Health Care for America Now

I do not know why HCAN is applauding the Senate HELP Committee version of a so-called "public plan." People, please look at the language in the bill. Hello? It is not a national public plan, like in the House bill, but relies on a much crappier model of weak STATE-BASED public plans. That approach will never have the buying power and othe r obvious advantages of a national public plan option. It is crap, and HCAN should be attacking, not embracing it.

It's SO simple. Why can't we just have a universal health care plan like virtually every other normal country on the planet? Answer: Because we're a two-party nation and we can never arrive at a consensus on anything, AND because fat profits have to be made by greedy insurance companies. Universal health care isn't about Democrat or Republican, and it's not about profit. It's simply the right thing to do!

AMEN SISTER's & BROTHER's "Health care "for ALL! American's!

What happened to all Americans should have the option that legislators enjoy? Is that a public option? What about an expansion of Medicaid or Medicare-- that would cover those who currently don't qualify (the young, working, non-disabled, tax-paying folk)? It's the 21st century in the U.S., folks? Do you know what our healthcare ranknig in the world is?

Folks, we have to stop looking at everything like there are only two choices. There are many. Try looking at them on a continuum. Policymakers go for middle ground - the bell curve - most of the time. If we don't keep hollering for Universal health care, the policy will shift to the right. We have to keep the policymakers thinking that there ... Read Moreis more support for universal health care so that they take it seriously. Right now, for whatever reason, they are convincing us that universal health care is too extreme to implment. And if we believe that, and shut up, we will be lucky to get the public option. We are right to keep making noise about what we really want. Sure, we may end up compromising, but it shouldn't be as much as would be if we kept up our support for UHC.

Thank you, Mark Stewart.

Funny.

I'm literally LOL - Hysterical!

Let's get some backbone here - what part of "change" didn't some of our political leaders quite get!

I'm on my last nerve Denise C.

Yes, there are 60 Democrats now in the Senate, however two are out due to illness with unknown dates of return. So there still wouldn't be enough votes to overcome a filibuster.

Love it! And now that we have a filibuster proof Senate, no more excuses - let's roll!

Mark-Universal Healthcare was never an option. It was a wish. The Public Option is the compromise. Opponents of that fear that having even a public option will lead to universal healthcare.I don't see that happening as long as the insurance industry and the healthcare industry begin to regulate themselves and I can see havinhg a public option as competition will do this.

I like to remind my conservative friends that the US Postal Service has yet to put UPS, FedEx, or DHL out of business even though the USPS is a lot cheaper (when they suggest a public option will cause the free market to collapse).

Bi-partiisan ship is a woderful thing - if you have reasonable people at the table. In this case we don't. The opposition doesn't want to look at or talk about the waste and fraud in the health Care Industry. When it is all over, if the bill blows up, Health Care Executives will be exposed as just as bad as Wall Street Execs. The Republicans will have egg on their face yet again.

Let's not make it sound like the Republicans are all alone in trying to sink health reform. The Dems are part of it, too, responding to the pressure from lobbyists, not least in pretending that no one in America worth listening to prefers Universal Health Care over a public option or private insurance.

Amen to that Patricia, I don't have Helath insurance but people I know who do, and need to access it, make me think I might be in the better position.

Yes to above, extremely self serving. Given our average of one new personal bankruptcy every minute or so, most of which are due to medical costs...how can anyone not want something else?
I found the search under "class action medical" to be most interesting reading, least anyone feel comfortable with your present system.

But there's a majority of public support for it! We do need to get mobilized and yeah, probably militant. I have no experience in that, though. There is another cause we can join on Facebook, though: Real Universal Healthcare Now!

Finally I see that people are coming around and getting wise! We have needed this health care reform for SOOO long!

That's just insane. My mom had lung disease & had the worst care due to bad no health insurance. It's almost scary to go the doctor because of the crazy cost. Hope to see change soon!

It's insane we're the richest nation on the planet and like the only major country WITHOUT universal health care. WTF??!! I see retirement in Europe or Canada....

It's not as simple as being poor. The poor have medicade.

Check out Channel 7 news (Chicago) tonight and the Chicago Tribune tomorrow for coverage of our HCFAN press conference today, outside Congresswoman Bean's office in Schaumburg, Illinois.

U.S. Senators have the finest health care in the world, fully funded by taxpayers. The Senate has no incentive to make progress on this subject, and most are sadly out of touch with the reality faced by many Americans.

Bill Maher said we don't have a Democratic party. We have a center-right party that calls itself Democratic and then a loony party. Good video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3kXpfEFjqQ

Very informative00 thank you!

check out the National Physicians Alliance

Nothing is perfect, but at least this is a start, and that is more than we had before. GO FOR IT!

Thank you for the post Ethridge

Why would anyone be against it, you ask? Just follow the money!

How do you define bureaucracy?

No ! They do not. As a former "D" state legislator I know that for a fact !!

Totally believable. Yet I wonder how many people will still vote against themselves and re-elect this guy? It's hilarious when these tools complain about the machine.

We'll post the link on our page. Posting the Falco vid now.

Amen Dagmar I have that stinking United Healthcare too-have to fight them tooth and nail just to try to get them to pay what their policies say they will pay and they are making tons of $$$-just another reason we need reform. I think having to fight with them over every little thing was worse than having cancer!!!!

Yea and Amen......

AMEN

Whatn do you mean by "Let them go at it?" Daniel

gov. sponsored health care is working very successfully in the countries that have it and no one is suffering. Get past the fear tactics that big money mongers spread to keep us from accepting this. They want to keep their wallets full and ours empty.

I'll vote for a plan with a public health provision!

You go Sen Ted, we're with you all the way!

The whole system needs to be fixed not just one part of it!

But here's the problem Daniel-there are still 43 million people that won't be going to the ER or to Urgent care because they have no health insurance and the costs are so high. I know people that worry about making too much money to qualify for medicade because they don't make enough to purchase health insurance or are not insurable due to a ... Read Morepreexisitng condition. I'm one of those and I felt lucky to be able have health insurance for my family of 4 at $1400.00 a month. I realize everytime I order ostomy supplies how lucky I am to be able to pay for this-and that's just crazy. I would pay much less in taxes even with a single payer plan. We need something that deals with those issues and spread the risk to all Americans-not just the healthy ones.

People don't go to the doctor because they can't afford it and don't want to add the burden on to there family whom are already struggleing to pay the mortgage .Or other members of the family like the elderly ,or Veterans who do not have adequete mental health services or homes, Jobs, and have been forgotten by those they have fought and served !

Now , my Data is correct, I work with these , wonderful Human beings! They are no different than anyone else, except they are Homeless damit!

Of course the insurance companies are a big reason healthcare is such a mess. All citizens should have equal access to quality healthcare, and the insurance companies would probably need to be removed from the equation for this to happen.

The ruse that single-payer will cause rationing of healthcare is perhaps the most hypocritical of any I've seen. The insurance companies are willing to offer their overpriced coverage to the fit and healthy, but don't you dare get sick because no matter what it is, it will be a "pre-existing condition." How is that better than rationing?
While ... Read MoreI see single-payer as the most sensible solution, Obama's public option is the next best thing. The reason the insurance industry is against it is that they know they cannot compete with a public system. The ultimate result should be to drive the insurance providers out of the healthcare business.