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I think that it would be helpful for the government to hold a nation-wide referendum on the question of health reform. Two questions:

1. Should the United States adapt a system of health care similar to France or Canada?

2. Should we continue with a modified Private Insurance system?

I can not imagine having the same health care as our elected officals. I can not imagine the elected officals letting this happen. They're above the rest of us. They want to make sure there is always that little line of difference. This way they never have to worry about soiling their hands while performing manual labor, or actually saying they care about their constituants, and actually meaning the words they say. Thats why you hear certain politicians voicing opposition to any reform on this measure.

YES, I want the same health care, for the same cost as my employees (the U.S Government).

AND, I don't want there to be ANY EXCEPTIONS for preexisting conditions... It's inhumane effectively to deny care to people who lost the genetic lottery or who work but have no health care, or LOW INCOME people who have sick children, so they CAN'T work and have Medicaid and can't afford to buy insurance if they take a job.

If the Dumbocarts must mettle in health care, the back up idea or cooperatives is much more acceptable. Think people...USPS and Medicare are the closest things we have to a government ran health care system. Medicare is going bankrupt, and the USPS is always operating in red ink. Plus, I have never heard anyone praise the speed and efficiency of the USPS.

Preserving What Is There only INSURES that FOR PROFIT HMOs and Insurance Companies can continue to decide who gets how much (or how little) health care based on their bottom line, not on my needs.

I'm not sure what WOULD be a good solution, but if I have to choose between Government run health care and/or FOR PROFIT care deniers, I'm thinking that I can exert a lot more pressure on my Government with my Senator and Representatives' help than I will ever be able to with people who get more when they provide less for their customers.

If all americans want equal health care, then I say WORK like those who have it do! Even when both my husband and I lost our jobs we found a way to take care of ourselves. I do not want government run health care. I do not want someone else telling me what I can and cannot have plus my health information government records. This is not the governments job. The people need a lesson in fiscal and self responsibility. You are not entitled to what your neighbor has just because you want it. Learn to earn these things. I am sick of those opting out of employer programs and whining. GET RESPONSIBLE!

One more thing I am willing to have my taxes raised if it would mean people with problems like I just mentioned would have insurance and they would not loose everything they have worked so hard for go down the drain.

No way. USA is NOT a SOCIALIST country.

For those who don't know history, all the trends in skyrocketing medical costs started with, and have been fed by the deregulation and privatization of health care, whether it was Bush Jr., or Clinton, both of whom just took their hands off insurance companies and health care providers. This abuse can be traced all the way back to Nixon and his 'brilliant' HMOs! The private health industry has already demonstrated that they will just drive up costs and turn a profit out of denying you services! They don't work for you!

Finally, a little common sense busting loose! Not much, but some. The more we can keep the idiot government from meddling in health care–or anything else, for that matter–the better.

Bureaucrats already decide my health, they just happen to be the bureaucrats of private insurers who make a profit out of denying me services! If a cheaper alternative can be made by government, I say let's take it! At least that would be taxation WITH representation! Private companies just tax you with fees and give you NO representation!

So our "moderate" Democrats basically just want to keep the status quo – let the for profit insurers continue to charge us high premiums so that they can ration our care and/or drop us when we have serious illnesses. To make a comment about trying to provide for "42 to 46 million" tells me they don't have any real clue about the under insured or those who have to work extra jobs just to pay for their health insurance. A public health option is the ONLY way to reduce costs significantly. ALL Americans should be entitled to the same care as Senator Nelson.

I doubt there can be true health care reform unless we also include in the discussion the exhorbitant costs medical malpractice and the ridiculous prices of medical school education. These current costs are untenable. If not, we will have no MD's to care for us.

I've been an ER doctor for 25 years. I see many ways that health care costs can be reduced. One is ridiculous over utilization. You don't need to come to the ER for minor ankle sprains, scratches, bumps and bruises, colds etc. Get some common sense. Cigarette smoking should be taxed out of existence if not made illegal. The amount of health care resources directly related to smoking is astronomical. Heart attacks, strokes, COPD, lung cancer, asthma in kids resulting from second hand smoke, the list goes on and on. The same thing goes for gross obesity. Also, there should be a drastic reduction in the huge amounts of money squandered on elderly ,demented, totally disabled persons. These people should have comfort measures only and be allowed to die with dignity. Hundreds of thousands are wasted trying to keep them alive, for what? Get the legal profession off everybodies back and you would also see a great decrease in defensive medicine. Also, people should not seek a pill to take care of all of life's problems. The number of people on psych meds is astounding, and I doubt they do much good.

"This is in",
obviously you work for some insurance company, hate our President and the whole America! Plain english, YOU ARE AN IDIOT!!!!!!!!!!!

Why isn't every American worthy of receiving the same health care plan the Senators receive?

Because they won't be able to fund their campaigns without the insurance lobbyists.

Country first my bootie.

When the 40 million people are insured, where are the doctors to handle them?

Obviously we will all be waiting months for medical care as they do in Canada. I hear it's a 2 year wait in Canada for a hip replacement.
This is what Obama's plan will bring you and your family--delay and less care.

Right now those people who can't pay show up at the emergency room when their conditions get bad enough. That is the most expensive option and we pick up the bill. It's far cheaper to get these people some treatment before their conditions get so bad and to treat them anywhere else. Whether that means more free clinics or universal insurance or whatever, we need to find a less expensive way to care for these people, I guess some people would argue that we should not care for them at all but the fact is, we do, so let's at least get the costs down. Liberal, conservative or independent should be able to agree with saving $$$.

The GOP will again continue to obstruct any progress Obama is trying to pass.

I agree , lets give all U.S. CITIZENS the same health care
coverage that the congress and senate have , or make the
senate and congress take the same health care coverage
OBAMA is trying to push down our throats.

The congress and senate should also be made to take a pay cut.

In order to provide affordable health care for every American, "Profit" must be taken out of the equation. Everyone who is involved in making the decision has to understand that "Money" cannot be the central issue; providing all Americans with affordable health care, $150 per month, is the only solution. If we are as good a country as everyone is quick to point out, we will find a way to pay for it.

The bottom line is; "its time for Congress to put up or shut up, do what is right for those who elected you"!

The problem with this country is that everyone is out for their own interests. We have a good ideas, but the ones on the top, a majority of them anyway, who are stuck in the old ways, refuse to change things, because how things are suits them best. The reasons why healthcare reform did not pass the last time around, like usual the Clinton administration, did procedures very unorganized and goofy like. At least we have an administration that is forward thinking and very organized. Its going to be very interesting how this all plays out and who wins and who loses. I hope this time around, the party of no and the ones opposed to any kind of reform sink and fail in misery. If they have not seen all the healthcare nightmare stories from true people living it, then they must be living in a fantasy world themselves. I am one of the 47 million so called uninsured people in this country.

Leave health care reform ALONE! We don't need the government butting in and telling everyone they MUST have health insurance! I will find mine on my own terms, so don't tax me to pay for someone elses!

@Robert Verdi – you're not listening closely. Obama also outlines 100s of Billions in savings from cuts in medicaid/medicare, so I think you're being disingenuous.

As for giving private health companies a chance... ha. They've had their chance, and they've proven that they can control their greed. They don't work – 30% overhead compared to 5% for government-run programs. Don't lie about who is more efficient – it's not the bottom-line private companies.

I pay $1200 per month for my private insurance (family of 4 in Texas), plus $20-50 per visit, plus 80/20 copay, plus $3000 deductable. And they won't cover my wife for breast biopsies because she had one a couple of years ago, nor will they cover me for high blood pressure or cholesterol checks/medication because of my history. Though they'll cover me for a heart attack because they can't prove it's related to those two conditions. And yes, you haters, I work out 5 days a week and I eat very, very well. And I own my own business... So you tell me where the freedom has gone? It's a rip-off and we all know it.

Senators do nothings. It will be a shame for someone like me who retired out of the U.S. Army and now has to rely on Medicare and Tricare Prime for my health benefits because a military base is not feasibley close enough for me to drive to for health benefits nor is there a VA. ALL ALONG WHILE MEDICARE IS UNDER ATTACK TO GO BROKE. All this happening when you smart minded people we elected to make a difference in the lives of the American People want to sit and argue while you do nothing. SHAME SHAME> Remembe people YOU WORK FOR US. WHETHER YOU BE DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN AND WE CAN PUT YOU OUT OF OFFICE WHERE YOU BELONG. Get something done about health care and the border!!!

Any senator against universal healthcare is either paid off by big pharma or insurance companies. Small business will die if we don't remove healthcare from their plate. It's economic, stupid.

obama.........keep your stupid hands off health insurance.

The problem with keeping what we have is that it has resulted in the high costs we have now. Just adding a program to pay for the uninsured means we pay everything we do now, PLUS their costs. We need to find a cheaper way to deliver health care. Of course those who are making lots of money off the current situation will fight tooth and nail but, frankly, I don't have a lot of sympathy for big insurance right now.

A public health plan option is the only way to maintain control over healthcare costs and ensure all americans are able to obtain healthcare coverage. Insurance companies, doctors, manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies are in this business to make money. If there is no strong public option to compete with the marketplace, the free market will gang together and continue to raise rates as they have already done.

The strongest opposition from the politicians and industry is the fear of actual price/service/quality competition. But it must be done as a national security issue as it relates to the financial security of our country. I say use the 51 vote system and move along. We are at a breaking point now. The American people have already voted overwhelmingly for the public option through several polls. Now it's time for the senate and congress to do their part.

It seems some tend to forget that health insurance comes at a cost. It's a pool of money – just like home insurance, car insurance or any other kind of insurance. In the vast majority of years, you pay more in premiums than you'll receive in benefits to protect against a catestrophic loss in any particular year. If you can't pay for health care today, how do you pay for the premiums under Obama's (or any other) plan? Oh yea, that's where the rest of us come in.....we'll pay the difference. The real problem is that, for many of the uninsured, health care is viewed as a want and not a need. Paying for premiums comes after the nicer house than is needed, the brand new car, a new tattoo and all other wants. If it was viewed as a need, people would make the sacrifices to pay for it just like they do for other needs.

Anything that doesn't cover every man, woman and child in the United States will be a waste of time. If getting there requires us to raise taxes, then raise taxes. You can't get something for nothing. I also believe in a single payer system as our private insurance experiment has failed and they just appear to be middle men. To say we have compitition right now is just like saying cingular is compitition for verizon. They are two sides of the same coin. If the big beef with a government run program is it will be too cheap and run the private insurrance companies out of business .... wouldn't that be the point (saving money and covering everyone)?

The President has been disingenuous about more than just the cost-saving benefits of his health plan. He even floated out the idea of taxing work-sponsored benefits, something he attacked John McCain about during the election. He only backed away from the idea when his own party raised objections. Is any one keeping count on the broken promises and out-right lies?

The system we have is imperfect no one will disagree, to dismantle it brick by brick and replace it with a system that is worse and costs more (especially in a recession) is very unwise and is a dangerous proposal, why rush this, let’s take care and study the alternatives, let’s fix it.
We know how inefficient the government is, mandating coverage to help private industry be more competitive makes no sense, the government is not about competition and has never run a profitable enterprise, to even consider it ignores reality.

The problem with wanting competition and the free market to work, is that in health care, there is no competition or free market. The market is controlled by the insurance companies and big Pharma. They make the decisions on who gets insurance therefore who gets care. They define what is the appropriate level of care, they are the ones that currently ration care. Something must be done to make the large corporations more accountable to their customers (patients).

@Thin is in.

Are you speaking about Bush right? You may not like the Sitting President, but calling him a fraud and he lied to us, let me remind you that he passed many bills that he had promised. Health care is going to be the hardest, because of all the lobbiest trying to keep millions of dollars in their pockets. Another thing, when you do not have health care and you need major surgery and you are stuck paying 150,000 dollars you have to pay the hospital, doctors, and you have to pay for every pill you are taking, you are charged for the I.V. and when they give you five Prescriptions to fill and you have No perscription plan and you are paying about 50.00 to 300 dollars for your meds. I betcha you would change your mind, when you seek an Attorney to file for bankruptcy.

Bush could careless about fixing something that has been broke for several decades.

As a Canadian, I totally agree with the assessment of Christian Verstraete.

everyone is entitled to good health care – not just those who can afford it.

stop discrimination in health care – single payer not for profit NOW.

Health care; as well as, many other services in the U.S. has been taken over by private industry. The system is too pricy and selective to those, who are capable of accessing or affording it's benefits. Where is the voice for the unheard, those out of the loop. It is the american people. Let us not argue under pretense of political factions, but regain our country from private industry fianancial terroism. "Yes, we can."

Make healthcare into a not-for-profit industry: it could be private, but NOT FOR PROFIT and TAX EXAMPTED. Would Christ make profit of people’s suffering? Why should corporation and goverment do?

When is a real journalist going to call out Mitch OConnell on his false claim that America has the best health care system in the world? It ranks 34th!!!

Journalism in this country involves repeating party talking points and claims on partisan and corporate ads. What happened to real investigative journalism. Like runaway fraud in the health care system, or actually looking into the health care systems in other countries.

Health care in the US will never change.

So long as employers are held financially responsible for the health care of their employees and not the individual or government, we will lose the battle of outsourcing jobs to foreigners, period.

Health insurance for ALL AMERICANS....it is the right thing to do!

Remember, it's what's good for insurance and pharmaceutical companies that matters. The taxpayers are replaceable.

There is nothing to overhaul in US health care system. Even naming it a system is a joke-this is open invitation for health insurerers doctors and hospital to steal.No industialized country has such a backward system-we are behid third word countries.This BS of the system is putting companies like GM,Chrysler ,GE out of bussiness.

Let's just give all the U.S. citizens the same health care coverage that the Congress and Senate get, if it is good enough for them then it should be good enough for the rest of the country as well. I don't think they do anything of special interest to enable them to have more than anyone else in this country. It has been shown that this country can't get along without the "little" guy, we are the cog that keeps this country running. Make the insurance companies, and drug companies stop all this nonsense with their huge profits. Give this country what the so called "elite" have, choices!

All of those health care lobbyist are swinging into action. Look at the Senators and Reps. who will fight tooth and nail to stop Obama's action on Health Care. Think how many millions of dollars these Senators and Reps. stand to lose. Think too, the money that can be saved by such a Health care plan. Those who carry no insurance will have health insurance, which can lower the health care plans that many professionals are on. One of the primary reasons for high premiums is to pay for those who do not, and can not afford it.

The latest in a long line of lies by the fraud in chief.

This never worked a day in his life fraud LIED to get elected and is changing his tune on what he said to get ELECTED and some smart Democrats are starting to call him in on it.

The rest of the Dimocrats are sheep and will always be stupid, moronic, Keith Olbermann watching sheep.

Maybe you nitwits will start taking notice when your money starts missing from your checks, the Obama sheep that work of course, which are not many.

Obama says "we live in the greatest Country in the world, help me fix it"???????????????????

Yes the American people need to stick together on this issue and see that everyone has the same healthcare, NO EXCEPTIONS. The doctors, Insurance Companies and Pharmaceutical Companies all need a good lesson in how to cut back and help all the people not just themselves which is what is wrong now. If it isn't me who cares?? That's the new mantra we have lived with in this country too long.

Obama is talking about only taxing people that are not in the union for their benefits, because the union complained and I guess Obama thinks the union is better than the rest of us. They did give him 30 million and now he wants to pay them back. The bail out wasn't enough for them.

We only hope that the healthcare debates will not lead to unhealthy attitudes and ego clashes, comin' in the way of achievin' a few bold and bipartisan bargains for the American people, who are hurtin' with excruciatin' pain.

the president has been disingenuous in regards to the cost savings predicted from preventive care and electronic records. There may be strong arguments for these ideas, but saving hundreds of billions is not one of them.

I am a european visiting the US and keep hearing about the health reform. Many of the debates you are having are quite interesting for a european. Unfortunately, I believe you are missing the fundamental question. This one is whether americans are open for solidarity or not. Whether the European health systems are better or worse than the US, frankly I don't know, but there is one fundamental difference, and this is that they are based on solidarity. And frankly I believe that is the right thing to do.