVERYTHING that is causing those cracks needs to be looked at. (Up to and including care of illegal aliens. And if you think that ISN'T expensive ... then I have a story for you.)

We need to fix our system ... but you must understand .. Currently ... everyone in the US can get care (It may not be Cadillac care .. but it IS care.) but doesn't have coverage. Under socialized medicine ... everyone will have coverage .... they just won't be able to get care.

I notice a lot of older people are against "Socailized' medicine. What about Medicare and Medicade? The younger generation has spoken. Health care for everyone.

I lived in Germany for well over 10 years and watched the medical program in action. No one had to die because they did not have insurance coverage. In fact, when needed, they also treated the American families of service members. With well over 46 million Americans without insurance, surely Americans will not fall for big business and Repulicans nonsense about socialized medicine. I also want to remind everyone that we pay for Congress' health care and we should receive or be entitled to the same as tax payers.

So called "private" health care has not been working. why don't the out of touch conservatives realize that? Oh, yeh, because they're out of touch!!!

america has a sense of entitlement for health-care for a few but not for all. This ad is a continuation of the best for a few.

Gee, I wonder why TENS OF THOUSANDS of Americans are going overseas for their surgical procedures? Our health care system must be too good for them, and they want to go die somewhere far from home.

At least in Canada people are on a waiting list to see a doctor. Many Americans can't even afford to visit a doctor at all. Based on the others' comments it looks like very few are stupid enough to believe the lies and think our system is even remotely better than Canada's, let alone Scandinavian and most European countries.

Dan, TX – "The ad says "Tell Congress you won't trade your doctor for a national board of bureaucrats," says the narrator. "Let's put patients first."

"What the heck does that even mean? I have never heard the hint of such a proposal. They make up something that doesn't exist, tell you what they made up out of thin air is no good, and then ask you to fight against the thing that doesn't exist in the hopes people will mistake that for opposition to ANY change."

You're obviously not paying attention. In the so-called "Stimulus" bill there was a provision that was sneaked in (I saw it with my own eyes) that would set up a new government bureaucracy that would determine whether people get procedures (cancer surgeries and the like) or not. They use some kind of formula based on your age. If it's determined that the number of years of useful life you're likely to get out of that procedure is not cost-justified you don't get it. According to one of Tom Dashle's books, this is based on what Britain does today. This is downright scary, and people better start waking up.

Cdog April 27th, 2009 12:01 pm ET

One fact summarizes it all: Americans spend more per capita than any other nation in the world on health care. Yet, we are fairly low on the list for average life span. Health care expenses are the #1 cause of bankruptcy in this country.

The problem comes down the middle man: insurance companies. All in the name of higher profits, they drive up the expenses doctors, hospitals, and clinics occur, which are then directly imposed on the patient. Insurance companies have their hands dirty in every aspect of the medical industry, thereby jacking the prices to sky high levels.
_________________________________

Only partially true.

The problem, in very large part, is ambulance chasing lawyers. A physician friend of mine works the first 5 months of the year just to pay his malpractice insurance (never had an incident). The next 4 months is used to pay his taxes. That leaves 3 months salary for him.

Of course, you'll never see anyone in Washington do anything about that – the trial lawyers' lobby is far too powerful, and the fact that for the most part, our elected officials are attorneys.

Tort reform, anyone?

Isn't this the group for which Rick Scott is the spokesperson? Does anyone remember that Rick Scott was the head of Columbia Healthcare until the government figured out that Columbia was "up coding" and ripping off Medicare (that's our tax dollars, by the way). He walked away with a multi-million golden parachute while others in the company were prosecuted. Now he pretends to be concerned about all of us? I'm not buying it. . .

A friend of mine is a big Republican, but he lived in Japan for a while and said that their medical system – which is actual socialized medicine, far more "socialism" than what Obama is putting forward – is far superior to ours. He hated admitting it because usually he's a strict-capitalism kind of guy, but, unlike many Republicans, he's not so partisan that he lets it compromise his objectivity and honesty. So, people fearing Obama's plans are being hoodwinked by the GOP fear-mongers.

Ever notice that the GOP is all for expanding government in areas that help their corporate buddies and help control the populace (expanding the military and police and jail system, etc.) but never for things that actually would benefit the common man, such as health care? The Republican party is a scam, and far too many people have been tricked into voting against their own best interests in supporting it. It's time to wake up and take an honest look at things. You can start with the infant mortality rate in the red states, which is much higher than the blue states. Why do you figure that is, hmmm? It sure ain't 'cuz Republicans care about you.

I agree with the Republican position on this one. The bottom line is this: the only determining factor in health care should be money. Those who have it get to live, and those who don't, die. I agree with this conservative approach because under nationalized healthcare, those who don't deserve it will receive care. The only worth of a human life is how much money they have, which is why Obama's plan must be defeated and the Republican plan must succeed.

NO socialized medicine in America!!!

People should learn to buy private insurance and pay for their own care. Otherwise the rest of us who do pay will wind up waiting in line for years for simple appointments. There is a reason we have many of the top doctors in the world – capitalism. Offering universal free healthcare will only degrade the system and decrease the skill set of american doctors. Have you ever tried to get healthcare in Canada? You would die on a waiting list for an MRI.

Who was the Canadian doctor and when did he say it?

I am a 60 year old Canadian who was having some strange syptoms. Once going to my doctor, in less than a month I had a series of five blood tests, xrays, an ultrasound, and visited three different blood tests. I have two medications to take of which I had to pay 30% of the cost. The personal cost for the rest absolutely nothing. After my system settles down, I will have radiation in eight weeks.

At no time did my doctor or the specalists EVER have to consult anyone as to my visits, tests or diagnosis. That type of service has been experienced by my friends and relatives throughout my life.

Americans can believe what they want and can swallow the propaganda of the interests behind these adds. I am very proud of my country who placed health care as the proudest and most important ascpect of my county.

We have a population of 34 million people; you have over 45 million without health care.

I am Canadian and I find this ads a disgrace
One of two doctors does not represent my country or what is going on in Canada. sorry!

Here's a question for everyone:

How many health care plans could a million dollars buy?

From where I come from, conservatives used to help their fellow man.

There is now a huge rift between the old conservative ways and the party of NO.

I lived in Sweden for 7 years and I can tell you from personal experience that national health care is a joke!! I belive people ARE dying from having to wait! I had to wait 7 days after breaking my leg before I could see a Dr, are you kidding me!! Then the leg healed wrong because I had to wait so long, after which I had to wait an additional 8months to have a specialist look at it. He then decided the best course of action would be to re-break the leg and have surgery to make sure it would heal correctly this time. After another 4months on a waiting list I finally had my surgery!! A broken leg here in the states, six weeks in a cast. Under universal health care, almost a year and they had to RE-BREAK the leg!! You people who are for this, DON'T HAVE A CLUE!!! You don't get to choose when you see a DR. they do! I've got many more stories like this! It's scary. Just ask yourself; if your child was really sick would you want to have to wait for the nurse to decide if he could see a dr. or would you want to be able to just take them to one!

Second, we are NOT receiving the best health care in the USA, have you seen how many people are actually going over seas for treatment? Our health care system does need an overhaul! My health insurance carrier is always changing what prescription we can have, what tests our doctors can order and so on. Many people have died in the United States of America because of lack of money, and because of GREEDY insurance companies.

You want affordable Health Care?

Get the lawyers out of it.......

Get off the backs of the pharma companies........

Not gonna do that are ya?

I already wait a long time for an appointment, so who cares if the wait gets a little longer? If I am not seriously ill, then it doesn't matter!!!
if you are seriously ill, then you will always need the ER, duh.........

Maybe we will need to start to have more urgent care clinics for walk-in problems that are not ER-threatening. So we will adapt.

I'd rather wait 2 months for a well care appointment and have better health care for EVERYONE!!!!

I have lived in Canada for the past 30 years (from the U.S.); i have never had any problems with the health care system; Brian Day's comments are very biased as he is a big supporter of private health care

You know, we won't have government run health care. That is a lie. Also, I would like to know, under the current system, who would like to pay for my kidney and heart problems, my husband's debilitating arthritis, our son's birth defects. We don't have insurance, yet I work full-time and take care of other family members. Who would like to pay for me to go to the doctor?

My major problem with this group and discussion is that they say "let your doctor not a politican decide whats good for you" which I completely agree with. The problem is the insurance companies make the decisions for the greatest part of America and not the doctor at all.

As a Canadian I am somewhat offended because it makes it out like Canadians are dying hand over fist. Thats just not true.

And remember, most of the world started out with the capitalism model but are now moving to the state-run systems because they see them as better and that is what the people want, a parachute in case something happens. In Canada, everyone gets a parachute not just those who can afford it.

Conservatives are programmed to create 'Haves' , 'Have Nots' in every approach including health care. But then when a forward looking progressive reminds them that their Mother and Father are living off of 'Social' Security and get 80% of their health care from Medicare, they calm up.

It's is time to take this argument forward and remind others that the 'have nots' deserve the same breath of life that the haves enjoy.

Not once during the campaign or after did I hear Obama say he wants to nationalize healthcare.

I DID hear him say he wants to form an affordable government pool that people can CHOOSE to buy into if they have no insurance.

There's a big difference between nationalizing and mandating healthcare, and trying to offer it to everyone. I think it's a small, mdoerate, and much needed step.

I would like to know where the money to fund this ad came from. Conservative Patient's Rights Action Fund? Who are the people (companies?) contributing to this fund. I went on the internet to try to find information out about this fund and found nothing. Anyone else have any ideas? I'm with several of the other commenters, I think it is likely funded by those who think that will lose money if this legislation is passed.

FINE, if his idea (Pres. Obama Administration) is not the solution; then WHAT IS THE SOLUTION??!

This is not a new issue and yet it goes unaddressed by the Conservative right. No answer show's lack of leadership or ability. And re-spun inneffective ideals is not an answer.

As just one of the 47 million uninsured Americans, I completely support Obama's health plan. You know why? Because then I could actually GO TO THE DOCTOR when I need to. You want to talk about people not getting the treatments they need? Last time I went to the hospital was 6 years ago, after a snowboarding incident. I thought I was still under my parents' insurance but when I arrived at the hospital they ran my card and said I was no longer on the policy. The insurance company never notified my parents that they had taken me off, although I was only 18 and a full-time college student. Then the insurance company wanted $1000 cash up front to put me back on, and my parents didn't have the money because my dad had just been through chemotherapy for cancer. My treatment that day cost almost $1000 and ruined my life for awhile. Six years later, I am still struggling to finish college (because that costs so damn much) and still have no health insurance.

I don't think it's a coincidence that rich Republicans own insurance companies, and they loved the last 8 years because they were able to raise everybody's rates, deny care to pre-existing conditions, and screw the American people in any way they saw fit. Now, they are scared that their evil empire is going to come crumbling down because we have a President who actually cares about the little guys (or at least pretends to; better than his predecessor).

I urge anyone who is wondering about socialized medicine to watch Michael Moore's documentary "Sicko".

Fair is Fair –

Don't know what part of Massachusetts you're from or what axe you're grinding, but I used to work for a medical clinic and saw first-hand what the lack of insurance did to average citizens. Things have improved dramatically since the Romney-authored health care plan went into effect, especially in terms of prescription drug coverage.

Also, why are you blaming universal health care for a shortage of doctors? Especially primary care doctors?

Go to Britain & see how they are rationing medicine. People with certain forms of cancer are refused medicine because the Govt. decided they cannot be saved. Is that what you want?

I love all you folks in Canada defending the Canadian National HC when it was just recently mothers giving birth had to be flown into MI because the hospitals in Windsor could not handle them. I love how Toront has all of 3 MRIs machine servicing its entire city of 18 millions so that people who desperately need an MRI immeidately either wait indefinately or drive to Buffalo, NY to get it immediately!!

Nationalize health care is great. Just don't get too sick. The solution just give a tax credit for healthcare of $10,000 per person & up $20,000 for a family. Let the free market dictate US healthcare. It is the best in the world. Just look at how many foreigners fr Nationalize Health Care Countries come here for healthcare!!

But I bet CNN will not post this.

Those who fear the prospect of having the government oversee health care or "some invisible board of politicians determining what health care services you can and cannot have" (which is not actually what is being proposed) – think about how well it works today to have some invisible board of insurance executives and actuaries determining what health care services you can and cannot have. They are motivated purely by profit, not what's best for you.

Since the "health plan" hasn't started, this group is protesting nothing.... Can't they think of better ways to spend $1M ?

The government has done such a wonderful job with TARP. Do you realize that they can't even tell you how much money they have spent on TARP since its implementation only months ago? This is the same government that you trust to run your healthcare?? Scares me to see how much people rely on the government now instead of themselves. A little personal responsibility goes a long way...

As a lifelong Democrat from liberal Massachusetts, I must part ways with President Obama on his health care ideas. Mr Obama is moving us toward a socialistic state-run health care system which I believe will both bankrupt us as a country, and greatly diminish our health care standards as a nation.

I am unwilling to trade my family's doctors for a national board of bureaucrats. I urge my fellow democrats to vote down this course of action before it does real harm to the health of our citiiiizens.

MB

Again, these folks (like the GOP) have missed their mark by a country mile. Obama hasn't and isn't proposing national, single-payer health care such as Canada and Great Britain. This ad, like so many other attacks, are based on a total misrepresentation of the facts...and aside from those who wouldn't approve of anything Obama says or does – I believe that most Americans are ready for major health care reform. So, let the shrill opposition begin – it only serves to highlight their total lack of rational thinking.

The conservative way. I wonder how many kids could have been immunized with that million bucks. Some people priorities seem so out of touch with there so called christian values.

These people should go back and read the story from the bible of the good Samaritan, and see how they measure up.

Are they passing on the other side of the road?

So we don't want politicians telling us what doctor to see or what is medically necessary, eh? But a bean counter at an insurance compnay can? I had a "nurse" from my insurance company override my doctor on a test my doctor wanted me to have. I could have the test if I paid for it out of pocket. The "nurse" never examined me. She never met me. Yet, she knew what was medically best for me. Morseso thatn my doctor. Of course, I don't have a few grand on hand so I'll go without. But that's what I thought I was paying into insurance for in the first place: to get medical care when my doctor feels I need it. But insurance companies need to make a profit somehow, I suppose....

So let's guess at how many Americans died last year because they had NO health care coverage, let alone a list. More of the same garbage about "Horror Stories" from other countries health care systems. Guess What? We have plenty of our own, and we get to pay out of pocket for our's! Botched prescriptions, unnecessary surgeries, needed treatments being "declined" as cost savings measures. The list goes on and on. It's time to give up the failed system, and try something new. The definition of insanity "Doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results".

So, Old Timer, are you on Medicare? That is socialized medicine for the elderly. If you're not on Medicare yet, are you going to reject it as "socialized medicine" when you qualify?

The US spends 3x as much as any industrialized nation and has worse outcomes on many health care measures than other industrialized countries, and still has 47 million ppl without insurance. When do the start to be comparable to countries like Japan/Canada/Sweden? When measuring outcomes of MEDICARE patients – when they are on "socialized medicine" not when they are privately insured.

My father, living in Canada, had a GI bleed in July. Within 48 hrs, he had both EGD and colonscopy and didn't have to worry about paying the bills. I doubt any clinic in the US would be quicker than that.

As a physician who has spent time on both sides of the border, I can say that universal healthcare is sorely needed. Scared of government bureaucrats? I'm far more afraid of insurance companies whose goal is to DENY as much care as possible so they make money.

This will be a very difficult undertaking as the big insurance and big pharma will all want to be paid. It will be impossible to effectively streamline healthcare this way.

I have been in the position of having to rely on public assistance, including health care. It was absolutely excellent care–no different from my "private" health care before or after. The thing is; with so many UN-insured Americans out there, our nation basically already has public health care, but I guess the freaky conservatives do not want to acknowledge that! They want you to be scared about what? about not having the "freedom" to choose your doctor, or whatever? Are they living in another universe? Our health care system is so messed up already. I would rather have universal health care and less "freedom" of choice, than continue down the hell path we've been on with health care in this country. These conservatives stir up the *fear* factor just the way do everything else. BE AFRAID of THEM! They are the ones ruining our country with their big cars, their big houses, their guns and their fear and hatred of all things that are not exactly like them!

You GOP people are misleading the public again into thinking that if we have universal healthcare that we will have bad doctors. My common sense tells me that that is just a lie. I personally don't have any real attachment to the doctor that I have been using for over ten years now, and if my out-of-pocket insurance premiums will go down, (which, by the way are going up another $80 per month on June lst), I am all for a government run plan. I also don't believe you when you try to use your foolish rhetoric to scare us into thinking those who want to keep their current physicians wont be able to keep them. Those doctors will be able to be part of the program too. It only stands to reason that once this country has the brains to fix healthcare, the costs for medicines and patient care will go down, and it will all work more efficiently. This should have been done years ago, and we might not be in the mess that we find ourselves. It is going to cost money to do this, but I pray that we can do it, not because of the money that I would probably save, but because it is only right that everyone who is an American citizens has the right to good affordable health care .

Health care is not a right. Neither is owning a house, a car or having a cell phone. You have to work hard to earn these things.

We all know that giant for-profit corporations care so much more about small consumers than giant government bureaucracies.

/sarcasm

It's called RESPONSIBILITY. Our generation is crap because nobody wants to be responsible for their own life and health. WHY IS THAT THE GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSIBILITY?

This has boiled down into a basic question of responsibility. And Americans don't seem to know what that is anymore.

Solution: Make Health Insurance Tax Deductable (and a Gov backed plan for the indigent). Problem solved! Can be fixed in about a day.

I am a physician. Believe, me, anyone who can afford "private" care in the U.K. and Canada does so. Obama's plan is not a solution, it is another problem.

In an attempt to rectify what appear to be blatant lies and gross exaggeration based on non-information, wilful ignorance or mischievous muck-raking on the part of the American Republican party, let me, as a Londoner, try to explain how the medical system works here in the UK.

In the public system, there are INEVITABLY some delays and bottlenecks, but these are largely minimal and in the case of urgent or emergency treatment, there is NO DELAY at all.

In the case of private, fee-paying treatment, the system is often tantamount to corrupt – you pay a consultant to arrange a consultancy to see the same consultant, who then recommends you see another consultant for a second opinion. This second consultant then refers you back to your original consultant and BEFORE you've actually had any medical care at all, you've forked out anything from the equivalent of 1 to 2,000 dollars in fancy administration fees.

There are mistakes in both the public and private sectors, but to say that the first is Hell and the second Paradise is a GROSS distortion of the facts.

Simon

You are so right, Bill in Austin. In my opinion all the conservatives want to do is block anything that Obama proposes without providing even the slightest of alternatives. Our system is broken and something needs to be done. I have many friends from England as well as Canadian snowbird neighbors and they are not complaining about their health care system. The Conservative Patients' Rights Action Fund is nothing but an insurance industry lobbying group.

Offer an alternative

Any jerk can say "Your plan sucks or I told you so"

Offer a viable alternative......or get out of the way

This is the mandate, this is the new politic........your party is irrelevant to the solution.

You know that these ads are not put out by real patients who are ill. I am one of those and my health care situation is terrible! For those of you against socialized or some kind of national health care plan, I hope you are very very wealthy because if you ever get ill, don't expect your insurance company to help out much! It can happen to anyone!

I am sure the insurance industry and pharmaceutical companies are the ones behind the ads. Conservatives don't have any solutions and they lie. Then when they become sick, their story changes........

It is well known that the public overwhelmingly in survey after survey WANT universal healthcare. It is the lobbyists in Washington who do NOT what universal healthcare. They surely do NOT want to give up their gravy train. And the politicians that they contribute to their reelections do NOT want it either! So who is looking out for the rest of us????? Barack Obama! That is who.

The health care system in America does need an overhaul. Yes, I want to be treated within a reasonable time, but at the same time I don't want to have to give my left arm to pay for it. I see a trend where people want to work from home more and maybe even be their own bosses, but a big roadblock is expensive healthcare if you're going to buy it on your own without the help of a big corporation.

I absolutely cannot believe what ignoramous idiots we have "walking among us" these days. Do you people live in caves? Is everything you don't know about or hear about that you don't agree with mean that its a Republican "spin"? Gee, I had no idea how many people were out of touch with reality. Talk to Canadians and Brits about socialized medicine! They will tell you the real horror stories. Why do you think the Canadians flock over here for MRIs, etc.? They CAN'T GET THEM IN CANADA without being on, at a minimum, a 6 month waiting list and that's only if the gov't. approves it! The elder, forget it, they don't waste $$ on them. I could go on and on but blind people like you that only believe what the far left and your messiah tells you, have no hope. Thank the good lord the US is not full of you people! I truly believe there is some sanity out there. BTW – I am NOT a republican but an informed person that reads!!!

sheesh...
Once again the GOP attempts to thwart Obama with LIES, LIES, LIES!

Noqwhere in Obama's proposal is socialized medicine like int GB or Canada

Any of you foaming at the mouth conservatives actually READ the proposals? or do you just spew red emat talking points offered by the "antiObamaists" who just cant admit that they are only 23% relevant and falling.

The plan offered is
proposing to provide commercial type insurance to to those who are not covered now, (which means that Doctors and Hospitals still get paid from the same companies that write the checks now when "Joe the Plumber" gets sick, not from some namesless govenmental agency)
proposing to streamline reporting and creating electronic patient records, which will save a lot of money and make more information available to treating physicians faster, and reduce the number of unnecessary testing,
proposing to prevent hospitals form losing money on uncovered "charity cases", and
proposing to prevent massive debts incurred by small businesspeople who cant get coverage for themselves or their employees.

How the heck is THAT Socailist medicine?

Sheesh.

There will be a swifvt boat attemp by third party payors sto protect there large profits. They pull 30% out of health care for there own profits. They fear that there would be a third party payors such as the gov. that offfers a cheaper plan with the same coverage. There is not socialized medicine in the US. Medicare is not socialized, medicade is not socialized, the closent thing to socilized medicine in the US is The Veterines administration. PRivaste for profit independent physicians deliver the health care in this country which is the way it will always be. We shoulkd redefine the debate to be should we have socialized health care insurance. It's realley mileading to call this anything else. Look for the swiftboaters to muddy the water. It's ironic that they are the ones insinuating that Canada and Europe have long lines to osee a Doctor, especially since they have generated huge windfall profits on the back of sick peoiple in this country all in the name of the "HMO".

"patients are actually dying as they wait for care in Canada"

Even if this were true, which many sources dispute, it must be better than being uninsured in America and having no shot at being treated, EVER!

I would find it laughable, if it were not so serious. This lobbying group actually expects people to believe that private health care is so much better. If you don't have or can't afford health insurance to pay for private health care what better off are you? At least with Obama's plan a patient can get seen as opposed to never being seen. Let's not forget either how most insurance plans are in it strictly for profit, not your health interests. People die because health insurance plans won't cover certain life saving treatment.

It will be great to have a socialize medicine this way it would be ablelable for all. IN the end i dont have health benefits and of my check they take medicare taxes how ridiculous is that?

What about the horror stories of millions of Americans filing for bankruptcy every year because of the absurd cost of healthcare cost? What about the horror stories of uninsured children?

All you "OLD TIMERS" and "intransigent CONSERVATIVES " – say fanatical instransigent evangelical 'christians' – You do NOT want to look the truth in the face. We, OUR USA, is in deep trouble and health care is at the top of the list. You would rather have these 'for profit' health insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies' have the last say – and it might be YOUR last say. DEAD is the next step. And all of the above also think there is no such thing as climate change or pollutants in the air. What DUMMIES. However, I will NOT allow you to take me down that DEAD end path.

What a crock! We NEED healthcare reform and we need it NOW. We are not switching to socialized medicine in the country, nor has President Obama even suggested it. It's the fat, corporate big-wigs who pad the Republicans' coffers who are behind this add trying to scare us into staying in a second-class healthcare system so they don't take a hit financially.

National Heath care will WRECK this country. The politicians in Washington are already digging a financial hole for our kids that they will never come out of but do we need to also destroy whats left of the United States being great, the right to CHOOSE!? (In this case GOOD health care). We need a health care fix...This is not it!

Oh lord PLEASE OH PLEASE don't let us join the rest of the industrialized countries in the world! PLEASE OH PLEASE!!!

You seem to hate giving health care to everyone guys – how is that not prejudice and discrimination?

Go ahead, boast about being the 'Greatest Country On Earth' more – I'll be over here with a family of three who used to have a father, but he couldn't pay the amount it cost to keep living.

I lived in Canada for many years and they probably have the worst health care system of any industrialized country. My girlfriend had to get an MRI after getting a x-ray which showed a shadow on her thigh bone, which doctors though might have been cancer. She was on an 18 month waiting list to get an MRI at the Montreal General Hospital. We ended up paying 500 dollars for an MRI at a private clinic, done in about a week. The hospital call us back for an appointment after 2 years! Told them she died. Yeah great free medical care system! I had a friend who went in with chest pains at the Lakeshore hospital in the western part of Montreal. He was sent home with a pager becasue they were to busy! Recent studies have shown that doctors are fleeing Canada to go establish more profitable businesses in the US. Please America, do yourself a favor and don't let Obama ruin healthcare.

I have friends in the Netherlands and Sweden. They are not crying around about the horrors of their health care system! In fact, quite the contrary. They seem to think that we are rather barbaric to still have a health care system that leaves so many without proper health care. The doctors here get rich, the pharmecutical companies get rich, and the insurance companies get rich while we get less and poorer care yearly! In those countries when illness is detected, all natural means of treatment are in play before prescription drugs due to the devistating side effects. All you have to do is listen to the prescription drug commericals here to know that if the said drug does not kill you first it will surely alleviate the SYMPTOMS of your illness!

People need to research not only the health care system, but all the systems that serve the people... anyway they serve the care of the people in those countries that I know the most about. I know that they get 6 weeks long paid vacations, they get a 16months paid maternity leave, and they work 32 hour weeks. Everyone gets free education! If that is socialism.... well, I surely do not mind having some of the horrible stuff!

Unbelievable. If this were the case, then why aren't people in these countries protesting? Has there ever been movements to do away with Universal healthcare in these countries? NO! Why? Because it works. Do we see people clamoring to the US from Canada and Great Britain because they prefer our healthcare programs? Again, NO! And besides, who says our program will be just like theirs? Why can't it be better?
Conservative groups are grasping at straws. The American people WANT universal healthcare and they can't stand it!

When will the GOP get it? Their lies and spin and spew don't work anymore. The President's health care REFORM plan is NOT SOCIALIZED MEDICINE. If these idiots want to continue their silly game...go for it. It ain't working no more guys. We have awoken and are paying attention now....see results of an election we had on November, 4, 2008! Health care costs MUST be addressed. It is key to our nation's future and economic recovery...again, this is NOT SOCIALIZED MEDICINE. Same old crap from the party of "No".

Instead of asking the doctor's who don't make as much money in a government subsidized health care system as opposed to private medicine – poll all Canadians. They people will tell you until their lungs bleed that they wouldn't trade their system for ours for any amount of money.

The ad is crap.

Forgot to mention...the gov of Texas Rick Perry who screamed about government involvement in his state with things like proposed health care....well he was the first governor in the nation to start screaming again, this time he wants the government , he doesn't need, to send all the help they can so he can fight the swine flu....

I work with several Cananadians and they are appaled at the cost
and lack of availability of health care to everyone. They said the system in Canada is great.

There are a few things in life that should not be for sale to the highest bidder and Health Care is one of them......

The idea that Canadian and European healthcare systems are 'fatally flawed' is a myth. The overwhelming majority of Canadians love their healthcare system – hell, I love it. And the european systems are even better than Canada's. Americans are being sold up the river on this one, and Obama's 'solution' will be nothing like the universal health care that american's need.

Now, if the current health care system actually worked....

But it doesn't for most of us. Doctors are against any change in the status quo becaruse they might not make as much money off of the insurance companies. They might actually have to treat patients and work hard. Oh, brother. Doctors would have to be doctors, not real estate investors, stock market gamblers, or insurance-sponsored over-chargers.

Come on, America. Let's get the uninsured some coverage and make a real difference in the quality of life for our citizens. Or keep doing the same old thing–declining coverage and declining health for our aging population.

I'm no great student of health care reform or of political science, but I believe both Canada and Great Britain are democracies; if socialized medicine was so awful, don't you think they'd have dumped it by now?

It's good that the conservative action whatever group has the money to spend in their effort to maintain the status quo of our nation's private healthcare industry. Apparently their members have the tremendoius amount of money it takes to pay for their own private health care. What about the rest of us?

Harry and Louise were right.... and these British and Canadian doctors are right. Say NO to HillaryCare2.

Good for them! There is no "one size fits all" solution to the health care crisis that is facing our nation. It is vitally important to end the absurd connection between employment and health insurance, but nationalized health care is a slippery slope into rationing of services and treatments. It is freedom we value, not the "free lunch".

I would be curious to know who is funding this group and their ad(s). I'm sure this group couldn't possibly have anything to do with private/commercial health insurance companies; the ones that stand to lose a good bit of profit, even though they're "non-profit" companies, which always confused me in the first place.
My health benefits just keep getting more expensive, while BCBS continues to make record profits and give out record bonuses annually, over and over...
It's time for something to change. Health insurance companies are just as greedy as Wall Street and/or all of corporate America.

Riiiight, cause no one in America EVER dies while waiting for health care...

Being an ordinary retired American living on a fixed income I can only offer a wish. I wish I would win a multi-state multi-million dollar lottery so I could spend the millions on a TV add supporting President Obama's health plan.

It's not surprising and I'm sure there will be MANY more ads against Obama's health care plan. There are some *extremely* wealthy people who will spend even more money to slander the health plan proposal. Let's hope the public is not stupid enough to believe the ads...

So with all of our uninsured, health care costs going crazy and even those of us who have health care we too are thinking twice before going to the doctor because of all the additional charges – the GOP has nothing else to offer but complaints about a solution they haven't even seen yet????

No wonder they are down to only 21% fo the total population – I say keep them out of office until they learn to get to work and stop complaining about everything!

Man they just don't learn huh? Everytime they did something like this in 2008 I reached in my piggy bank to give some $$$ to the Obama campaign. And.......I'll do the same in 2012. Status quo aint good enough

"Let's put patients first."

You mean the way HMOs, insurance companies, and hospital billing departments do?

One fact summarizes it all: Americans spend more per capita than any other nation in the world on health care. Yet, we are fairly low on the list for average life span. Health care expenses are the #1 cause of bankruptcy in this country.

The problem comes down the middle man: insurance companies. All in the name of higher profits, they drive up the expenses doctors, hospitals, and clinics occur, which are then directly imposed on the patient. Insurance companies have their hands dirty in every aspect of the medical industry, thereby jacking the prices to sky high levels.

The solution, at minimum, is to take the profit out of health insurance (i.e., not for profit insurance companies).

Bill in Austin April 27th, 2009 11:47 am ET

Typical conservative approach. Complain without offering anything substantive to the mix.
__________________________

Here's something "substantive".

In MA, there has been mandatory health insurance coverage in place for the last 2 years, resulting in wait times to see a physician rising from 11 days to 27, which in turn has caused emergency rooms to be more clogged than ever.

So what will the President do to overcome the inevitable lack of primary care physicians and, due to the aging population, geriatric physicians?

I haven't seen one mention of this from either side of the aisle.

Are these the same doctors who feel they must retire at 45 with much more money than can be imagined. Guess if they all have to live on a realistic salary because there is no other country to go to to make big bucks they will be doctors because they want to be not because of the money.

Sad when because of the cost of medical care people have no option but to die and in two of the supposedly richest countries in the world.

Unbelievable that they would spend 1 million for an un-truthful ad! I am U.S. citizen living in Canada for 35 years and take offense that this ad is fooling Americans and making Canada's Health System look bad. It is a wonderful system!

This frustrates me right here! These are lies! All lies! The European health system is much better than ours. Everyone can be treated there without paying an arm and a leg. The French system is actually the best. The American system is a failure. The way it works is flawed. The cost are high because people can not pay when the prices are high so they have to file bankruptcy. Even our insurance sucks right now. Our system leaves it up to insurance companies to determine if you are eligible for treatment by have BS guidelines that they can use to refuse to fund the treatment. The crooks have firm control of this industry and that's who this video is made by. Go Obama, Show them whats up! And go America and not put up with this propaganda!

Wait times in Canada are just the same as the US with costs, even for those from out of country, much lower.

No one has ever died from waiting too long for surgury. Non-essential surgury (knees, hips, etc..) can take up to 6 months but that is as bad as it gets.

It's comforting to know that even if I lose my job, my family can always walk into any hospital without having to show my credit card first.

Now, what is better: to die because you have to wait in line, or to die because you cannot afford the treatment?
There is no perfect solution.

So I guess the Medicaid/Medicare, VA centers and current government health care (such as government run nursing homes...would you want your mother in one??) just work dandy and we just hand over our private doctors to the government so it can be run with the precision only the government can offer? It AMAZES me how people buy into the spin. If the government takes over health care it's going to be a disaster. I would rather spend more to leave it as it is than to let the government run it. They can't even run the VA!!! What are you people thinking?

How come GOPs and their follwers are ignorent about health care about other part of the world. I think CANADA 's health care system is well run and average canadian don't have to worry about his or her health, well it cost and they pay their fair taxes. mind you every one is not like those GOP (RICH) who looks only their interest. let's give up your old thinking and adopt, get out from your old cacoon and look how country like canada provide health care for the canadian.

Republicans are masters in the use of Fear Tactics.

So what if people are dying as they wait for health care in Canada? People are dying for lack of care right here in America!

Republicans are so tight with the health insurance industry that they do not put the health of the nation before profits. How callous of the Party that is supposed to be so christian and so moral!

Hypocrites!!!

It would be nice to see a little honesty with these ads. Obama's plan would like to see everyone be insured. If you are happy with your doctor and your insurance plan it doesn't affect you at all. I am past tired of health care decisions being based on profit and not the welfare of the patient.

Fear mongering AGAIN..................don't these people know that the american people have FINALLY caught on to their tricks. It works very well in other countries that we should look at and adopt their best policies.

Stop already with this fear crap....it is old news!

Here's the thing: we already have all the worst aspects of socialized medicine...they're called HMOs...without any of the benefits. Any savings go into the pocket of the HMO company.

Conservatives love to tell anecdotal stories about the poor Briton who was denied a new kidney. They don't mention how in the U.S., the poor American wouldn't know he needed one because he wouldn't have been able to afford a doctor.

The only question is, how naive are Americans? Remember the 90s? Will we fall for the same thing again?

Please don't let Obama get this done. For anybody that thinks government run health care is a good idea, just go visit your local DMV and have a good look at what government run anything looks like. This would be a very major step toward socialism that Obama is taking our country to. In other words, the government will supply all of your needs, just get in line.

Health care might be a right in Canada but so are 45% taxes. Plus, a former work associate of mine moved from Halifax to the US specifically to get care for his daughter who suffered from a congenital heart defect. More Obama socialist programs are the last thing we need. Look at the huge mess the governement has made out of Medicare?

I'm a doctor in a large hospital and I have seen first hand what the health plan has looked like under Bush, and it has been grim. I'm thrilled that Obama is trying something new. Where were these types of ads when Bush was busy ruining the country? Once again we have displaced angry. The republicans are angry at Obama when they should be angry at Bush. Remember, Obama inherited a huge mess from Bush. I can't think of a single positive thing Bush did during his 8 years in office.

HOw can anyone buy into this Ad campaign, when they ask people to tell Congress not to mess with their plan without knowing the details, when these ADs attack Pres Obama's request to overhaul the health plan and they don't know the details either.. just another scare tactic to derail any change that might mean they don't make as much money off the sic.k...

I don't want a plan like Brittain or Canada has where I have to wait an unreasonable time to see a doctor. Unless Obama is going to fix the problems with today's system, I would rather keep they system we have now. At least I only have to wait a few weeks to see a specialist rather than not getting to see one at all.

Reform is needed. Rather than block a reform, the GOP should join in determining how it best can be accomplished. Oh, I forgot who I was dealing with on this issue. I guess the best we can hope for is the GOP continues down their path of Bush's policy of embracing stubborn incompetance.

I have a wonderful idea on how to cut down on the cost of the health plan. Cut out all, every single solitary health benefit from each and every one of the republicans in congress, and do not let any person who is registered in the republican party be enrolled. That way we can cut a lot of money out of the plan, and we can cover those people in America who want it and really need it.

Doesnt' that sound ideal...how about all you people out there. Just think cheney wouldn't get all that special heart treatment. And Barbara Bush wouldn't have got that heart operation. Of course they have the money to pay for their own health insurance, but the money the government spent on them could go to a worthy American without insurance.

What a bunch of bunk... My son was treated years ago in Canada at the emergency Room in New Brunswick and we had a heart surgeon
as a doctor who picked up a heart murmur my pediatrician back in the US never did..And I have relatives up there who have no problem with
free care!!! And the wait time is no different there than it is here!!!!!
All you conservatives care about is the $$$$$$$ money in your pocket...not HUMAN lives!! YOU ARE SHAMEFUL!!!

Oh Yeah. Patients in the US are really put first. The poor can't even afford decent health care. The working poor are going without preventative care or any treatment for ills what-so-ever. This ad totally misinterprets Obama's plan. According to his plan people can keep their current insurance if they choose and will not be subject to lengthy waiting lists. In fact, all Americans will have high quality insurance, just like the memebers of Congress. Also, I know of many many people who really love the health care systems in Europe and Canada. We will definitely need to counter this false advertising campaign put out by conservative Republicans.

More complaining from the right...great. That's not going to solve our health care problems, but the right wing nut jobs aren't interested in solving problems.

“Patients are languishing and suffering on wait lists, our own Supreme Court of Canada has stated that patients are actually dying as they wait for care in Canada,”

Gee, that sounds like how emergency rooms in the U.S. are already.

Are they proposing an alternative? Something needs to be done, so what do they propose? Do nothing?

We are ALL one catastrophic illness away from bankruptcy.

Let's be fair: Obama hasn't provided ANY details on his plan yet. The right-wingers should at least have the courtesy to wait and see what he proposes. Also who is funding this group and what special interests do they represent?

So they found Canadian and British doctors to lie about their systems for cash. What a surprise!

No where in any proposed health care reform does ANYONE have to give up their current insurance plan or doctor. This is just a out and out lie. Fear mongering. It won't work this time. But, glad to see they are stimulating the economy by spending $1 million on this. Bravo! I'm all for them spending $100 million.

The ad says "Tell Congress you won't trade your doctor for a national board of bureaucrats," says the narrator. "Let's put patients first."

What the heck does that even mean? I have never heard the hint of such a proposal. They make up something that doesn't exist, tell you what they made up out of thin air is no good, and then ask you to fight against the thing that doesn't exist in the hopes people will mistake that for opposition to ANY change.

Problem is, we WANT CHANGE!

I want universal healthcare. I want Obama to succeed. If that makes me a socialist then so be it.

Hey Conservatives..... What about the 50 Million people here in the USA who have no health care at all... they just wait at home.. wait and wait.. no Wait line for them.. and you would have it that way for those people for the next HUNDRED YEARS.... Wouldn't you?

I just love it. These idiots are running an ad based on a program that has not been announced, has no details, and has not even reached a level of discussion worth noting, In fact no program exists. I don't care if they are against it, but how can you be against a non existent program? Shows once again that the conservatives republicans are just the party of no.

They do not care about people. That is their conservative ideals.
Let others starve and die. Selfich people they are. AMAZING!

This is so sad. Why do these people have to be destructive with their lies and exaggerations. Our health care system is out of control and average Americans can't afford visits to the doctor or needed medication. These conservatives call themselves pro-life and Christian but they're against everything pro-life and Christian.

This is just more 'spin' on a problem that never be resolved.

Healthcare is a big, big buck $$ industry. Either way, may people will suffer - either due to inaffordability (now) or free , bad service under Barack's socialism.

I'm sure you could find a lot more horror stories with our current wreck of a system.

Scare tactics and the GOP

There the repukes go again – wasting money (kinda like the last 8 years rebuilding oil countries while ours headed down the toilet).

Let the debates begin. After all, we tend to pick people by popularity and charisma and the sort. Yes, we have global concepts of things we want done but then politicians who win take our votes and use them as if we voted for his specifics- whatever those were. So I am happy to see such ads- one-sided as they may be they at least start the debate that needs to be had.

We all see just what kind of "patients rights" we have today with the republican health plan. Under the republican plan you can get all the medical attention that you can afford. Can't afford any? well too bad under the present health care system that the republicans want so desperately to preserve. The conservatives want to keep things just the way they are with the rich getting richer and the ignorant getting to keep their cherished guns while they starve.

Round up the usual suspects.... OMG "rationing" of healthcare!!

The fact is, healthcare IS ALREADY RATIONED... instead of govt bureacrats making decisions, insurance bean-counters are making them!

Let's not be fooled by this hoodwinkery. How about polling random people in Canada, UK, Australia, and the United States asking how they feel about the quality, cost, and accessibility of their healthcare? Who do you think would come in dead last?

Republicans, keep up the good work.
You are continuing to SELF DESTRUCT, denying and voting against everything to help the American people.
Will you ever realize how sick we are of you and your hypocrasy??
Will you ever become the politicians you were elected to be??
Will you ever put country and us over party??
Will you ever acknowledge the numerous problems and start
supporting the survival of our country??
Have never before witnessed a political party stoop to the level you
have. You are making a sham of our political system and in the
process trying to destroy our country.

Why are these people wasting their time and money? The majority of Americans WANT a healthcare plan for all Americans.

People don't want to hear it .... and by tagging it as being sponsored by "conservative group" CNN is doing their best to discredit it ... but what they say is correct.

Socialized medicine is a train wreck waiting to happen. If people just did some basic research they'd find out that the best way to overhaul costs in our health system is to just follow the same model the rest of corporate America used to drive down expenses ... technology.

The healthcare system in this country is so incredibly ineffecient (have you SEEN those stupid paper files???) from a financial perspective it's astounding. You could probably drive 50% of the costs out of healthcare on day one just by utilizing basic technology that's been in place for a decade or more in the rest of the world.

The only involvement the Feds need to have in healthcare is to set the technology standards, make sure everyone's tools play nicely with one anothers, and then go away.

Trust me ... you do NOT want some invisible board of politicians determining what health care services you can and cannot have.

Wonderful. With 47 million uninsured, health care and pharmaceutical costs shooting through the ceiling, middle class wages shrinking, now we're going to get bombarded with a new round of dishonest "Harry and Louise" ads lying about national health care being "socialized medicine" and inferior to the broken system we have now? Sorry, but this time, I won't be listening to anything put out by the wealthy piggish insurance industry or their pals. I say, bring on true socialized medicine and bring it on NOW! Cut those greedy profiteering pigs out of the picture altogether.

Wow. Thank heavens our current plan is working so well. We certainly don't have any horror stories like that her in the US.

it would be just as easy to create an ad using the current health care situation in america. people dying, or not getting care because they had NO health plan at all. i still find it laughably amazing that these people who are completely against anything that benefits the least financially wealthy portion of our population, call themselves christians! jesus would definitely be VERY proud of how you took care of the poor.

Oh please....I am a Canadian and what a crock. Brian Day wants to make the big bucks – that is his main concern. The WHO and UN and survival statistics bears out the fact that in the main, health care delivery in Canada is at a higher level than in the US. Are there areas we can improve in?? Of course, but we don't have to be wealthy to survive cancer. Can the US say the same? Our infant mortality rate is far lower than the US, as is our obesity rate and other health issues. My mother fell and broke her hip, she was in the hospital the same day, had surgery to replace it, and is now as active as ever. And she didn't go bankrupt to pay for it....

So...Republicans have spent $1M to argue that America can't do a better job with health care than the British or the Canadians? Way to underestimate our country!

Yet another horrible Obama plan that needs to be voted down.

I don't know where they found "Dr. Brian Day" but I can tell you as a Canadian, that if you need care in this country, you GET CARE. If patients were "dying waiting for care," believe me there would be an uproar here that you wouldn't miss from the United States.

There will always be a handful of people who think privatization is the way to go, but let me tell you.... I will NEVER go bankrupt because I got sick and couldn't pay my medical bills. I will NEVER go without care because I can't afford to pay.

Health care in Canada is a RIGHT, not a privilege, and we all will do everything we can to make sure it stays that way.

"A conservative group" aka a bunch of health care profiteers, who care little about actual patients and are only looking to protect their vile industry.

Oh, and if these "conservatives" hate government health care so much, I guess they won't be asking for any Tamiflu during this swine flu scare, eh?

I have many British friends. Trust me, you don't want national health care. Of course, it doesn't matter what you want, the government will do what they want with your money. You will be paying big bucks for less than standard health care by the time they get done. Ever heard of 80% income tax? Get ready.

It would seem wise to use the money spent on the ad opposing Obama's would be better spent helping those who are left out of the loop. Not everyone can afford health care and that makes a segment of our community second class citizens.

This is LAME......the President has already said he's not making HOSPITALS OR PATIENT CARE government run facilities. He's stated that h wants every one to have health care as well as a plan that works in all 50 state vs just the states listed in your plan.....On top of making Pre-Existing Condition Coverage Mandatory.

They may not have the flu but The Conservative Patients' Rights Action Fund are definitely Swine.

Will the group stop Bloomberg and the MTA from increasing fares !?

I challenge these conservative folks to give up their health insurance for 1 year. Sort of see how the other half lives. Sorry, fat cats but health insurance reform is badly needed. Of course those who profit from the current system will fight it tooth and nail. Because we all know profits come before people. Have a nice day! Hope you don't get the swine flu!

Where can I get more information.
Where can I donate to the fight against Mr Obama;s health plan.
Say no to Socialized Medicine.

Typical conservative approach. Complain without offering anything substantive to the mix.