Veto this bill, gives you/us cover to start over. lifetime benefit caps, Single payer 1st. End cherry picking, end lifetime caps, end prior conditions, end the rip offs.

Posted by Dennis1957 at 08/18/2009

Somebody read the bill first! Where is control of costs delineated? Want to cut costs? Then Where is tort reform? The single payer system doesn't work any where in the world where it is in place. Wake up, people!

Posted by njpro at 08/20/2009

It's simply not true that single payer isn't working anywhwere. The fact is, it's working *everywhere* is in place. Britain, France, Japan, Taiwan, et al, all have longer lifespans and lower infant mortality rates than the U.S. People in those countries do not (ever) have to file for bankruptcy due to medical procedures. They don't face financial ruin, just because they happen to get sick. People who are against single payer are the ones who need to wake up.

Posted by stargazer444 at 08/20/2009

The single payer system doesn't work any where in the world where it is in place. Wake up, people! Posted by njpro at 08/20/2009 | +++

I'm a bit confused by that claim (and I AM awake). In my discussions over the years with friends who live in Canada, Germany, the UK, and France, they are all quite happy with the (single-payer) healthcare systems in their respective countries. I have never heard any of them tell stories about long-time policyholders being dropped or denied coverage because of illness. Only fascists and insurance-company profiteers can defend our merciless system.

Posted by Citizen54 at 08/20/2009

People don't realize this but we have a form of public option right now. And you have probably used it. Now whether you liked or not does not matter. You and I are paying for it RIGHT NOW. Our taxes are paying for this right now.

Have you ever called 911 in need of medical care? If you have called emergency services for a loved one, friend, co-worker or even for a stanger, then you have used a public entity. That makes this a public option. If an emergency occurs, you have a choice of calling the public EMS-911 or calling your doctor or a private ambulance or a neighbor. That's choice. But whether or not you use it, you are paying for it. And when you call the dispatcher, you won't be asked if you have insurance. You won't have to prove you have some insurance. You won't be asked if you have a prior medical condition. The dispatcher wants to know what happened, where it happened and who it happened to.

County deputies, sheriffs, firefighters everywhere are trained as first responders for medical emergencies. Firefighters are trained to be paramedics. And you not only pay for this 24/7 service you also paid for the training. Now that might not be true for every EMS person but for most it is true. And a side bar folks, many of these EMS people are union members. Great. And WE are paying their salaries!!!!

And who created this public option. You did. When you elected officials to continue EMS services you in effect create this and maintain it.

When people yell that Americans should not have a public option, that American tax payers should not be forced to pay for this I just want to grab their shirt collars and look them in the eyes and say, "You idiots! You already have it and you already pay for it. And thank you, thank you, thank you for doing so."

Fact is we all have benefitted from 911 at one time or another. So when Americans really get down to discussing "public option" we should admit that we have it and we want it. God bless Americans.

Posted by mdavid51 at 08/21/2009

please go to firedoglake and donate something to the 65 congresspeople who have pledged NOT to vote for any bill without a public option. Only a little over 5,000 have donated. This money goes only to those congresspeople, nobody else. We have raised over $370,000, but , really money talks, bs walks. Why only 5,000 donors. There should be at least one million. Move On supports this too. It goes through Act Blue and you can choose what to give to which Senators. Any amount is okay. It is the number of donors that counts, in my opinion. It shows how many of us support the public option enough to support those who pledged to uphold it in the bill

Posted by jonnirae at 08/23/2009