I am a retired 72 year old and have been waiting for my Medicare Advantage Plus insurance. Now that I have it I do not want to have it taken away from me.
Chrage more for something else, raise my Part B charge, but please do not remove the Advantage program for both myself and my wife. I am like millions of others in that I figured my retirement income and my expenses before I left my job and know what I can afford. Had this not been part of the Medicare program I wouldn't have retired, yet.

Business as usual for the working poor and middle class without jobs and insurance.If the news media would show the reaction of the 40.000.000+ who don't have health insurance and really no way to pay for it without giving up some things like food or a place to sleep, perhaps Obama would get a pair and stand up against the real problem.The insurance companies and the scab picking news medea that controls policy in this country.Perhaps with another 40.000.000 out of work this time next year, we might stand a chance of getting something done.

I am a retired 72 year old and have been waiting for my Medicare Advantage Plus insurance. Now that I have it I do not want to have it taken away from me.
Chrage more for something else, raise my Part B charge, but please do not remove the Advantage program for both myself and my wife. I am like millions of others in that I figured my retirement income and my expenses before I left my job and know what I can afford. Had this not been part of the Medicare program I wouldn't have retired, yet.

I think the administration should weigh carefully the option of dropping the public option.

Get the faltering Dems in line and we can do it, yes we can.

What in the world do these naysayers think Medicare and Social Security are and where would we be without them?

I know personally of business owners and all kind of folks that are hurting because of poor or no healthcare and it is costing our economy as well.

We have to fight to outdo the Radical Right, this is too critical.

Dropping the public option would be great. If the public option was passed, it would soon result in a takeover of private healthcare and lead to a single payer system, which would cause dramatically worse healthcare, such as that in Europe and Canada.

What a President has to do in this country to have anything resemble solid health insurance is to bring local, state and the federal government to the level of the people who elect them and pay their way. Have health insurance be brought to the same level for all its people. Not this 100% paid bennies, automatic pay raises, carry over sick days for the life of your job and perks like a new vehicle paid for by us to go back and forth to work when you have a desk job. Let them buy their own cars and suv's and don't give them any extra money to do so.
Also, last year Obama let slip out of his mouth about a national security force. This is to be used against WHO!
I can go on and on, but this is ticking me off.

Once again, the Republicans lie and fearmonger to get their way and the American people follow like sheep. Republicans are for BIG BUSINESS only, not the people. These are the same people who voted AGAINST Medicare, Social Security and healthcare for children. Seniors - YOU WILL NOT LOSE YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY!!!!!!! Wise up!!! Your children and grandchildren may someday be without healthcare.

Health insurance run by the insurance companies is going to be too expensive. We need to have competition from a public plan in order to keep the insurance companies in line! Also, if the coops are regional there won't be any uniformity in coverage or premiums.

Health insurance run by the insurance companies is going to be too expensive. We need to have competition from a public plan in order to keep the insurance companies in line! Also, if the coops are regional there won't be any uniformity in coverage or premiums.

Well, I can see the Insurance Companies laughing now! That was a close one boys, if not for the Republicans helping us scare the hell out of people, we could have lost control and our hefty bonus! HA HA HA!!!!

This is crazy that people can't see what is going on. This is not about the left or right, this is about keeping our freedom, this about not becoming like any other Country out there. We made need changes in insurance companies etc and how things are run. Government has already proven they can't handle the job and we would be like every other Country out there. I personally don't think it should be approved even with this, as it is one step closer to government take over. It is amazing the things we are tolerating and not seeing, it has so become clear to me recently how bad this is.

If you want affordable health care, get the ambulance chasing lawyers like John Edwards (DEMOCRAT) to stop driving up the price by encouraging people to get rich by sueing for millions of dollars every time their doctor makes a mistake. It's called TORT REFORM. In Illinois, all but a few neuro surgeons left the state because they could not pay the exorbitant prices of their malpractice insurance. The answer IS NOT government run insurance, it's getting the cost of insurance to come down.

If you want affordable health care, get the ambulance chasing lawyers like John Edwards (DEMOCRAT) to stop driving up the price by encouraging people to get rich by sueing for millions of dollars every time their doctor makes a mistake. It's called TORT REFORM. In Illinois, all but a few neuro surgeons left the state because they could not pay the exorbitant prices of their malpractice insurance. The answer IS NOT government run insurance, it's getting the cost of insurance to come down.

I will seriously consider any government health care plan that includes 100% all those Washington politicians and their families. That they should have any health care plan that is separate/different tells me that what they have voted for themselves is better than what they plan to give me, big surprise! Who else do you know that has health care for life after serving only 6 years; paid by our tax dollars. What's good for the goose is good for the gander. Congress needs to STOP passing bills that apply to the people but exclude themselves. And to Paul, amen to tort reform.

The real issue in my opinion as well as a lot of other people is: When will the Federal Gov. only do what the Constitution allows it to do. That should be all Americans wish.Interstate Commerce and defend the Country. The rest is States Business.

"If you want affordable health care, get the ambulance chasing lawyers like John Edwards (DEMOCRAT) to stop driving up the price by encouraging people to get rich by sueing for millions of dollars every time their doctor makes a mistake. It's called TORT REFORM. In Illinois, all but a few neuro surgeons left the state because they could not pay the exorbitant prices of their malpractice insurance. The answer IS NOT government run insurance, it's getting the cost of insurance to come down."

You have NO idea what you are talking about. What if a doctor's mistake was caused by pure carelessness, and caused a person a life of physical misery that no pain medicine could touch--an injury that cost that person the job that supplied the good insurance, the family stability--the work ethic and pride that went with it. What then? Good God THINK before you type--jerk!!

Posted by: Paul at August 16, 2009 10:42 PM

"If you want affordable health care, get the ambulance chasing lawyers like John Edwards (DEMOCRAT) to stop driving up the price by encouraging people to get rich by sueing for millions of dollars every time their doctor makes a mistake. It's called TORT REFORM. In Illinois, all but a few neuro surgeons left the state because they could not pay the exorbitant prices of their malpractice insurance. The answer IS NOT government run insurance, it's getting the cost of insurance to come down."
Posted by: Paul at August 16, 2009 10:42 PM

You have NO idea what you are talking about. Tort Reform will do nothing to bring down insurance rates, and never has had anything to do with why the rates are high...do your research before you spout off!!

What if a doctor's mistake was caused by pure carelessness, and caused a person a life of physical misery that no pain medicine could touch--an injury that cost that person the job that supplied the good insurance, the family stability--the work ethic and pride that went with it. What then? Good God, think before you post such nonsense!!

This is absolutely ridiculous. This is what happens when a president goes out and actually does something for the people and not for big business. He gets ridiculed by crazy republicans, foaming at the mouth. Going nuts because they are brain-washed by the media, they have no free thinking at all. If they would just sit down and listen to the facts, be open-minded a little bit, then there wouldnt be an issue here. But NO! They listen to whatever is told to them, the DEATH PANELS when your 65 obama is going to have a group of people that decide if you live or die!! or your social security and medicaid are gone if this happens!! One person was telling me that when they say medical center in the bill it actually means abortion clinics, and doctors actually means abortionists, and that if you have too many kids obama is going to force you to get abortions. Its bad that people make this up, whats pathetic is that people believe it. Shame on you uneducated, fox news watching, O'reilly loving republicans!! Shame on you!!

My only question, and one that has yet to be answered is this:

How would this plan be paid for? I have heard the 'we are going to raise taxes on the 'rich', but you must understand that any taxes raised for the 'rich' and businesses will be passed along in the price of goods and services charged - so the 'not rich' once again will be the hardest hit.

I ask again:

How will this be paid for?

Anyone?