Opposing sides of health care reform

I understand costs for medical care are very high and can create serious financial problems. However, how do we know that the proposed system will: 1. Have lower costs; 2. Provide the care; and 3. Provide that care in a timely manner? I have health care, and I know that I am can be responsible for 20% of my total costs. I'd love to see the "discount" applied to medical costs be the same for everyone, but I bet BCBS of NC has more than one "discount" that is applied to your "cost" depending on the particular plan to which you subscribe. How do I know the proposed plan will cover, in a timely manner, the medical problem? By the way, which proposed plan are we talking about? The House or the Senate version? They are about 300 - 400 pages in length different... Why do the employed/wealthy have to pay for my care? Is health care an "entitlement" to which every citizen is entitled? If it is, where does the slope end? Is a car? A phone? When are we responsible for our own care? Why is it "unnatural" or "unthinkable" that we may have to say "I can't afford that care/procedure" and decide to not burden my family with the cost? If all care that could be taken be taken, how do we pay for the costs? Who pays? Trust me. There will be some coverage that is NOT provided. I don't know of one government-run health care program (Canada, UK, etc.) where there are not lines that may mean there is no coverage (i.e., wait 8 months for an MRI to determine if you have cancer, or wait 8 months for the operation to "fix" your cancer, etc.). Why does anyone think everything will be done that can be done? Why do you think it will be done in a timely manner? I want answers to these issues before we vote. Want me to approve of a "national plan?" Give every USA citizen the ability to participate in the FEHB--that is the insurance that federal employees, including those in Congress, get to use. What is good for the goose should be good for the gander. I know Obama was asked about giving that plan/coverage to all citizens, but he did not answer the question. He said he was trying to bring those benefits to everyone. Instead of writing a new law (that will be at least 600 pages in length), why not amend a current law to extend FEBH to all USA citizens? My guess is the cost and what that would do to the wait lines for current FEHB participants... Post office, Social Security, Medicare (and the federal funding of Medicaid), and the VA system (where there are income levels to receive medical coverage) are examples of the government being well intentioned yet coming up short to deliver a sustainable benefit. If the health care program is "so expensive," how will we deal with Social Security, Medi..., the VA, and other federal programs whose costs are rising? I am not against any and all of these programs, but I want to see how we are going to provide services Congress passes and avoid the issues we WILL face when we have to "save" or "bailout" SS... Even the government admits SS is "running out." Give me budgets. Give me timelines. Show me why the House bill will not make more people go onto the government's plan (See Section 102). Discuss the issues with each proposed bill (House and Senate) rather than just say "We need health care." We all agree health insurance is a good thing. What we want to make sure is that we can sustain the coverage that timely treats those with procedures that saves lives. If we don't even know if it will do that, why are we moving forward?

Here is some helpful info for Wilmington area residents: You are represented in Congress by 2 Senators and 1 Representative. Senator Richard Burr (R- NC) 201 North Front Street, Suite 809 Wilmington, NC 28401 Voice: 888-848-1833 FAX: 910-251-7975 DC Address: The Honorable Richard Burr United States Senate 217 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510-3301 DC Phone: 202-224-3154 Senator Kay Hagan (D- NC) DC Address: The Honorable Kay Hagan United States Senate 521 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510-3306 DC Phone: 202-224-6342 DC Fax: 202-228-2563 > Representative Mike McIntyre (D - 07) 201 North Front Street, Suite 410 Wilmington, NC 28401 Voice: 910-815-4959 FAX: 910-815-4543 DC Address: The Honorable Mike McIntyre United States House of Representatives 2437 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515-3307 DC Phone: 202-225-2731 DC Fax: 202-225-5773 Please call or fax them. Let them know you don't want the govt. making healthcare decisions for you.

As Warren Buffet put it "If you don't understand it, don't invest in it".

the proposed Federal Health Care Plans? Those pictured and interviewed should look at the proposals before they rush madly to ObamaCare. Over 65, get ready for counseling on how to end your life. Counseling every 5 years until the message sinks in. Need a transplant -- plead your case to the Health Czar Panel. Overweight -- get in shape or watch health care benefits diminish. The Obama plan is over 1000 pages long. The Kennedy Plan is over 800 pages long. Both are such great plans, members of the House and Senate will be exempt. The President has such faith in the program, he will not commit to dropping his Government health care coverage and enrolling his family and he in the new Obamacare Program. Coverage will be provided for illiegal immigrants. And, they are exempt from penalties and costs which normal, tax paying citizens are called upon to accept. Is that fair? The Feds will have access to your bank accounts. In the event a proceedure is paid for and later the decision is overturned, they will be able to debit the funds out of your account. Despite the President's comment the other day that AARP is on board in support of his plan; that is untrue. They have issued a statement stating they have made no decision. The old saying, "look before you leap" certainly applies here.

I don't know the answer to any of this. Everything now deals with politics and money. I do know that we are all human beings. We are not like flys where you hit them with the flyswatter and end the nuisance. We all do deserve to be able to go to the doctor, hospital when necessary and to have surgery and get medicine when we need it. This is a right we should all have. As to how to fix it, I don't know the answer.

Funny to me nobody can explain what the Health Plan "is", yet all these emotional protesters from the "loud" minority, are authorities on what it "is not".

"He was forced to get a job at Wal-Mart just to provide adequate health care for his family." Please people....FORCED??? Since when did providing for your family become a FORCED thing??? I don't like reading stories like this----it is stupid!! This man did what was NEEDED for his family and his family should be thankful---not bit@hing because there was no FREE healthcare for them.

do you really think needs to happen? The reform that is taking place has NOTHING to due with well being of the patient but the cost alone. If anyone thinks the govt. is going to put patient care above cost. I am sorry but you are sadly mistaken. If you want to be part of Medicare or Medicaid. Then start there to reform anything. They are a disaster and if you think either one of those programs has your best interest, well sadly mistaken again. The insurance industry, pharmaceutical industry, and hospital industry. The funny thing is guess who is the real middle man already for those industries. The govt.????? When the average cancer patient can have over 350,000 dollars in treatment, and cancer being the number one killer. Then this personally scares me when a industry sees something so profitable. You really think they have your best interest? We can talk hours about the management of cost of many diseases but the cost is part of the industry created. You have to look at these industries best interst which is to make a profit. First address all the lobbyist who push there industry above any citizens interest. Oh yeah the AMA, needs to be seriously over hauled in looking out for your best interest. You can also start with the FDA and CDC, the govt industries of sick care. What is happening now will only cost you MORE and get sub par care, FACT!

Get over it! Life's not fair and if you have a pre-existing condition, it is impossible to rationally expect an insurance company to cover that condition, knowing that you will be an endless source of red ink. Do you think these companies are in business to be nice guys? It's also ridiculous to expect healthy people without pre-existing conditions to pay more to subsidize your healthcare. You deal with what life throws in your path. Whatever the obstacle or adversity, you get over it, around it, under it, but somehow you get past it. You cannot expect to redesign the world to accommodate YOU.

Cancer or no cancer, with this new health plan, once you turn 65, you'll get counseling on how to end your life. Basically, if your old, according to some, you don't deserve the right to live. They just can't say that.