Dan,
I do buy my own insurance and it just went up 40% this month. Totally sucks and there is nothing we can do about it. And Medicare for my wife went up 20% as well. I have to have insurance for my wife. So, Why on earth would they want to do that in the face of the Government wanting to get involved? I was told because they know that the Fed will make them lower it back so they are getting their $4 now. 40%. Why isnt there any one I can talk to about this now?? California even has an Insurance czar.

I do want health care reform. But not like this - No Back room deals and Union favors.

Yeah it would be great to have it all taken care of but life isnt like that.

Where is the government regulation that is ALREADY suppose to be there now?

Im with Joseph on this. Lets reform things bu why does it have to be the guys in DC that do it? DO we really think that THEY can honestly come up with the BEST ideas? I'm not saying that to put them down, but really, are they really the best minds we have?

Maybe there should be another Beer Summit and get some real work done..

Does anyone REALLY think the INSURANCE companies are going to reform themselves? What power does any consumer really have - take what they shove up our asses, or go without and drop dead. Not much of a choice.

Why should any insurance company be allowed to constantly raise premiums by double digits, despite massive profits, while at the same time systematically eliminating anyone that they think they may have to pay out on?

I don't care WHO solves it, but all I see from the republicans is "cut malpractice suits" - nothing to help PEOPLE, just the insurance companies again.

Socialist! The people have spoken against you and Obama's evil agenda.

"Maher ... what a great thinker. Self-indulgent prig."

He's pretty good. And at least he doesn't vote for conservatives, which means he's intelligent.

Totally agree.. 100%

Since when are they deregulated?
When did that happen? and why are there only certain insurance companies in some states and not in others?

What do you think about self insured companies? What about companies that hire their own Docs?

I ask a family friend who is a doctor about working on the side with families who cant afford (kind of like Doctors with out boarders) but in the US and his hands were tied because of insurance contracts. He had to be in the system in the US. Whats up with that?

>>>>80% of us don't give a flying banana about any particular party. We care about the country first. Unfortunately 10% on each side are the loud ideological asses who drive wedges into our society.<<<<<<

JK, given the history of USA health care reform attempts in the recent past one can only assume that the republican party has no real interest in making it happen. Just the opposite really. They nuked Clinton's attempt, pretended that there was no problem for 8 years while holding the white house, now they nuked it again without providing any viable option.

In my opinion we need a single payer system in this country. Take the power away from insurers completely. That's not going to happen, so a public option (along with other reforms) was the next best option to force down medical costs. Republicans and conservative democrats made sure that wasn't going to happen.
I'm sorry, history tells me that there are some issues that republicans have a vested interest in squelching. If you don't care about your drinking water, vote republican.

What issues do we or can we agree on regarding health care? Tell me, really. The only thing we agree on is that the system is broken, but nobody wants to step on a corporation's toes in this country and I find that infuriating. We're literally being held hostage by the medical industry. Baby steps sound like a great idea if you're currently covered by a great insurance plan. Sweeping reforms sound a lot better to many others.

Jeff, 40%. That is brutal. Criminal in fact. What gov't regulations do currently exist? Are there any? And who's going to fix this thing if not legislators? Nothing stops corporate greed except regulations.

After saying to the republicans, you guys stay out here in the hallway, we're running the country now! The closed door negotiations on healthcare is just like the kind of things that were and still are complained about in the last administration. The country is split about 50/50 on many things, so the way to handle issues is to exclude the other half of the country and ram your agenda down their throats? That is arrogant and undemocratic. What happened to the openness, what happened to the promise of transparency, what happened to all the promises of a open all inclusive government? All campaign lies to stay in power.

Now that they got their butts handed to them after being inconsiderate and un-inclusive, in typical weasel Democrat fashion now they are going to suck up to the republicans to get their pork and taxation agenda through. The most disgusting lie about healthcare is that it will be free, what a lie.

You see, we the people don't want an oligarchy or one group with ultimate power that won't listen to the people. The people don't want government run healthcare. I believe the people would like to see a stop to the pillaging of the people by the greedy families that own the hospitals and report losses while they line their pockets with cash, the trial lawyers and the insurance companies, the pharmaceutical companies and equipment manufactures with their outrageous profits, etc. People want to see a stop to the gouging, not huge taxes, wasteful spending and another complicated bureaucracy that cant find it's butt with both hands and a road map.

The people spoke yesterday, it's time the politicians listen instead of telling the people how it is going to be.

Right on.

Left off.

What a total steaming mound of bullshit.