When you buy a Medicare supplemental plan, somewhere along the line, these sets of options were standardized…Plans A, through, I think, L, or

something like that. Each company’s plan A is like every other one’s Plan A, except in price. I would like to see the system reformed or repaired, not replaced—this is too huge an interlocking system jury-rigged thru too many decades, to be scrapped and some govt brainstorm built into place—largely without public input past this initial period (how many Federal Registers do you read, how many times have you commented on a proposed regulation?). So, if I might need maternity, I would get an option with maternity. If I needed a lot of dental, maybe there could be an option with dental. The basics would be in all (like basic cable). The prices would vary depending on the insurance company’s skills at managing (this is where competition would enter). The supplementals vary widely in price, but contain the same options. I guess to be true insurance, everyone should have it—but I don’t like the management of this coming through the IRS or some card where they could check your bank acct to see if you truly need subsidizing on the premium. I also think we need to reset prices—bec providers get cut back to a percentage of their bill as resimbursement, they have kept raising the total demanded. This is waaaay out of whack now. I don’t know how this could be done—but if the govt is suddenly bossing everyone and setting pay, maybe they would put these new "powers" to good use here. I hate to encourage this, though. I could go on…but let’s see what others say.

First thank you for giving us a chance to share our thoughts more on this subject.

 My ideal is for EVERY PERSON to be covered in this country. How is it we are the only industrialized nation with out health care for all. It is a disgusting shame. We already spend more money for worse results. Also please do not anti folks start about money. We already pay when people have left it so late they go to the emergancy rooms. Families pay when they lose loved ones due to the insanity of health care for profit. You anti folks cannot justify your position because most are on medicare a government health insurance. Your ok so screw everyone else. We will not be a stronger country until we are a healthy nation. Every human being should have a right to health care. In the richest nation in the world the richest people are afraid of healthy poor people. It is sad how corporations get rights as people yet they are cold and unfeeling. It is important everyone has health care for America to be strong.

One thing always bothered me.  We start these programs and have all these loopholes so that if there is one extra penny, government can divert that money to something else.  What I would like to see is a clause that wont allow this to happen.  Social Security is going broke because money was diverted when there was an excess. 

Primum non nocere—-First, do no harm.

 We should require every congress(wo)men to take that same oath.  This sabotage of health care reform by Republicans purely for political gain and saying " to heck with Americans" should not be tolerated.  At present there are health care industries poised to make certain health care spending rises to 20% of the GDP, and then 22% and then 24%.  Sen. Jon Kyl ( R-Arizona) announced, " There is no way Republicans will support a trillion dollar health care plan!".  Republicans already have.  In 2006, their Medicare drug benefit legislation was projected to cost $1.08 trillion over a ten year period.  They had no thought whatsoever how they would pay for it.  But now, they are huddling in their corners, screaming loudly.

The cost of doing nothing is unacceptable.  Medicare enrollees have already seen their premiums more than double this decade and their out of pocket expenses have increased by one third.  Thousands of insured Americans are bankrupt because they did not realize how under insured they were.  We pay hefty premiums hoping we will never need the service.  That is pure insanity.

There are many positives in this reform bill.  Among them: lowering drug costs and strenghtening Medicare, protecting your health care choice of providers, ending discrimination by insurance companies by denying coverage because of preexisting conditions, ensuring that you will have quality health insurance if you lose or change your job or take that job across state lines.   There is much more on line.

We should all contact our legislators and remind them… First, do no harm.  That should be the goal of our legislators.  We should insist on it or boot them out of office.

At present, we have a tsunami of rumor, lies, and fear mongering spread through chain emails, blogs, youtube, and tweets. The truth is no one is putting private insurers out of business.  It would level the playing field.

The Republicans need to quit hollering and sytart contributing in a meaningful way.  Their biggest fear is the Dems have the power to reform health care and would get credit.

The last time I expressed my opinion on health care reform, I stated my beliefs and afterwards I was sent hate emails, accused of ranting, was kicked off a blog and ostracized from a group of so-called friends. I have many years of executive/officer health insurance experience (30+ years) and from one of these same "friends",  I was accused of things because of this experience. Obviously I had no rights to an opinion and their opinions were the only way to go.  Be them right or wrong, there was no room for belief that their ideas might not be right for the majority of Americans. 

Prior to saying anything else, I would like to say something to some people who are bashing the insurance industry……the insurance companies are being maligned, trashed and blamed for this mess, but  what would each of you have done through the years to pay your medical bills if you had not been covered by an insurance company plan?  Also, to be fair, write down any medical bills the insurance companies have paid for you or your family and do a quick estimation of the dollars you spent for health insurance premiums through the years and see if the bills the insurance company paid are higher than what you paid for health insurance.  If you had one major surgery, I can almost guaranteed the health insurance company paid more.  Think about this the next time you might feel the urge to bad-mouth the insurance companies.  No, I don’t work in the insurance industry anymore…I’m just trying to be fair about the whole situation.  And, one last thing about the health insurance industry…..many people who are not covered for health insurance had the opportunity to become covered for health insurance but THEY CHOSE NOT TO BE COVERED…..probably because of the cost health insurance…..but the general public is blaming the health insurance company because of the cost…..insurance is spreading the cost over a large group of persons.   To pay your bills costs money…..it cost the insurance companies and it will cost the government if they take over.   Do persons want a public option auto and homeowners insurance too???   Will that be next?

 In my wildest dreams I too would want all of this health care reform to be free of charge.  Keep in mind that the public health program will most likely cost each of you dearly.  And, it may be that many of you will have less health insurance than you currently have under your employer health care plan. 

My personal thoughts and desires would be a health care plan which would cover all persons and be free, but we all know that would be impossible.  The public option is not necessarily right for all Americans, nor is it the choice of all Americans because it definitely will be expensive and paid through taxes.  And I get the feeling that those on Medicare will remain on Medicare and not necessarily be on a super duper public option plan.    But, it appears that those who support the public option feel that this type of plan is the only type of plan which America should think about….but are these same people ready to pay the cost of such an expensive plan.  It’s expected to cost over a trillion dollars in the next decade….. who do you think will bear a large portion of the bill……Mr. John Q. Public of course through taxation (either through your employer or you)

I have studied other nations’ plans.  There are some which are good and have very few problems and others are riddled with problems even though most of these country’s citizens don’t want to admit it or maybe it’s because they aren’t aware of the horrible situations and faults of the national plans.

 President Obama has a plate full of stuff he has to bring together. The recession, the war, education, stimulus, unemployment and healthcare yet there are people who think he should have already settled everything in just a few months.  How crass is that!  Americans are just not in a chance taking mood!  President Obama definitely ran a platform to allow all Americans the right to Healthcare…..the result and the end product may not be what you want, but in order to get something in place, maybe baby-steps might be needed first.  Get something available to everyone, then go from there.  Perhaps it will take a two or three years to get a really super duper national healthcare plan in place….but for now, let’s assure that everyone has access to some kind of healthcare plan.  President Obama is committed…..give him a chance and think of your fellow American who might not want what you want.  Your desires might not be right for other people.

Rant over…..and I might lose some more friends….but as I say….I guess they weren’t friends after all.  I always give my true friends an opportunity to say what they think.