Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Health Care Reform

President Barack Obama gives a national address (you can watch it live on WHO-TV 13 at 7pm--thought the bosses would like that promotional pitch!) on health care reform. As Congress tries to figure out how to agree on overhauling the massive health care system, what do you want to see accomplished?

6 comments:

Jeff said...

Lower the cost. It is way too expensive. Fix it.

Gagapj said...

Health reform in American should be the immediate focus for this administration and the senators who supposedly represent Iowans. Iowans voted for President Obama on the platform of change. We can't keep using excuses from the past and hiding behind hot buzz words appealing to emotion rather than logic. It's time big money gets out of the health care business, it's time for drug companies to quit buying votes and lining the pockets of politicians. Don't confuse capitalism with unethical practices. Capitalism isn't supposed to be a government scam, is it? A public option MUST be included in reform or nothing will change-it will end up being a shift of dollars from one corporation to another.
What's wrong with this picture? The U.S. pays more per person for health care that any other country in the world. Yet we rank far down the scale in quality of coverage at number 37, according to the World Health Organization. It's a myth that the US has the best healthcare in the world. The fact is we have the best healthcare in the world for some people.
Take a look at my personal example (we have full coverage insurance through DSM school district) We aren't included in the 50 million citizens with no insurance coverage, right? Then, why is it that when I got sick on vacation I ended up in a metro public hospital emergency room waiting over six hours in the swine flu corner with a packed room filled with uninsured coughing sick people? Because my great insurance policy doesn't cover me if I need care out of state. I can only get sick in Iowa. Shoot! Oh well, our co-pays and prescriptions costs will prevent us from affording vacations in the future, anyway.
To answer your question directly, I want comprehensive coverage (such as provided to politicians) accessible for all Americans in all rural and urban areas, just like every other industrialized nation in the world. I want costs to go down by regulating profits and organizing cost-effective preventative services. Doctors should make decisions on procedures and not insurance agents. I want the uber-rich to help pay for coverage as most profits came from the populous needing services. Contributing to such a plan will not be a noted detriment to that percentage of the wealthy. It won’t impact their wealthy lifestyle. I want community service expected for all Americans. Most of all, I want our Iowa Senators to quit making excuses. We don’t need more time! It needs to be accomplished NOW. We keep waiting and waiting while more sick children suffer at home, senior citizens eat cat food to buy medicine while they pay into their over-priced plans helping pharmacies and insurance companies make huge profits.

Anonymous said...

I want everyone to understand that the government (you and me) can't afford to give away free health care to everyone anymore than we can afford to give free corvettes to everyone. We need ethicists to determine basic health care rights everyone should be able to receive and other healthcare you can get IF you want to pay for it. Those who choose to put themselves at risk for disease with obesity, smoking and other known risk factors pay higher premiums. Emergency rooms should ONLY be used for true emergencys. We'd save all kinds of money if we used a little common sense.

Christina said...

Here is what we heard Obama say last night: 1. This plan will increase access for us all. 2. This plan will increase the number of people covered by health insurance. 3. This plan will increase the quality of care we all receive. 4. This plan won't raise costs for the average family!

Wow! He lives in denial land. The above objectives can not be meet and he knows it!

This plan have too many questions left un answered. Last night he even admitted it will still leave people un insured! This plan is being pushed through wihtout a lot of thought process and with a huge price tag, just like the stimulus bills and look where those got us! No where, but with huge debit.

I agree health care needs to be looked at. But not like this, not with this plan and not this quickly.

Anonymous said...

I want America to have insurance that allows Doctors to treat their patients with QUALITY care. I want young and old alike to have access to coverage that not only prevents, but treats. I want those with no insurance to have affordable care. I would like to see American citizens rally for reform that works, based on fact and not fear.

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