Hi Kevin,

I would agree with you if the government would model their health care after the Commonwealth coutries it would probably work. However, this government is not trying to model it that way. They want to model it after medicare and medicade which have mandates to the states but which the government does not fund. That does not count the CHIPS program with its mandates and less than stellar funding. If medicare has a $34 trillion unfunded liability and medicade has a projected $84 trillion unfunded liability what in the world would make us think that this government is going to have a viable health insurance program when they do not fund the ones already in existance. I will not even start with the VA since I know it first hand. This is not a single party issue both parties have neglected addressing this for years and instead of sitting down looking at the models like Australia which does work, they just passed bills increasing mandates to the states and then refusing to fund the madates.

I do have to take issue with you about the insurance companies not being in it to help those who are sick. Sure there are horror stories out there about how the big bad insurance companies are just in it for the money and if you get sick they drop you like a hot rock. Spreading those stories make for good politics and flashy news however, I know first hand how they are actually there to help you. We have been told that these companies make un-godly profits but the truth is they did not. In 2008 all the insurance companies combined made only a 2% profit. How much did Micky D's make?

When I was working our comany had insurance through United Health Care. In the early 2000's I had a blood clot that caused a massive heart attack. United paid 90% of a $280,000 hospital and doctor bill. They paid 100% to send me to a rehab center and paid 100% for a RN to come to my home and work with me on a diet and wellness program. For that policy I paid $75.00 per month the company paid $275 of the premium. The company then changed to Humana for cheaper rates. Humana did not deny me for any pre-existing illness or past claims. I paid $50.00 per month and the company paid the other $175 of it. I had another blood clot hit and in fact I flat lined 3 times in the OR. Humana paid 90% of a $400,000 hospital and doctors bill for that one. Again they paid 100% for rehab and sent a RN to check on me 3 times a month for 5 months covering it 100%. When our company went under I lost all that. After looking for work and continually getting turned down (of course it wasnt a age thing you know) I had to go ahead and take my retirement. With it I make exactly $22 dollars to much to qualify for medicade, I have a ways yet to go before I can qualify for medicare if it is even still there then. With current living expenses I cannot afford a individual insurance however, I have the greatest medical system and doctors to me in the world who work with me an keep the cost of continual treatment managable. Yes, I have heard the horror stories about the big bad insurance companies but they were there for me when I needed them. Sadly medicade and medicare are less than stellar in performing for their constituents.

If this government would model the insurance after Australia I would back it in a heart beat (no pun intended) :).

The government can come up with billions to kill innocent women and children overseas and bring our youngest and brightest back in body bags or so mentaly and physically damaged they cannot fully function in todays world. The government can spend billions to bail out Wall Street, Banks, Auto Industries and Cash for Clunkers yet they cannot see themselves spending one more dime on funding health care programs they have already instituted and mandated and, you think I should trust them to come up with one that is going to cover us all! Model it after Australia and keep it that way and you have my attention. Quit spending Billions on wars that are only becoming political football games, quit bailing out Wall Street and the Auto Industry and I will listen.

Sure you and Doug will have to pay higher taxes but hey don't you think its worth it to keep me around :)

Seriously if they would propose an Australian system I would go for it but, what is being proposed is not and sorry to say but the elderly and the kids will suffer because it will not be fully funded. If they would do something for the good of the country such as Australia instead of just looking at their political hides that would be great but, they wont.

Hi Justin, if Medicade and CHIPS isn't funded, then that essentially means that people go without health care. I think we do need a government run health plan. The insurance companies are robbing people blind. They are in it to make money--not to help those who are sick. I think the Commonwealth countries have it correct. We lived in Australia for 7 years and everyone has health insurance. I think that is the best way to go.

Kevin:

I agree with you about the billions we are wasting on a stupid war however, your question regarding finding billions to make sure kids have health insurance would leave one to think that there are no programs for insuring kids do have insurance. There are two federal programs that do insure that. One is called CHIPS and the other is medicade. Chips is for families who make to much to qualify for medicade.

We do need health care reform but, we do not need a government controlled program and that is exactly where Obama and the Dems want to go is a total one payer system. This sounds great but lets look at the pit falls that are already existing with the two programs I mentioned.

[1] Among the groups of people served by Medicaid are certain eligible U.S. citizens and resident aliens, including low-income adults and their children, and people with certain disabilities.

[2] CHIPS: The program was designed with the intent to cover uninsured children in families with incomes that are modest but too high to qualify for Medicaid.

Both of these programs are funded by matching funds from the Government to the States. However, the Government puts mandates on the States then does not follow through with funding leaving the States in the lurch. Check out how many states are having financial problems with these programs. Many Doctors are refusing Medicare, Medicad and Chips because the government keeps cutting back on what they are paid and refuses to pay for a lot of care that is needed.

We need a good health care reform ( I know because I do not have insurance) however, thinking the government is the solution is just asking for a disaster. In 8 years they are predicting Medicare will be broke. They are even saying Social Security will not be around in the next 20 years. Now I know the Administration is touting these as great programs but are they?

I think we could do better by stopping the billions going to two wars we don't need to be in and quit bailing out the banks and Wall Street. Put that money back in our pockets and out of the poloticians.

The congressional budget office says that tort reform would save 54 billion dollars in health care. Why are the Dems opposed to inacting tort reform?