You are so right. This affects us all, especially those of us over 55 and children w/chronic illness. There have been some very intelligent discussions on TV and radio. Don't listen to those who say people are crazy and screaming. People are standing up and asking intelligent questions and need answers. When they don't want to give the answer, they start labellng the questioner. I have written several articles on the subject on my examiner.com site. Go to: http://www.examiner.com/x-16128-Chicago-Grandparenting-Examiner
and you can read them. I plan to submit a new one this week with updates. I spoke with our local congressman on Monday and he is against the plan that is presented now. I told him we are on Medicare Advantage through Aetna and he said: "oh, you're out...absolutely out". That is why we need to fight this and educating yourself on what's happening is the best way to do it.

I've often said that if you had a 1992 Chevy, would you purchase complete coverage for it?

Insurance has always been for a catastrophe. Life insurance, auto insurance, home insurance. Home insurance doesn't pay for new upholstery when it wears out; auto insurance doesn't pay for new windshield wipers.

Yet when it comes to healthcare we expect that hangnail removal will be paid for -- and wonder why it's so expensive! I wish they had more catastrophic-only choices. Then, if we all had to pay for office visits and tests, the cost would come crashing down real fast. And if we want coverage for additional things, we can purchase a rider -- the way you do with life insurance.

I often compare it to Lasik surgery. Remember it started at around $10,000 an eye? But because nobody else paid for it it's now down to $2,000 or less.

To me, the "fix" is tort reform, allowing insurers to compete better, requiring coverage with pre-existing conditions and portability. No need for much else, IMHO.

Amen Daisy!! We need to really be careful and not fall off the cliff like a bunch of lemmings.

I agree. My husband and I don't even have health insurance, and it would be nice. But neither of us want what is on the table now. We need the time, and we certainly can come up with a good plan, but I don't like something irresponsible and unequal rammed down my throat.

I work in the medical field and also have an uninsured husband. I see many sides of the issues and they are very complex.

I agree with SaraBT--we have to have tort reform to fix what is broken first. Why should a physician have to pay hundreds of thousands of $ per year just for insurance for his practice and employees? Why are our courts awarding outragous settlements for malpractice when smaller settlements can accomplish the same thing?

Healthcare professionals need a system of communications so that the nation can get on board with the idea of a primary health care provider. This whole idea of doctor hopping so the patient gets everything they ask for--even if it's not in their best interest--is nonsense. It's even dangerous for the patient. Lack of a unified primary care system increases healthcare costs. Some states do a great job at this, while others are way behind the times.

Frequent fliers (those who misuse the ER for non-emergencies or run to the doc for every sneeze or hangnail) drive up costs for everyone.

The government payers (Medicare, Medicaid, Champus) have a lot to do with the high costs because they pay the physicians and hospitals far less, in many cases, than what the cost of the drugs and supplies cost wholesale--much less cover the high overhead. They also require a lot more administration--that's extra paperwork, extra staff to do the paperwork, special computer software, hiring expert consults to protect your business, Ka-ching!

Our culture as a whole needs to adapt a healthy lifestyle. That all by itself will drive costs down. We are getting to where smoking is not socially acceptible, nor is excessive drinking. Other poor lifestyle choices should become socially unacceptible too. I'm just as guilty of unhealthy choices as the next person, so I have to start with my own weight problem. Health problems related to smoking and obesity place a huge demand on the healthcare system and drive up costs.

Lastly, I'm really tired of the media only covering the hype (people's reactions) and not covering the substance. McNeil Leher just did a special report Monday night on why the media is covering the hype-only and I still didn't learn anything new. I want more information on what exactly is in the healthcare reform bill--in it's hundreds of pages of legaleze, and what it means for the average american. I will definately try to see if I can listen to the archive of the Dennis Miller interview, and I will check out Daisyduck's blog too. Thanks for sharing the resources.

I totally agree. I think the thing that rubs all of us the wrong way is the political arena. No one seems to be looking at what we really need, just what their political future will gain. Frankly, I have been torn trying to find information to do an updated article and all I find is lies. I found Obama stating that U.S. has one of the highest infant death rates. Sounds terrible! However, on researching I found that the truth is we have pockets of problems with ethnic groups in cities who do not care for their children very well and that increases our overall number. the poliiticians as well as the media take out of context what they want to try and shock us. I feel they are insulting our intelligence, assuming that we won't see through their lies. Tort reform has been needed for years and now they finally are talking about doing something about it. All I know is that we do not need a system that just hands out care with no follow up. We also have a society that is based on entitlements. When we needed insurance, I went out and found a job with benefits and stuck with it even though I didn't like my job, just because my family needed benefits. A good portion of our society believes the "deserve" the benefits. They are the same people who pay no taxes and blast those that do because they are not giving to the less fortunate. What ever happened to taking pride in yourself? I'm venting here but watch for my article. It will sting politicians and those that just want a free ride. Thx for an interestng discussion ladies. I wish more people would engage in this type of discussion before they make up their minds.

After reading all this I am grateful I am Canadian and everyone here has health insurance coverage thorugh our government. I've had 2 Cancer surgeries and would have hated to see that bill..but I didn't have to worry...it didn't cost me nothing....I wouldn't live anywhere else who didn't have this kind of health care for their citizens. We may have to wait a bit longer to get to see a Specialist...but if it's life threatening it will be taken care of right away...I'll take that any day of the week.

that's nice but I prefer our system as imperfect as it may be. I really wonder about comparing the U.S. economy, health care, etc to other countries that are the size of one of our states! You cannot compare the two! I think we really are shortsited when it comes to admitting how lucky we are! If you don't like it in California, move to Ohio. If you don't like it in Ohio, move to Oregon. We have choices that most countries do not! We also have the right to complain about we have and don't have. We have freedom! and if I am not being treated fairly, I can go to a doctor, a school, etc and insist on being treated fairly because it's the law!

I prefer our system, as well. So far, government has not proven that they can handle the simplest things (remember the passport fiasco a year or so ago?). They can't keep their hands off our money, and keep overspending no matter which party is in power.

With such a track record, I surely don't want them messing with my health, or my family's health. EEEEEEK!

We do need some sort of reform, but I think there are many things we can start with -- like tort reform, for example.

Sara BT - You can get catastrophic insurance only. That is what the ICHIP programs are. You can pick a high deductible to keep premiums down but you will pay for most care out of pocket unless you need surgery, etc.

Also: my daughter died of a malignant brain tumor. She beat it the first time but it returned when she got pregnant (they neer thought she could because of radiation, chemo)and the tumor grew again while baby was growing. However, with private insurance through my sil's employer, we were able to get her into a research program where they had a 70% success rate. She went there for nine months but she fell into the 30% and eventually went into hospice and died at home. But, she had the choice to try and beat it! She fought a hard battle with Cancer and we were by her side. I don't think she lost because she made every effort to remain by her son. There comes a point when God shows us it is still His decision, not President Obama's or any other politician!

Not ever having experienced health care in any other country, guess I don't feel qualified to say that I prefer U.S. health care.

KathyAK does have the World Health Organization on her side when she says she prefers Canada since Canada outranks the U.S. for quality of health care. The U.S. ranks 37 in the world for quality of care and Canada ranks 30. According to WHO, Canada spends 10% of their GDP, $3,672 per capita, for health care while the U.S. spends 15.3% of our GDP or $6,714 per capita. Life expectancy is 78/83 years in Canada vs 75/80 in the U.S. and children's death risk is 6 in Canada vs. 8 in the U.S. Just a few of the reasons that Canada outranks us with better quality care for half the price.

Since the care in the U.S. only ranks 37, I think I wouldn't mind trying health care in one of the other 36 countries that out rank us.

I think Daisyduck had some good points -- there are variables in the U.S. that don't exist in more homogenous countries like France or Canada.

As a nation, I believe we're more obese than Canada, have more clusters of people with unhealthy habits, etc. etc. I know there is a reason why our mortality rate is higher, but can't for the life of me remember why. It does have something to do with our habits, I think.

Obesity doesnt explain why we have such a high infant mortality rate here. Japan is one of the leanest countries yet they only rank number 10 in health care. We spend more per capita on health care than any other nation in the entire world we are number 1 in expenditures - yet we only rank number 37 for quality of care, so its obvious we are not getting our moneys worth. Even countries like Malta, Columbia, Cyprus, Chile, Dominica and Costa Rica provide better health care to their citizens than the United States for a lot less money. Why are we so willing to just accept that and use excuses rather than take a close look at the reason? Why are we so defensive? What are we afraid of finding? Medical bankruptcy is so common that its not even taken into consideration for home loans. Who do we think is paying for all those bills? Why do we think our insurance rates are skyrocketing? Those of you without insurance, if (God forbid) you or your spouse was diagnosed with cancer and the treatment would cost $500,000 what would you do? Would you simply refuse treatment and die? If you went ahead with treatment, would you be able to pay the $500,000 bill? A co-worker with cancer had to take pills that cost $575 EACH. If you couldnt pay the bill, who will?

A co-workers husband has his own business and was buying health insurance. The company he had insurance with was bought out by another company, and they promptly doubled his rates. When he paid the new rates, the following month they dropped him, so his family had no coverage. Two weeks later his daughter was diagnosed with melanoma, but fortunately his wife had been able to change from part time to full time and had gotten insurance with her employer before the diagnosis.

Another friend has no insurance and cannot find a company to cover her because of health problems. She has a ruptured disc in her back. Except for the few times shes left her house, for the past four months she wears only her underwear because it is too painful when clothes touch her back and leg. She lives in a very small town a few hundred miles from a larger city. She is unable to find a doctor who will take payments for surgery, so she suffers instead. This would not happen in any other industrialized nation in the world because their citizens all have health care available.

The fear of change is paralyzing everyone so we prefer to stay with an old, outdated, broken system rather than try anything else. If a new system is not perfect, that doesnt mean it cant be tweaked and changed. When we reach the point where only the very wealthy can afford health care, and unless something changes that will happen in my lifetime, then maybe people will not only consider, but demand a change.

The fear of change is a term used to sell the present option in congress. The WHO is a misleading report because the U.S. is by far twice the size and usually more than any other country in the world. We have pockets of poverty where numbers for mortality are higher and that brings the total number down. Overall, our numbers are good. Do we have bad habits which create poor health? Absolutely. Should we have a campaign to get people healthy? Of course. Is the insurance industry misusing our funds? Yes, but so is the federal government and our congressmen. I can go through my house and buy a new bedspread and drapes, put down a new throw rug and put new slipcovers on the sofa. My house will look better but I still need a new mattress and sofa, and the stain under the throw rug shows my carpet needs to be replaced. In other words I have only fixed the surface and I am putting off what I really need to do. Good money after bad. First of all, the President and Congress should finish the job they started on finance and industry and get our economy growing. A good economy will have a great effect on health care spending. No matter what you or I think of our insurance company, having government take it over will not make it more efficient or give us better benefits. Regarding your friends and insurance, been there, done that. I worked hard to provide my family with insurance after my husband became disabled. There IS coverage for people at or below the poverty level. A hospital has to treat you by law, insurance or not. Your friend's daughter with melanoma under the insurance her mother works for will treat her and give her good care. Under public insurance she will be judged to determine if it is worth treating her. Is that what you want for all of us? If it was not for private insurance my daughter would not have had to opportunity to fight the brain cancer. She would have been written off and hospice would have been our only option. We would not have had the choice. I think everyone needs to stop and think about the importance of having the CHOICE in your own situation. Clean up the insurance companies...absolutely. Start with Blue Cross Blue Shield, one of the biggest monopolies in the U.S. Not only are they a private insurance company but they also administer most state and federal programs for the government and they STILL raise their premiums and deny treatment. Check my article out on New Flavor regarding the President's speech and health care. If we, the people, do not stop big government from taking over, we will lose. If we stop it, perhaps we can get people in there to rationally work on improvement. Change is the small stuff you put in your piggy bank.

Obviously we will have to just agree to disagree about this rather than spend all of our time countering each other's argument.