Past Polls
- 11/ 5/2009 What current movie title best sums up the state of the Republican Party right now?
- 11/ 3/2009 What 2009 election outcome will have the greatest long term implication?
- 11/ 1/2009 What is the significance of this week's regional elections?
- 10/29/2009 In honor of Halloween, we're calling out the scariest Democrats. Who scares you the most?
- 10/12/2009 How should the Obama administration handle Fox News?
- 10/ 8/2009 What do you think about President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize?
- 10/ 7/2009 What impact do you think Sarah Palin's upcoming memoir Going Rogue will have when it comes out this November?
- 10/ 4/2009 President Obama is reportedly 'angry' at Gen. McChrystal for publicly second guessing him on Afghanistan strategy. What do you think about their clash?
- 10/ 1/2009 What do you think about Roman Polanski’s arrest and its aftermath?
- 9/27/2009 US-Iran talks will take place in Geneva this week. What should President Obama focus on during the negotiations?
- 9/22/2009 Which story do you hope will get the most attention at the G-20 conference this year?
- 9/20/2009 What do you think of President Obama's five back-to-back Sunday morning major-network interviews and his Letterman appearance?
- 9/16/2009 How do you feel about President Carter's remarks about racism directed at Obama?
- 9/13/2009 The ongoing media attention on Rep. Joe Wilson's outburst is...
- 9/ 9/2009 What did you think of President Obama's healthcare speech to Congress?
- 9/ 7/2009 Why did so many parents across America not want President Obama to address the nation's schoolchildren?
- 9/ 1/2009 What should President Obama emphasize in his speech to Congress on healthcare?
- 8/27/2009 How will the loss of Sen. Ted Kennedy affect healthcare reform?
- 8/23/2009 On which issue has the mainstream media done the worst job?
- 8/17/2009 Should progressives support a healthcare bill without a public option?
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Insurance does not add any value to health care, as far as I can tell.
Except to the well paid CEOs...
Posted by VEH at 06/22/2009
Government or nonprofit organizations would do it cheaper and better
Posted by pjcasey at 06/22/2009
The mix of private and public options is really the only choice. When all is said and done, this is still a capitalist country. So money should still be able to buy extras. We need a basic public health care system that covers all, but with no frills. You should still be able to overlay this plan with a private plan to allow for perks like private rooms, quicker turnaround time for Elective surgery, etc.
Posted by D1od1o at 06/22/2009
I believe single payer is the way to go. Those that have money will still be able to upgrade. We need the(for profit) middle man out of our health care.
Posted by BrianNelson at 06/22/2009
If the well off want the snob value of private insurance, fine. The vast majority need & WANT THE PUBLIC OPTION. That's pretty much how it works, for example, in Denmark & most other countries. The private is always available, never forbidden, but the public option of Medicare for whoever wants it is also there.
Posted by sloper at 06/23/2009
Ah yes, always rely on liberals and leftists to go for the government option without any direct experience or understanding of the consequences.
I write from Canada. I suffer from a heart condition and will have to wait almost 6 months to get proper attention and an operation. Wonderful, it is free. But I may be dead so I am looking at selling my house and going to India or South Africa for a heart operation.
Always trust the lib - they have an almost magical ability to always get it wrong from supporting Stalin and Mugabe to the current support of the Dark Doofus.
What a joke you all are. I sincerely hope your medical nirvana come soon. The only way you can learn, it seems, is through direct experience.
Posted by EllenO at 06/24/2009
Ah yes, always trust the hypochondriac from Canada to complain about one of the best health care systems in the world. I would like to hear her doctor's side of the story. One of the hallmarks of a public system is that people with life threatening emergencies don't wait, but if you want elective surgery right away, get some supplemental private coverage ahead of time and don't give the private insurance company too much info about your prior complaints. They might just take your money and then reject your claim.
Posted by D1od1o at 06/24/2009
The single payer system in Canada has many problems because of inadequate funding. My sister lives in Canada and has had the same experience as the writer with the heart condition. I live twenty miles from the British Columbia border, and a substantial number of Canadians come to my city for medical attention--bringing with them horror stories about long waits for heart problems and cancer treatment.
Single payer only functions well with great funding. That's why a group from British Columbia is advocating for a private insurance option. We need to cover the uninsured in the United States, but there's no perfect solution. A combination of both private and public insurance may provide the best option.
Posted by margipf at 06/25/2009
The private - for profit - system is what makes dynamic advancement possible (profit motive). A government run system would be like a lead weight with no spirit and only government rats telling you what you can and cannot do - screw that. The Canadian lady is exactly right.
Posted by pyeatte at 06/26/2009