So i've concluded that the a portion of our country doesn't support providing heathcare to our citizens who don't have an active health insurance accouunt.

I'm shocked by that as we consider outselves to be "religious" country and I would think tha scripture suggests that the strong take care of the week. I guess greed can overcome one's religious conviction.

I was glad to see Sarah's comments about healthcare. She sounds like a real leader doesn't she.

There is no reform without a public option. The health insurance companies know this better than any else. Companies like United Health Care would not be able to post a 155% profit margin in an economy like this without unscrupulous business practices. This magnitude of unethical earnings make it possible to buy and sell politicians like cash for clunkers. A viable public option will expose the criminal level of gouging in the market and will drive pricing down to a competitive level. Any elected official D. or R. who continues to rail against health care reform is quite simply on the take and a traitor to working Americans The louder the rebuff the dirtier he or she is and can't be trusted on any other important issues. Keep a close eye on the final vote and oust from office any member of congress who votes no on reform & public option.

August 13, 2009
Obama's Health Care Bogeyman Is Obama
By Diana Furchtgott-Roth
WASHINGTON–In a health-care town hall meeting in Portsmouth , New Hampshire this week , President Obama declared: "Because the way politics works sometimes is that people who want to keep things the way they are will try to scare the heck out of folks and they'll create bogeymen out there that just aren't real."

The president was referring to his Republican critics. In fact, the bogeyman is one that the president is creating, trying to dispel opposition to his own approach to health care. His Portsmouth proposition is that people who are against health care reform-or health insurance reform, as the president now refers to it-want to keep things the way they are.

This is simply not true. Over 200 bills have been introduced in this Congress proposing different elements of health care reform. Those who oppose the House Democrats' $1 trillion health bill, supported by Mr. Obama, have offered specific legislative alternatives.

Take the Empowering Patients First Act, H.R. 3400, sponsored by Georgia Congressman Tom Price, a physician and chairman of the House Republican Study Committee. At 268 pages, a quarter the length of the House Democrats' bill, the bill seeks to insure more people and cut costs.

The Empowering Patients First Act was introduced on July 30 and is awaiting committee action. Since it is sponsored by a Republican, it will have a long wait-possibly an endless wait in the Democratic House. The bill is worth noting because it presents new ideas and would not perpetuate the status quo.

The bill would insure more people by letting individuals take tax deductions for health insurance premiums that they pay, just as employers do. Workers with employer-paid insurance could retain it.

Low-income individuals would be given refundable tax credits in advance to help them pay premiums. States would be required to set up risk pools for those with chronic conditions who might otherwise be uninsurable.

The most innovative aspect of the bill allows-but does not require-employers to offer a monetary sum to workers so that they can purchase whatever insurance plan they choose in the open market, similar to defined contribution pension plans. Employers would still enjoy the same tax benefit for providing coverage, but workers would be able to choose from an entire range of options that they could carry with them when they change jobs. Now employees are generally limited to one plan, and lose that coverage when they change jobs.

The contrast with the House plan could not be starker. Rather than set up a new government, or "public" plan, as Mr. Obama insists, Mr. Price would allow Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program recipients to get vouchers to purchase their health insurance on the open market.

The bill attempts to cut costs by reducing malpractice awards. New health courts, called administrative health care tribunals, would be set up by the states to adjudicate malpractice complaints by patients. The bill would cap non-economic damages.

Tax credits are a crucial feature of another Republican proposal, The Patients' Choice Act of 2009, proposed by Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan and Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, also a physician. Their bill uses state exchanges as portals where Americans could take new tax credits and choose private insurance. All insurance plans that are licensed in a state could participate in the state's exchange.

Under the Coburn-Ryan approach, health insurance plans could combine high deductible policies with health savings accounts. Or, underwriters could offer traditional managed care or fee-for-service plans. Those with chronic illnesses, such as hemophilia or diabetes, would be placed in special plans, such as high-risk pools with government subsidized premiums.

The Price and Coburn-Ryan bills also contemplate health savings accounts and high deductible coverage with lower premiums. Such insurance allows individuals to set aside funds for routine care free of taxation, and buy high-deductible insurance to cover extraordinary expenses. Now used by over six million U.S. residents, these plans hold the potential to reduce costs because they encourage patients to shop for the coverage and services that suit them best.

It is troubling that health savings accounts and high deductible plans would be discouraged under the House Democratic plan, because they do not meet the criteria for a "qualified health benefits plan."

Here's why. The House Democrats' bill would create a national Health Insurance Exchange, where qualified health benefit plans would be allowed to advertise to individuals and employers. In order to achieve the status of a qualified plan, an insurance company has to offer a certain package of benefits, including physician visits; inpatient and outpatient hospital services, and equipment and supplies used for treatment; dental, vision, and hearing care for children; and mental health and substance abuse services. No high deductible policy need apply.

Senator Coburn, Representatives Ryan and Price, and many other Americans want to change the health care system-they just don't want Mr. Obama's approach. Why not hold a televised debate between Democratic and Republican legislators on the merits of the different approaches? Then, let the people decide.

Diana Furchtgott-Roth is a contributing editor of RealClearMarkets and an adjunct fellow at the Manhattan Institute.

OPEN LETTER TO SENATOR BOXER, (D)CA

Hello Senator,

I live in Irvine, California. I'm grad student from Cal State Fullerton and the son of two aging parents.

It is regrettable to see opponents of health care reform lower themselves to defeat desperately needed legislation. You are obviously aware of the patients who had to be turned away at the L.A. Forum.

It is nostalgically inspiring to watch our President answer tough AND supportive questions at his own town halls.

However, what worries is not the hate speech nor Sarah Palin's outright lies… but the division within your own party.

Howard Dean has stated that the Blue Dogs have been cooperative in helping pass a bill. Yet Senator Kent Conrad has confessed that he will neither vote for a public option nor end of life care.

I reluctantly understand the politics involved in Senator Conrad's decision. He lives in a conservative area and perhaps wishes to get re-elected. And I understand putting constituents and country before your party.

What you must tell Senator Conrad is that both your party and more importantly the country are on the line.

I probably don't have to tell you that this is the Democrats second opportunity in twenty years to pass serious health care reform. I also don't need to tell you that in the years the Republican's held power they did not lift one finger to lower costs or make medical treatment more accessible.

I don't need to tell you these things, Senator. But you need to tell Senator Conrad something for me.

If a public option is not passed, what will it say of Senator Conrad that HE was responsible for the continuing failure of this countries health care system?

What will history say of Senator Conrad that he did not stand with his party, with his country, when it needed him the most?

Now, I don't know what motivates Senator Conrad. Insurance lobbyists? Angry mobs? A fiscally conservative philosophy? All those things are lucrative, cowardly and continues the American peoples relationship with a private industry whose trust we waved bye bye to a long… time… age.

A public option is the right thing, Senator. I don't know what parts of Senator Conrad's brain you have to persuade. The part owned by campaign money? Public image? A political future?

Not to get too George Bushy, but is there any way to touch his soul?

Yes, Senator. You must put a weight on his soul everyday in September until it's so heavy he'll feel the anguish of the people in line at the L.A. Forum.

He'll carry the tears of the people who skipped a day at work or school to get their tooth pain relieved. The tears of those who got it, and those who didn't.

Let him endure the weight of the mothers arms who held her child for hours while waiting her turn in a stadium full of wailing sons and daughters.

Find Conrad in your Senate cafeteria and, while he's eating, let him know about the people who went hours without food because THEY were awaiting for the rationed care that already exists.

And if it is Conrad's future in politics that concerns him, tell him that if people are willing to wait hours in line, days, nights, under the coldest conditions after driving hundreds of miles to get medical attention…

… what will this nation do to his next campaign should he stand in the way?

If money moves the world, Senator, well I donated to Al Franken's campaign even though I wasn't from his state.

If our distrust of lobby's and corporations and our stories of despair don't move the Senator… then I empower you to rally all progressives, liberals, all the sick, all the poor, all the cheated, all the families, all who have who have been denied what is a right in countless countries…

… to create a nationwide campaign to out seat Senator Kent Conrad.

Thank you, Senator Boxer.

I just read an AP article, says it looks as though the White House is prepared to drop the Public Option…

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090816/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_health_care_overhaul

what happend to working for what you want? I do.

Ah,
Really now, you poor slobbering liberals. You really, really thought your new president couldn't be persuaded and "bought"?
American corporations, healthcare, Wall Street, can make Mr. Obama dance like a puppet if they really wnated to.
See. in your world, where liberal happiness flows like sweet water from a spring and your rose colored glasses distort your view, anything is is possible. Well, now your pink cloud is turning gray and your liberal push is failing. I'm sorry to present you with the truth….but wake up!
Yours truely,
A Happy Conservative in a pathetic, Liberal New York.
Peace!

CHUMP CHANGE! CHUMP CHANGE! CHUMP CHANGE!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/16/sebelius-public-health-ca_n_260511.html

That's all we're going to get. Obama sat in a room with Big Pharma and the private insurance agency. Max Baccus is the Democrat being paid millions of dollars by the private insurance industry and is head of the Senate Finance Committee writing the bill.

'Conrad, chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, called the argument for a government-run public plan little more than a "wasted effort." He added there are enough votes in the Senate for a cooperative plan.'

People, WE HAVE BEEN BETRAYED! Cop-ops will continue to keep us slaves to big business.

THE DEMOCRATS WILL HAVE PROVEN THAT THERE POWER IS IMPOTENT! That the only thing that matters in Washington is fear and corporate interests.

The White House will compromise Cap and Trade.

The Democrats will compromise to Wall Street.

And DONT ASK DONT tell will continue to be the law of the land because the Republicans will have scored a major victory by destroying the public option.

What am I saying? The death of the public option will be the failure of the current administration and both houses of congress.

Stop sending money to the DNC. Vote Republican or third party progressive. Flood your representatives and the White Houses phone lines. And YouTube yourselves tearing up your Obama sign.

I for one welcome the ice caps to melt in 2013. There is no Democracy.

The cowards and the greedy rule this nation.

I am a small business owner and sell property insurance and health insurance and I will tell you this:Any reform without a viable,working,real public option will result in higher premiums and more uninsured people.
Just look at what happened with Credit card reform and it is easy to see that any controls without a contingency plan(Public Option) will only give these Insurers the ability to raise rates because it will be required that you have health insurance.
I see the faces every week of people who due to layoffs and income cannot afford a plan especially those 50 years of age or older.
The ones I blame the most are the media opinionators(yes i invented this word because you certainly cannot call them journalists or even reporters)because none and i do mean none have taken the bill page by page and let the public actually see what the plan says and if this were done daily every time a scare tactic comes out, our Politicians would think twice before making a comment.
Limbaugh,Hannity and Beck could care less about this bill when they each make at least 20 million a year.
I hate to admit it but I was a McCain/Palin supporter and watched only Fox News untill this debate started and I downloaded a copy of the bill and read it myself and could not believe just how bad these 3 lie.
It apparently does not bother them that many of the elderly cannot afford a medicare supplement and cannot afford their prescription drugs when they hit the coverage gap of their Part D plan which was designed by The Insurance Companies and it does not bother them at all when a man I know lost his job and he and his wife are both working two jobs but cannot get healthcare because of a pre-existing condition.
Wallstreet greed has killed more people in America than any foreign country ever has and if the Health Insurance Industry wins this battle then lookout folks because then they know they can get by with anything and Politicians will be afraid to confront them.
Please e-mail the President and your Elected Officials and tell them that we will remember them next election if there is not a viable public option in any reform passed.

WE THE PEOPLE WILL NOT BOW TO BIG PHARMA AND OUR LEADERSHIP WILL LOOSE US IF THEY GIVE UP ANYTHING ELSE TO CORPORATE LOBBYISTS.

Just because we aren't engaging in fear tactics doesn't mean we aren't paying attention. We will not forget.

We progressives need a fall back position. Something to bargain for in exchange for dropping the somewhat disappointing public option in the bill now. And I certainly don't think co-ops are what we should fall back to.

How about reducing the age for Medicare over a period of time. I suggest one year each for the next 15 years. This combined with a modest increase in the Medicare tax might be attractive to some "conservatives". It takes older folks (myself now I admit) away from the private insurers who probably won't mind getting rid of them/us, gives employers incentives to keep/hire older workers and should reduce their costs, and builds support toward the ultimate goal of single payer…ok I admit my bias on that.

Since these numbers should be easy for the CBO in all sorts of various phasing in options and some go beyond the 10 year budget window I think it something that can be negotiated.

This, in addition to the steps likely in the bill on mandates and insurance rule changes would be a better step forward than co-ops or a weak public option. If the votes are not there we should certainly get something in return for giving up a public option.

We wanted single payer. They didn't even want to talk about it. We wanted a public option, and the only people who know what they'll get is Big Pharma. Do we look like Indians selling New York for 3 bucks?

LET THE REPUBLICANS FILIBUSTER! Let them try.

"You can fool people sometimes, but you can't fool all the people all the time."

Say no to Chump Change.