Open Congress : Comments on H.R. 3200: America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 2009-07-22T14:28:37Z,2007:/bill/comments/59072 New comment by gstecker 2009-07-22T14:28:37Z,2009-07-22:/comment/114791 gstecker This is insane! ANY public health care bill passed by this Congress should make it manditory that all congressional members enroll. If it is good enough for WE THE PEOPLE, then it is certainly good enough for the public servants. New comment by johngaltq 2010-03-11T13:58:48Z,2010-03-11:/comment/188482 johngaltq And here is the provision in question: New comment by Hakib 2009-08-13T08:46:56Z,2009-08-13:/comment/118184 Hakib I could see that happening in the final version of the bill. That could be a really good selling point for most people. New comment by scopemonkey 2009-08-21T23:29:08Z,2009-08-21:/comment/120752 scopemonkey If you want to know the value of any patient, look no farther than their insurance benefit package. Its called lifetime maximum benefit. Mine is $2 M according to Blue Shield. My friend's is only $500K. Who determined that? All systems have "beancounters" for your health and I sure am tired of some for-profit corporate bureaucrat standing between me and my patients. They maximize profit by denying care and answer to their shareholders and not the "insured." This forum is a testament to the public option--government answers to us. When's the last time a private insurance company held a Town Hall meeting? Try expressing your opinion at a board meeting of Aetna/BlueCross/Foundation Health/etc and see how far you get. Here's relief for your psyche: "end of life" means when your life ends, as in death. It isn't vague at all. New comment by hch 2009-07-19T08:09:01Z,2009-07-19:/comment/114077 hch I moved to this country and became a citizen 41 years ago to escape the repression of socialism. It is hard to explain to someone that has not lived the experience, but socialism kills the soul. The constant reliance on the government to provide for you destroys motivation. Just look around the world at the ruins of failed socialist program they are everywhere. Just show me one successful socialist country. What is happening to America have we gone mad. We must STOP THE RUSH TO SOCIALISM New comment by FireOpal 2009-07-23T11:03:30Z,2009-07-23:/comment/114907 FireOpal You've hit the definition of Capitalism. Without competition, there is nothing that will keep the prices under control. The problem with this bill is that the proposers seem to think we live in a society where people don't cheat, we have endless stores of money, and we all want to be taken care of. I fought very hard to be considered an adult and make my own choices. I think it's appalling that the national government, people who we elected, don't seem to think we can decide what's best for us. The bill is idyllic in a perfect world, but it can never work. We can't afford more government spending and the officials we elected to represent us seem to have forgotten where the money for these bills are coming from. New comment by ProudVirginian 2009-09-05T13:48:47Z,2009-09-05:/comment/123324 ProudVirginian Being free to buy in to a plan is voting with your dollars. We don't need Aetna to have a town hall meeting because Aetna, unlike the gov't, is not and can not impose laws that create fines for those who do not subscribe to their service. If Aetna is such a poor company, and I'm not just talking about Aetna, I'm just using A. as an example, then businesses, schools, individuals etc. would not choose them as a provider. The freer the market the more democratic the society. Socialism is restrictive and anti-democratic, and this bill has the potential for abuse that will can lead to tyranny and socialism. New comment by ProfessorMVAF 2009-09-12T17:31:59Z,2009-09-12:/comment/125448 ProfessorMVAF But when will this all unfold, Virginian? I am an economist, and I don't disagree that you are describing one of a few scenarios, but I think what you are seeing is one low probability scenario that will take a generation to play out. By then, climate change battles and vastly shifting international political battle lines will be our major priority. I just don't see tyranny as a non-trivial outcome here. Unless you're an MD and only 40ish and are counting on substantial wealth? Or a health insurance industry exec or lobbyist? I do see some victims here, but not terribly sympathetic victims. New comment by StreetBeaver 2009-08-26T17:47:18Z,2009-08-26:/comment/121542 StreetBeaver Sweet for a savings of only $250 dollars i can throw away all personal freedom and responsibility and Go feed at the teat of my neighbors...... and they said social fascism would never fly in "america". I am so glad i stumbled acroos your comments whilst cleaning my guns and reading my Bible(GWBush edition). While I 100percent agree that the healthcare system needs fixed i think we can do better if we just let real competition work and perhaps look at tort reform. Too bad our "glorious leader" has been a lawyer too long to piss away his lobbyist support. If the bill is so good why are the government workers exempt from it? New comment by nfcooper 2009-09-11T15:19:09Z,2009-09-11:/comment/124947 nfcooper HMOs were created from the "free market". I have one of the so called great health insurance plans, but I have seen the HMOs stifle wage increases and choice. My employer dropped 3 of the biggest healthcare providers as the premiums became unsustainable for them and for me. Each time that happened, I had to choose a different doctor or my doctor didn't accept the healthcare carrier because they hated having to fight to get paid or treat their patients. Tort reform is a small portion of the problem with the rising health care cost. Now if we really want to fix healthcare, let’s talk about insurance reform, (remember AIG). New comment by cooperbry 2009-10-31T06:27:51Z,2009-10-31:/comment/157594 cooperbry I agree with your comment on insurance reform, but, it's deeper than that. It's SYSTEMIC reform. BTW - HMOs were a mandate from our wonderful government: New comment by ProudVirginian 2009-09-05T13:56:53Z,2009-09-05:/comment/123325 ProudVirginian To encourage the type of counseling that convinces elderly and terminally ill patients to throw in the towel ASAP. This one of the ingenious ideas the authors of the bill use to save money for this nightmare that is being crammed down our throats. It benefits the doctors and the people committee in charge of funds. The doctors get paid for a previously free service, which provides them with the extra incentive to promote the end-of-life options of the gov't's choice (after all, that's who the docs will be working for), and the money that would have been spent on life saving procedures can be spent on other things (like abortions and prozac) because the patient has been sold on the idea that their life is not worth living. New comment by katheria 2009-08-14T22:16:31Z,2009-08-14:/comment/119051 katheria I enjoy each day as much as i can and try to put the past behind me.Its all i can really do. I do agree with some parts of the bill, something does need to be done to control the costs of health care. My best friends daughter cut her leg on a glass bottle when she fell of her bike. They had insurance thank gosh, but i could not believe it when she showed the bill to me. The hospital (a different one) charged her insurance company over $7k for 18 stitches..Sharron said they were there for 45 minutes total. for 7k i think i would have stitched myself up LOL New comment by NoMoney2FELONSamongUS 2009-09-15T05:52:31Z,2009-09-15:/comment/126138 NoMoney2FELONSamongUS > How does tripling the price of insurance save money? By the same mechanism than can tax you into prosperity! New comment by slimgpd 2009-08-17T12:47:36Z,2009-08-17:/comment/119763 slimgpd How about rights to life? This bill will create "death panels" that will leave the elderly to die. If you don't know what this bill does to the Constitution then research it. And I don't mean listen to the news, they won't tell you anything. New comment by KD5NRH 2009-09-13T07:15:12Z,2009-09-13:/comment/125551 KD5NRH Checking the numbers, our school district runs about $8,000 per student per year. Tuition at the only private school in the county (no competition, even) is $3,700 per student per year. Less than half the cost for a much better education. New comment by LucasFoxx 2009-10-14T17:58:50Z,2009-10-14:/comment/142362 LucasFoxx United States v. Butler, HELVERING v. DAVIS, Steward Machine Co. v. Davis,.. The Supreme Court has already addressed the scope of the general welfare clause. What could possibly more general than our mortality? I would agree that, if we could get regulatory control over the insurance industry, that might be all we need. I've said earlier, and I stand by it, they could cut all of the spending in this bill (including the public option) and it would still be revolutionary. New comment by goldfever01 2010-02-26T08:51:56Z,2010-02-26:/comment/186871 goldfever01 I may be alittle off your topic,,,,,,, Why should this BILL be any different from the past reform BILLS, I’m 50 and for as long as I can remember my grandpa told me to be very careful of what a politician tells you, if he/she says it’s for your own good, run and run away fast. Our country is failing, it’s that simple. The people voted for this, the big question is why? "WE THE PEOPLE" doesn’t mean a thing anymore. If anyone hasn't noticed, they (the politicians) only speak about the American people needing healthcare reform; they (the politicians) don’t need it. They (the politicians) have lifelong healthcare. All Americans should have the same access to the same health care "The very best" if a person wants more they should have the right to have more. Illegal people should pay. New comment by ladyodowd 2010-03-01T07:26:09Z,2010-03-01:/comment/187247 ladyodowd agreed; Sorry but I don't trust politicians who make promises and I'm certain that if this gets rammed through, we will regret it. People need to remember that the federal government doesn't make money, they are spending OUR money. New comment by NoMoney2FELONSamongUS 2009-09-15T05:48:36Z,2009-09-15:/comment/126127 NoMoney2FELONSamongUS > The government says they are doing this to make things cheaper Less government + free market == lower costs all around