The bottom line

Health care reform MUST be completed in this year: 2009. If this legislation does not pass now, it will NEVER pass! The POTUS is correct: "You must set deadlines and goals in D.C., because if not, nothing gets done." Next year is an election year, so politicians will do nothing to risk their seat, so nothing changes. The Democrat numbers indicates the timing is right, but the nation is one of easily misguided fools, subjected to nay sayers getting a chant going of misinformation, which can't be risked with time. So it must be done this year. Simple.

You could always go to your local witch doctor.

It is my hope that all who oppose SOME kind of reform, including the member of the AC Staff who wrote this, find out first hand the plight of those who are non-insured.

Why will private insurers be destroyed?

GACOP, we're not saying that reform isn't necessary, just that govenment isn't the answer. History proves that. Sorry you don't have coverage. Try going back to school, getting more training and education, and then getting a better paying job with benefits. It's called self-responsibility. Maybe you've heard of it? But don't ask me and the taxpayers to pay for your healthcare, which is exactly what "national" healthcare is. You can call it whatever you want, but the bottom line is you and the other supporters of this want the taxpayers to foot the bill anytime you need medical care. It gives a whole new meaning to "lipstick on a pig." And yes, CONCERNED, private insurers will be a thing of the past. They can't compete with a government subsidized healthcare program.

It is not at all clear that the President's health care plan is the best possible plan. Nevertheless, the present system is a disaster. The health care system that we have now is wasteful and excessively expensive. If you are too sick to work, how do you get insurance? Many people fall through the cracks--not eligible for Medicaid or Medicare and unable to buy insurance. Almost every reader of this newspaper is one serious illness or injury away from bankruptcy--and don't kid yourself about it. There is room to debate about the merits of the President's plan, but little to be said in defense of the plan we have now.

To concernednative on why will private insurers be destroyed?
Answer: If Prezbho's program is implemented, everyone will have the same care regardless of private/government insurancd.
The government insured will pay less yet you will have the same coverage, except you will be paying twice the price. How long will it be before people realize this? Prezbho's program is about money and not your healthcare. He is wanting to pressure medical care costs for more money to cover his personal project(s) needs. Your private premiums will not be lowered and thence eventually the employers will make a decision to drop you altogehter and then you will be government covered without all the benefits you have been receiving in the past.

Before we try to fix the part of health care that is not broken: the private part, we should first fix the part that is broken: Medicare, Medicaid, the VA. Please note that the broken part is the GOVERNMENT-RUN part!

Some of you may be on Medicare I don't know. But do a little research every company that sells medicare supplements has too have the same coverage. Just turn your TV on AARP/United Healthcare runs commercials none stop selling this stuff along with hundreds of other lesser know companies. So the govt sets a standard and private companies compete on who can deliver it the best its not unheard of it already exists.
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justus is an idiot....a closed minded one at that.

So WHARPINE, what you're saying is, we pass this trillion dollar healthcare bill, even though we know it's not that great? You're kidding...right? Even the CBO says it is too expensive, and that isn't controlled by insurance companies or doctors. GIVEN IT'S HISTORY, GOVERNMENT IS NOT THE ANSWER! WHEN WILL YOU PEOPLE LEARN THIS FACT!

southern: Friday's AcC had an article that Ga colleges may have to cap enrollment so the "going back to school" option may be out.

justus4 on Sun Jul 26, 2009 3:33 AM Please read Krauthammer's editorial today. Krauthammer is not a "true believer conservative". Krauthammer's analysis is pretty much on target. Tort reform and also some immigration reform to limit illegal immigrant costs to OUR health care system will go a long way toward helping to reduce costs. Working in health care and having close relatives that work in health care I can tell you the system needs tweaking not scraping. If we do this hugh, cost prohibative reform Obama wants we may well throw the baby out with the bath water.

its all about propping up care and caid. there is nowhere left to cost shift. the medicaid budget in georgia is larger than the complete budget was 10 years ago. 70% of ALL of the babies born in ga. are medicaid babies. so 70% start life on welfare.
2 generations of 70% is overwhelming. now the boomers are entering medicare. only way to "save" the system is to put healthy high premium working people into the same pool, same system, as the others. it is the communist way.......

SouthernGuy, did you even read my post? I specifically did not advocate the President's plan. What I said very clearly is that we should not keep the plan we have now. The status quo is not a reasonable option. If you oppose the president's plan, you should propose something of your own. You angrily criticize Obama's plan, but propose no alternate solution. It's easy to poke holes, but to develop a good, sound plan of your own would take actual work. Notice that the conservative post by carcraft proposed a solution--not a complete solution, but at least something. You offered nothing. Also, please be aware that conservatism, which is an honorable policy, is not the same thing as anarchy. Platitudes like "government is not the solution" mean nothing. I reiterate: almost everybody, including, probably, you, is one illness or injury from bankruptcy. Contrary to popular belief, insurance is month-by-month: it disappears fast if you get too sick to work.

why is it that if you want to pay your medical bills out of pocket you will pay more than the insurance company will have to pay?

it used to be that being a doctor was a noble profession not a lucrative one.

I am solidly in the middle class...in GA. If I was in New York or Chicago I would be in the lower middle class. I get great healthcare. Everyone I know gets great healthcare. I assume that people who make more money than me get great healthcare. That tells me that MOST people get great healthcare. When I talk to people from Canada and England I get the impression that they DO NOT get great healthcare. They all talk of long waits, misdiagnosis because of being limited to one test, and long waits to see their Primary Care doctor. They also talk of 6 month waits to see a specialist. I'm sorry, but I cannot see throwing my great healthcare away and voluntarily becoming Canada or England just to give health coverage to illegal aliens and people who choose not to spend money on health insurance. Those are the largest part of the "uncovered" number. Poor citizens get free healthcare already. Maybe they do have to go to the emergency room, but nobody gets turned away and they get treated for free. From headache to heart attack they get treated for free. Maybe we need to tweak some laws about insurance companies canceling and portability, but we do not need Obama government healthcare.

WHarp; Actually if you get sick and lose your job, you can get COBRA for a while (I think it's 18 months, haven't looked it up yet), you just have to pay your part AND your employers part. The hospital I work for claims that would total over $1,200 per month. Tricky without the paycheck.

max: And you don't think you get to pay for the $1,000 bill that's eaten by the hospital to cover that headache?

Please don't remove the Insurance executive from between my Doctor and myself. It is so much fun trying to figure out what is and isn't covered. Of course the threatening letters from the hospital do raise my B.P. slightly and the Insurance exec says that is a minor problem that I could take care of myself, if I would just pay the entire amount. Yeah I don't want a low paid government employee between me and my doctor.

Universal coverage is long overdo. I can't understand people being against something that's in their best interest, and certainly, getting health care is in your best interest. 47 million people is a lot of folks. Any HR manager knows that one or two major claims will raise a company rates 20% or more. It's becoming less affordable even by those who are employed.

I believe the GOP should put forth this one suggestion that would provide plenty of money to pay for changing our healthcare system, enabling the country to provide coverage for all, but NOT directly cost one class to pay anymore than another, and EVERYONE would pay into the system. The Fair/Flat TAX. Eliminates Income tax, which incourages everyone to work, and elimates the wealth redistribution mentality, and also eliminates the immigrant burden, and NON IRS filing people who escape income tax, but still reap the benefits of living in the greatest country of the world. This consumption tax, would encourage small business start-ups, which would eliminate rising unemployment. If we arre not going to STOP illegal immigration, then let us ensure that NOONE escapes paying to live in this country. If OBAMA, really cares about ALL people being covered with healthcare, and not just trying to create class war, and wealth redistribution, he should see this as a way to accomplish the goal, and it would not be at the expense of one group of people over another. Obama is asking for a major change in our way of life, so if we can drastically change healthcare, we CAN change our tax sytem.

GOP congressional (SENATE and HOUSE members) should tell the DEMS, if you REALLY want to pass a Healthcare bill, then do what would include ALL people, and be fair to ALL people. Or is the Dems plan to KILL private health care, and put more dependence on the government? Lets just see where the DEMS HEART REALLY is. Do they REALLY want to HELP our country? They say they are open minded to solutions, well the fair tax would do it. The reason, I believe they WON'T do it, is because they truly want more people dependent on the Gov't, and securing more votes from the needy folks, who can't support themselves. the FAIR Tax would encourage more small business start-ups, and more people would be swayed to the concervative side, and want less govt involvement in there lives. Soon the liberal party would LOSE ALL their POWER, and control, which is all they really care about. If OBAMA, really cares about and believes in the Healthcare change for all, why doesn't he include himself and all of Congress, to have the EXACT same coverage he proposes for US.

grouse.......how is ME paying for someone else's insurance in MY best interests?

justus is right about one thing. The Congress won't risk passing a healthcare bill in an election year. But I must ask.....if the legislation is so good and the vast majority of Americans want it then why would it be risk?

Now Mr Gates and Obama want everyone to make amends after they realized the public is not behind THEIR racism accussation, and it is hurting OBAMA, at a time when he is at his weakest since Jan.20th. This incidnet should be proof positive that Obama and Gates are Racists. Just imagine what the media would be doing if, Sarah Palin had gone on TV to declare support for Crowley. Why is it only Racism, if a NON white says it is? Double standard reverse discrimination alive and well, RIGHT MS. Sotomayor?

Obama is only behaving like a typical black man..................don't call me racist..........Obama is the one who said his grandmother acted like a typical white woman.

Noone, you hit on the problem and the part that needs to be reformed. If you want to pay out of pocket you should not be charged more because paying the lower rate that the doctors are willing to accept will upset the apple cart of the normal and customary rates that insurance companies will pay. I'm old enough to remember when most people didn't have medical insurance. You just paid the docs what they charged and you carried so-called catastrophic coverage.

Concernednative, if you are disabled and on Medicare, you legally cannot buy supplemental coverage, it's only for retirees. It's Federal law that you can't purchase it.