The U.S. health care system SUCKS!!

[mvd]

It's about time these plans stopped looking for every pre-existing condition out there, and canceling a plan due to a missed payment that was just a bank timing issue. That second thing happened to me recently.

We need national health now! No more plans putting the bottom line above people! To me, it is just as important as the Iraq war.

There, feels good getting it out.

[napi21]

1. I agree with you! I know, every time I respond to a poll about what

the #1 issue in the election should be, I'm really torn.,..there are sooo many different issues that are emergencies!

[mvd]

3. I've decided to make a candidate's health care plan a major..

factor as far as who I vote for in the primary.

[madrchsod]

6. so far edwards has the best idea

no one else has said anything. but to have national health care we need to scale back our war machine..

[mvd]

7. I'm waiting to see the details of Obama's plan

Obama does support a form of national health care.

[muryan]

2. our health care is in shambles

we have the best medical technology and best doctors in the world, yet we always rank among the lowest of developed countries. costs are spiraling out of control and as someone who sees children in his very near future it causes me to lose sleep almost everytime i think about it

[Porcupine]

4. Get sick, get better or die. What's the problem?

I mean sure we throw people with chronic illnesses out in the streets to freeze but why complain? If those people wanted better health care they could work two jobs and go to college, get themselves a better job with a health plan.

Isnt' that the way it's supposed to work?
:sarcasm:-

[madrchsod]

5. yup it sucks

and i agree on national health care. if we had health care we could do what we wanted to to make a living. national health care would bring our economy out of it`s doldrums..

[Broken_Hero]

8. K and R....nt

[mvd]

9. Thanks, petersond!

:hi:

[Broken_Hero]

10. No problem,

our healthcare system is really hell in a handbasket, and that is an understatement. :hi:

[B Calm]

11. Payment hasn't been denied, it's under review.. B Calm

[EvolveOrConvolve]

12. As a small business owner I agree with you

I'm sick of the bullshit line coming from Republics: "A national health plan will hurt small businesses." Bullshit, absolute bullshit.

[mnhtnbb]

13. It's time for universal coverage in this country--it's way past time!

[mvd]

14. Yes - I prefer single payer!

An update: the insurance company won't insure again for 30-60 days, after an appeals process. Fortunately I got a temporary plan in the meantime, but it should have never come to that. The insurance company offered no alternative of their own but to wait.

[William Bloode]

15. I'll related some of my exp. in this area.

Having Medicare, and Medicaid i get great care. No waiting, no fussing, cheap drugs etc. Before i had these, even regular insurance was a nightmare!

Example #1: Had kidney stones, went to Dr. several times, then to a plan approved specialist. Had a procedure to remove them. My insurance refused to pay. They said it sounded like injuries from a potential car wreck!?!?!?!?!? :shrug:
Last stone i had Medicare/Medicaid. I made one call, and had one visit, procedure next day. Only bill i got said "paid in full" on it.

Example #2: Went to ER and had pneumonia. All i got was stabilized and released. I would get my fever reduced, get a breathing treatment, and i was shoved out the door. I had a fever for over 2 weeks. I in fact damn near died. Fast forward 1yr later when my disability is approved and i have Medicaid, and Medicare i go in with pneumonia and get the royal treatment. I got a room on first visit, all the meds i needed, and they did not seem to be able to do enough tests, and such.

I am all for a national insurance policy. I think every person should get the same kind of care i get for free, or whats deemed affordable on a sliding scale.

[Norquist Nemesis]

16. Call John McCain!!!

I watched his 'townhall' this past Sunday on CSPAN. I couldn't believe it when one older gentlement asked him about healthcare/medicare/medicaid explaining in detail his situation and how he's now paying $1000 for a two month supply of heart medication that's not covered by Part B...because he had the operation two months before it went into effect!

McCain's answer? "I'll have a member of my staff get in touch with you and we'll see if we can't get that taken care of". :argh: What about all of the other people in the same situation, Senator? The one's who didn't ask you at a townhall campaign stop....Got enough staff for them too!!!??? :grr:

[mvd]

17. Good news!

I switched completely from Blue Cross Blue Shield into a more caring program. But for people with less money, they might not have a choice.

[etherealtruth]

18. If one can afford it our health care is great ....

Agreeing with you and many others in this thread it is disgusting to think that in this country there are a significant amount of people that can not afford any health care.

National health plan ...single payer system ....whatever we call it , let's just do it!

[mvd]

19. Again, it's those two Americas Edwards talked about

I make a decent amount, splitting money with my parents, and just because I was short for a month, I lost health insurance.

[etherealtruth]

22. That is a "crime"

[mvd]

23. There was no warning or anything

They just cut it off for being a few days late. I'm glad I could get rid of them.

[Hippo_Tron]

29. Our system still isn't that great even if one can afford it

Yes, there's no waiting for non-essential surgery, that's the one advantage that we have. But insurance companies try to cut costs at every corner when it comes to primary care and prescription drugs.

[walldude]

20. You said it. I quit my job and went into business for myself last year

and while business is doing well, finding affordable health care is impossible..

[RL3AO]

21. People won't want to hear the H word though.

Tax Hike.

Did I oversimplify it? Probably. But that is what it boils down to. Americans are allergic to taxes.

[mvd]

24. We might need more taxes on the rich, but Bush has..

mismanaged things so much with the huge war budget that we might not even need higher taxes to at least improve the system.

[RL3AO]

25. Ending the war would be a good start.

[bobbolink]

26. As Elizabeth Edwards said, it's up to US!

Yes, the whole system stinks, but most of all, I want to commend you on being ready to take action! So many of us have sad stories to tell, and there are so many tragedies--it's shameful.

But unless/until we are all ready to DEMAND decent health care, it won't happen. I don't know if you saw antigop's post about donations from the insurance companies, but it's clear there is going to be very strong resistance to actually changing the system, and just griping among ourselves isn't going to get us what we want.

These companies are going to fight to the death (theirs, I hope!), and it's going to get ugly. We must get organized, and develop a strategery.

Have you looked around the www.pnhp.org website? There is much good info there. We must all get very acquainted with the information, and how to counter the resistance we will meet. We need to speak up each time we hear someone talking about a bad experience they had. We need to get qualified speakers to come to the meetings of organizations and churches we belong to.

There is much we can/must do, and it's past time to get started!

Thanks for helping to get the ball rolling!

[antigop]

27. HR 676 Medicare for All -- Say it loud and spread the word

HR 676 Medicare for All would extend Medicare and provide single-payer universal health coverage.

PLEASE, get the word out. Many people do not know about this bill.

If you are in California, get the word out on Kuehl's SB 840 bill that would provide single-payer universal coverage.

Write LTTE's to inform people.

I have found that people have an extremely favorable reaction to HR 676 when you tell them about it. Many don't know about it.

As bobbolink mentioned, "It is up to us". Don't expect the media to give much coverage, if any. We have to become the media.

[Cleita]

28. About the candidates health plans. Any candidate who tries

to keep the present health insurance industry involved in the plan is not presenting a good health plan. For a cost effective and efficient plan that covers everyone, it has to be single payer, with no middle men, meaning the insurers and for profit HMOs and PPDs, involved.

You see they have got a cash cow here at the expense of people who really need health care and that's why our system is in a mess. Now with catastrophic insurance being pushed as the norm, they have figured out a way to collect premiums without ever having to actually pay for anything or very little in the way of claims. The reason Canada's system works is because it is a contract between the payer, the government, and the health care providers, who are the hospitals, doctors and clinics that disburse health care.

There is no two tiered system with insurance carriers in between. Now I don't think Edward's or Clinton's plans eliminate the middle man but Dennis Kucinich's does.

[proud patriot]

30. It sure does ..

Big Time

[HeeBGBz]

31. It will be the death of me

I'm fairly certain about that. Unless some big changes happen.