Where are the die-hard single-payer supporters? This is the best option that will actually save taxpayers money and not have to compete with the insurance giants because given the choice, nobody would pay outrageous premiums and deductibles if they got the majority of their health care bills paid for by the government.

Obama's plan will serve to bankrupt us even more. Not only will we be paying for Medicare/Medicaid but now the "public option" will probably be a government bailout to the insurance companies. Where's the change? I have no hope if single-payer is off the table. Not surprised though; new president, no backbone in Congress yet.

"Bread line Health care"....I've been there and done that. The "free" health care is worth almost nothing, when you need care it ain't there until the problem either cures itself or you die waiting.

If you would like to help pressure Congress to pass single payer health care please join our voting bloc at:

http://www.votingbloc.org/Health_Bloc.php

As most people know, our country has some major problems within the insurance industry. We have great healthcare options, but it’s far too expensive for many of us. However, it’s important for people to know who’s leading this local protest movement - Maine People’s Alliance.

If you look at their list of “Allies and Partners” at www.mainepeoplesalliance.org, you’ll find the following Top-10 list of Far Left organizations:

MSEA-SEIU Local 1989, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, Teamsters Local 340, Maine Center for Economic Policy (MECEP), Family Planning Association of Maine, AFSCME Council 93, Maine Initiatives, Center for Community Change (CCC), Engage Maine, Health Care for America Now.

It’s unlikely those organizations care much about you and I, as it’s more likely they’re primarily concerned about their own selfish interests. It’s all about getting more money and more political power for them! Needless to say, I hope you don’t fall for their tricks.

40 professional protesters make a "rally"???

You can almost fit that many in a phone booth.

The Commonwealth Fund showed what Obama’s advisers know, that a public plan competing with the private plans - even if it pays more than Medicare does - saves the nation trillions and most Americans get health insurance.

Human health, in a sense, may precede all the other basic human rights as everything means nothing for someone without it. As far as my common sense goes, the major role of government will be to protect basic rights of the public from any threat. That is why all of the industrialized countries have public policy in place, I guess. Under this premise, the strong public option needs to be cited as a part of 'PROTECTION' like anti-trust law rather than intervention. The intention to introduce the public choice would be to protect the uninsured, economy and keep the medical industry honest, not be to drive it out. Hopefully, the health industry can provide reasonable prices and quality service via tireless innovations like most of the EUROPE, otherwise the potential start-ups will likely fill in the blanks with competitive deals over the long term.

"Republicans say a publicly funded nonprofit agency would have an unfair business advantage and could cause the collapse of the private insurance industry."

Duh!!! This is what happend!

"Todd said the last straw in deciding to drop his Anthem policy was learning that the president of Wellpoint — the parent corporation of Anthem, Maine’s largest private health insurer — had been awarded a multimillion-dollar bonus."

This is what is wrong with our country!!! GREED!!! Sickening behavior on this so called president of wellpoint!

To say that insurance companies drop coverage of people who get sick is far from accurate. If, in an isolated case, something like that did happen, the "victims" would have a field day in court; there are laws already in place to prevent that from happening. If you pay your premiums, you keep your coverage ... plain and simple.

The idea that we need to use the MediCare model for the whole contry leaves out an important fact ... righ now, MediCare only pays a fraction of the costs that are incurred by its patients. The losses of the health care providers are then shifted to the insured patients in the for of higher charges. If we were all on MediCare, who would then cover the rest of the cost? ... The answer is those of us who still have jobs; albeit there will be fewer of us working in such an environment. So, where's the big savings? Either taxes go up to pay for government-run health plans, or our insurance premiums go up to subsidise those on government run healh plans.

It seems to me that the problem with healthcare costs today was started by the MediCare reimbursement system. If given the choice, I say keep governmane out of the exam room.

4noncents:

What laws protecting policy holders are you referring to?

Also, you may be right that if you pay your premium you keep your insurance. The only problem is that when you get sick they double your premiums. Plain and simple. And paying twice as much is far from plain and simple.

And to add to Bullwinkle's comment, if you don't get "pre-approval" from your insurance, you will get a denial of payment for the treatment you received, and will get stuck with a huge bill. So if your unconscious and can't do that, you're screwed.

It's time to stop making insurance and drug companies rich and start thinking about health coverage for all. It can be done, and should be done soon. Just my 2 cents.

Friend of mine from Canada was saddened to find out that her mother was diagnosed with advanced colon cancer. The doctor she went o in Fredrickton said it would be four months before she could start treatment. She went to Boston and the US doctor wanted to put her in the hospital immediately for surgery and treatment. The Canadian Health plan wouldnt pay for it, she died six months later. Socialized, single payer system...your way to a painful death.

Listen to Obama when he was asked if he would allow his own family to live with restictions on treatment, his answer.. . "No". He has the money and resources to bypass a system from hell that he and these "protestors" want. Do you?

Single payer Healthcare is the only way to go. So Called Health Insurance compainies have been robbing us for years. Remember when you had blue cross/ bluse shield. You paid a stipend for healthcare. and that was it! Now we have no Blue Cross/Blue Shield anymore, it was sold to a behemoth Insurance comapny that only cares about making money for themselves, not taking care of the populace. Greed has ruined most of the industries in this country and now it has ruined helathcare for the minons. Medicare pays for most of us oldtimers, but the youngsters go without, because mommy and Daddy can't pay the premiums.

You old time GOPers need to get off this bandwagon that National Healthcare is not good, because it is. You get the Dr you want at the Hospital you want, and the specialist you want. Unlike HMO's that tell you who your Dr is , what hospital you can go to and what or if you can see a spealist.

Taurus, you clearly haven't read your insurance policy, and Bullwinkle, insurance companies cannot simply raise your premiums if you get sick. Ask any tort lawyer and watch the gleam appear in their eyes. The probems with healthcare are many. The government has done such a bangup job with the VA system, imagine them running everything as the single payor. WE are the single payor btw. What about other government run programs such as medicare and medicaid? The "Gold Card" as we refer to it entitles you to pretty much anything you want. There is NO oversight when it comes to what kind of testing and care you receive. Emergency rooms are overwhelmed because people show up for a sniffle because they can't be bothered to make an appointment with their doctor or at the publicly (us again) funded clinics. About 10 to 20% of diagnostic testing ordered is unecessary. THAT is where a huge portion of healthcare money goes. Doctors are put in the position of pushing patients through the system just to make a buck, using the shotgun method of diagnosing. Using their training and a logical step-by-step approach would save MILLIONS. Utilization review in most hospitals is a joke, because it is a catch-22. Without providing unecessary services, facilities cannot make enough money to be able to provide the same services where they ARE needed. These are a fraction of the problems that COULD be addressed if anyone really cared about fixing the system instead of making yet another power grab. Did you know that doctors pay an annual malpractice insurance premium that would exceed half the average Mainer's salary? There should definitely be some jury guidelines in place that would be reasonable without being outrageous, and frivolous suits filed by money-seekers should be thrown out. Too bad the lawyers are such a powerful lobby.

taurus197039...you are totally incorrect and playing on peoples fears....if it is an emergency (and normally when one is unconscious it is an emergency) the hospital is going to provide the care and you will need to notify your insurance company (if the hospital has not done that for you already) within a given period of time specified in your policy. Just like any contract, you should know and understand the specifics so you stay within the confines of the policy.

kitterykid...A national health care plan will not work...please read bmartin above...Saturday night I had a conversation with a gentleman whose aunt passed away in Canada from cancer...one of the issues she had, gaining access to timely care...please note not the absence of care but the ability to gain care when needed and when it will still do something for the patient...if National Health Care is the answer, then everyone from the President, through the Cabinet, the Congress until it reaches the common everyday Joe needs to be on it, no exceptions! If this is good enough for you and me then it is good enough for the President and his family.

What may work is a combination public and private health care plan...that would provide coverage through your current carrier (if your employer still wants to pay for it) or through a public model. That would cover everyone.

I am hoping a combination of public and private healthcare is passed. Something needs to change.....something needs to be done....a lot more than all this whining, and complaining and constant criticism about everything.....that helps nothing. Hopefully, the Democrats and Republicans will eventually come up with a workable healthcare system.....and I do think it is going to turn out to be some combination (as Olympia Snowe said tonight on the news...Oh that's right.....the Republicans here don't like her either!....too bad.....)

And people cannt be turned away from hospital emergency rooms.....that has been the way for a long time, is still the way it is, and will continue to be.

Yeah, interesting that Congress would be expempt from this so called "reform". And by the way, taxing peoples health insurance benfits to pay for this is just more of the same from the democrats. They made a big deal of criticism for the idea when it was floated in the 2008 election but now they love it. Oh but the major unions would be exempt also....just do your research all you single payer nuts. This is all about control of the government over who gets treated and how. Once the government gets this kind of power over individuals they can force people to do just about anything. I can see it now..."You voted against that Gay Marriage bill didnt you? Well unfortunately we are out of space at the chemo clinic for your child this week."

On 6/29/09 at 6:54 PM, JD2008 wrote: Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

taurus197039...you are totally incorrect and playing on peoples fears....if it is an emergency (and normally when one is unconscious it is an emergency) the hospital is going to provide the care and you will need to notify your insurance company (if the hospital has not done that for you already) within a given period of time specified in your policy. Just like any contract, you should know and understand the specifics so you stay within the confines of the policy.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

But the hospital doesn't notify about the ambulance ride to get there. My ride after a car accident ended up costing me over $1,000 out of pocket, and I wasn't unconcious, so I guess I should've called them before hand? With no cell phone or phone number to call? Or even the frame of mind to think about it? Let alone the $800 hospital bill for what the insurance co thought was "medically unnecessary" procedures done while there. They did pay all of $250 for basic treatment.

There are alot loopholes to insurance companies, who are based on profits by the looks of the stock markets thru the Bush years and beyond.

On 6/29/09 at 12:07 PM, taurus197039 wrote: "And to add to Bullwinkle's comment, if you don't get "pre-approval" from your insurance, you will get a denial of payment for the treatment you received, and will get stuck with a huge bill. So if your unconscious and can't do that, you're screwed.

It's time to stop making insurance and drug companies rich and start thinking about health coverage for all. It can be done, and should be done soon. Just my 2 cents."

You said "So if your unconscious and can't do that, you're screwed." That was what I was responding to.

Now to go a step further, people are calling ambulances for "toe" pain....do you really need an ambulance for "toe" pain? Don't believe me, just listen to Penobscot Regional Communications Center on a daily basis and you will hear all sorts of "questionsable" use of emergency resources.

Do you have med pay coverage on your auto policy? Was the accident the other persons fault? Did you provide the insurance information to the ambulance company so they could bill for services rendered?

I will admit that I do not know about your specific situation, but I speak with some knowledge about the abuse of the health care system. Ambulances transport "unconscious" patients to the hospital only to have the patient sign themselves out of the hospital so they can go to the local bar before the ambulance completes its paperwork. There are other examples of abuse of the system and that drives up your costs and mine.

We really do need a public healthcare option in this country, with a real emphasis on preventative healthcare.

blueskies....I agree with your position.

Yes, the ambulance "taxi" service, lovely. I also love how all the deadbeats get mileage reimbursement to go to the hospital for a test or to the doctor's office. I know I don't get that from MY insurance. Seriously though, insurance companies are businesses. They are in business to make money. They are not charities. They are betting that MOST people paying them a premium will be healthy, or healthy enough that there will be money enough left over to pay for medical care for those who get really sick. Plus, the shareholders who are backing the company want a return on their investment. This is a much better system than pay-as-you-go, which is how it was for hundreds of years. There is supposed to be oversight to make sure that all their customers are treated fairly and equitably, but they provide you a service. If this brilliant state would allow a little competition between insurers, then maybe our rates would drop a little, and maybe customer service would improve. Imagine having a choice. And if this liberal state put some common sense limits on lobbying BY the insurance companies (auto included), then maybe some real common sense reform would take place. Btw, I LOVE the fact that the US congress is exempting itself from any government run or single payor health plan. That should speak VOLUMES about how they REALLY feel about it.

GurnBlanston- "That should speak volumes about how they really feel about it."

What does it show?

That Congress are tools of the corporate machine? That they serve the needs of the elite, the needs of private insurance / pharmaceutical companies?while the working poor class struggle to recieve basic care?

Letting more competition of private insurance companies into the state will just increase more shady businesses comming in and ripping off more people desperate for healthcare.

What good is competition of private insurance plans if there is still giant gaps in coverage and out of pocket expenses?

People want quality care, not cheap/ineffective care.

"A real emphasis on preventative care".....yes! This definitely needs to be a major component in any healthcare reform.

blueskies....I believe what GurnBlanston was referring to was why would the U.S. Congress support a single payer or national health care system when they, " the US congress is exempting itself from" the very system they want everyone else on!

oh, my bad GurnBlanston, my apologies.

"A real emphasis on preventative care"

This expression has been used twice. I understand what preventative care is but I wish someone would explain what the "emphasis" would be.

the "emphasis" could be educating the public on how to live healthy lives. Emphasizing the importance of a healthy diet and exercise, yearly checkups. These things will bring down costs, educating the public on how to be proactive on their health, and keeping their bodies healthy.

I know sometimes you can lead a horse to water, but you cant make him drink. But whatever way we can help educate people to live healthier lives, will ultimately save taxpayers money in the long run.