Say Republicans - If You Have a Plan to Insure Most Americans Let's Hear It

Amen! The ONLY things I've ever heard the Republicans suggest are tax credits and allowing insurance to be sold across state lines. Oh, and I forgot tort reform, we've got to punish the trial lawyers but the insurance companies are blameless! If insurers can sell policies across state lines, all they'll do is move their headquarters to the states where they can gouge the people the most. When the average family health plan is over $12,000 annually, tax credits aren't going to help the low income people who don't end up owing federal income tax. Finally, along with taking away the patients' rights to sue a bad doctor or other health care provider there should also be a limit to the malpractice insurance companies charging GOOD doctos outrageous fees. The GOP had eight years recently and did nothing about health care. They had control of Congress for much of the time since 1994 and they did nothing. NOW they're hoping by blocking the Democrats from doing anything they'll get back in power, which means - you guessed it - NOTHING will be done for who knows how many more years. Health care premiums went from an average annual cost of around $5000 in 2000 to $12,000 now and they're on track to increase to $36,000 in another decade. If that isn't addressed there can be no lasting reform. Annie

Hey zebra,Why don't you tell us what is so great about this lib plan? I think the rationed care,high costs and government control over whether we live or die are probably what you like the most. Maybe the fact that it has been tried all over the world and has been a colossal failure in every instance should tell you something? Albert Einstein once said,"The definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result!

That's already done. Most Americans already have health insurance and our of those who do, 75% are happy with the coverage we have. So, instead of playing stupid political games that are more about power and corruption, why don't we have real discussions about how to fill in the gaps?

Newsflash zebra, most Americans, Roughly 85%, ARE insured, so the basic plan of private insurance companies is clearly working to that extent. Insuring people isn't really the issue. What we need to do is bring down costs. To do that we need to analyze why costs are so high. Howard Dean of all people already admitted that Democrats don't want tort reform because they don't want to anger trial lawyers. In other words, that's whose pocket they're in. The other issue is that the current government run insurance, medicare and medicaid, routinely shafts primary care physicians. They could spend hours with a patient and get a piddly $50 from medicaid. That's why we have so few PCPs out there. Now Obama doesn't mind using his delegates to impersonate PCPs, but that isn't going to fix the problem.

As a Canadian, (and very Happy with our Federal Health Care Plan, since 1984) I am amused that Americans can't get past Health Care Insurance. For God's sake can't you guys see that the Health Insurance Companies are stealing you blind! The very last thing you want, or need, is Health Insurance. Insurance is, has been, and always will be a Scam, where you can only win by losing. Get away from insurance (as we have done in Canada) and you will get reform, lower Medical costs ( $10,000 a day for a hospital bed is ludicrous) and Every last American will get affordable health care.

I have a plan. Let the private insurance markets work, and keep the government the heck out of it. Government can't even run its own postal service correctly, how in the world is it going to run health care (other than into the ground)? By the way, Bush is no longer in office. His term ended back in January. It's Obama's administration now.

It is not governments job to provide you with health insurance. It is not any more a role that government to provide food insurance or clothes insurance. Let me ask you a question, you want myself to provide yourself with health insurance, well should you provide me with a car. Maybe I fell a car is more important than health insurance. You speak about competition but it is government that prevents competition. State insurance commision dictate what kinds of health insurances can be sold in their states. Which is just one reason why the only reform that is truly needed is getting government out of of the health care industry instead of more.

I have already made several suggestions that we could take. I for one don't want government involved in health care, I also don't believe a big huge health care overhaul will work unless there is a LOT of investigation and discussion on what all the issues are. I would like to see steps taken to fix some of the problems we know we have now and then watch the health care system to see what happens. Such things I've suggested is removing ability to not cover pre-existing conditions, tort reform (which will reduce malpractice insurance that can then be passed on to the patient), and a tiered system for medicare/medicaid that doesn't shut someone completely off of benefits as they try to better themselves (as they make more money they start getting a smaller percentage of benefits instead of losing them all together.) I would support any politician regardless of party that wanted to institute some of these changes.