Waxman Calls For Health Care Bill By 'End Of This Year'

[frackle123]

What's with this whack jobs nose? Jesus, you can see right up his nostrils.

Weird fucker.

[Jyoyo1]

When Congress is in a hurry you know they are up to something bad.

[CrashmagProductions]

GOD HELP US ALL

[navyman0290]

The APOLLO ALLIANCE consists of a coalition of UNIONS, like SEIU, Social Justice groups the likes of ACORN and at the helm is Van Jones a Communist that is Obamas Green Czar and head of the Green Initiative. So the triad of these groups are writing our Legislation. America, have you had enough yet

[navyman0290]

The Apollo Alliance has now ADMITTED that they wrote the Stimulus Bill AND the Cap and Trade Bill. It will only be a matter of time before America learns THEY wrote the Healthcare Bill too

[Spectatio]

waxman needs to wipe his ass and his face both are shitty.

[sarasmiles05]

What? Did he say 0:37 "1 last peace of legislation...." What's going to happen after that... no more legislation?... These people need to pack their bags and get the hell out of the white house. Will something be complete after that?

[hoot9696]

Message to congress. Dems or Republicans. Vote for this bill and you get to retire in 2010. Vote for this bill and you're fired!

[AqualungsTull]

hey Wax Man speak for your self bitch....how the hell did you get that nose to turn up like that....sticking it up Pelosi's ass hole.....

[mumzdcp]

Geesh, I see "Soylent Green" in our future.

[Smartassawhip]

The majority of the people who file bankruptcy in the US are insured Americans and the number one reason they file bankruptcy is in fact overwhelming medical bills. People who work hard and own businesses can and do lose everything due to one major illness. It happens all the time. People in their 80's are forced to go back into the workforce just to survive. This is unacceptable. See my profile for ways in which you can contact your representatives and read the bill. Thanks.

[shaithis45]

why would I even trust a federal govt with much of anything else that cannot keep its finances in check. the govt. hasn't had a fiscal track record lately and no surpluses to speak up. so why would you trust the govt to manage healthcare, energy, or anything else.

[ZZanthar]

If you can't afford to be sick maybe you should just die so you don't pass along your inferior genes to the next generation. We should euthanize all people with diseases and their offspring. Only the strong should survive, it's natures way.

[ZZanthar]

After the government passes this bill, next comes the laws limiting what you can eat and drink... how long you must exercise per day, how many kids you can have... Your freedom is vanishing right in front of you. 10 trillion in debt, 10% unemployment... lets tack on another few trillion to pay for everyone's boo-boos.

[cinesimonj]

Yep, all thos ewetern nations are suffering from dictatortships now because they have universal health care.

It really is one vast conspiracy against you macho, freedom loving, real American's, isn't it?

WE WANT YOUR FREEDOM AND WE'RE COMING TO GET YOU!

AAAAARRRRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!!

[pamrose4arts]

Its true, cinesimonj. I almost regret the internet. I never knew before just how ignorant many Americans are and how bereft of actual ability to think critically about much of anything. I have to think that these comment threads must just attract the loonies--wait a minute!!!! I am commenting!!!! Lets not waste our breath further in exercises of futility.

[sarasmiles05]

You're right. It will be like medicare but worse. If they don't see benefit in taxing us to death, they will just end up rationing care to those that follow the healthy rules of living, and if you don't you will not be a worthy candidate for a life or death procedure, weather it will help you or not. They can't afford to tax people to death and pay for everyone to live junky lifestyles.

[sarasmiles05]

If it wasn't an issue, why does your insurance company want to know if you smoke, because it is risky, there is a real risk with free health care. People will make poor and unhealthy choices if their behavior is not at the cost of them. On top of that if is not free. The government can't keep borrowing from China to pay for our health, they will tax... Canada's tax rate is at 50% of their income. There are huge consequences. SS benefits change, medicare benefits change. It's not made up.

[onlyrey]

@Sarasmile05,

The tax rate that Canadians pay is irrelevant, it doesn't matter how you pay for healthcare, the truth is that here in the US we pay almost twice as much as they pay.

If you have employee provided insurance, ANY economist would agree that it comes from paying you a smaller salary. Which means that employee provided insurance is NOT free.

I don't care where health care is paid from, I just don't want to pay twice as much and get the crappy system we have.

.

[sarasmiles05]

Healthcare is expensive because the people that actually have insurance suck up all the cost, while the uninsured aren't paying their medical bills. It is relevant to the tax rate because the people that do pay for their healthcare will once again be stuck with the bill. Ask a Canadian, why they come to America for healthcare. The people that will go for the government run healthcare are those that do not have insurance, while the tax on the cost will be paid by the already insured.

[onlyrey]

@sarasmile05,

People from the US go to MEXICO for affordable health care they CAN'T get here. There are many Americans who go to Canada for care as well (probably those that have dual citizenship). Look up "medical tourism" you will be amazed how many Americans leave to get cheaper health care. People who go out of the United States for health care keep quiet because the information would be used by insurance companies to deny them coverage.

[sarasmiles05]

I don't know many people that would leave for health care. People go to mexico to get cheap boob jobs, and come back with two rocks. lol

[onlyrey]

@sarasmiles05, you are right, lots of people leave for plastic surgery to other countries. But go to other countries to get life saving surgeries too, and lots of them.

[onlyrey]

@ sarasmiles05,

Additionally, health care in just about any other industrialized Country in the world is half as much on a PER CAPITA basis. This means that regardless where the money comes from it is cheaper in Total. Think of what I am saying, overall means all sources of health care money = those of us who pay insurance, government, charity, taxes, etc, etc, etc. Add all of those up, and Americans spend twice than most everybody else. You can not blame the uninsured for this.

[sarasmiles05]

Is that why hospitals that base payment on income, have to cut cost by hiring interns to work under one doctor?

Is that why when you go to one of those hospitals, you should expect to wait up to at the least 3 hours, and expect to be there all day?

Sounds like you really just want it to be free.

I would hope that you know you are going to retire, and would prepare for it. Same with healthcare. It's inevitable you will have health issues the older you get, so why not prepare for it?

[onlyrey]

@sarasmiles05,

I, like most people know that nothing is for free,and if we get a public plan,people will have to pay for it,directly with premiums.

Here in the US, many wait sometimes 10 years to get treatment when they are of Medicare age.

Many people fall ill or have accidents before they have good savings. Even for those that have good savings and fall ill, the last few weeks in a hospital become a death tax, collected by a hospital. Insurance exists to spread risk, but it is being abused.

[sarasmiles05]

And I have a feeling you think it's going to be better, with a single payer system, where the government gets to make the decision on how much care one person is able to get in certain stages of their life, all in the name of fairness. To cut cost they will ration healthcare, regardless if you are able to have your own healthcare plan. Instead of the healthcare industry collect payment before death, it will be your government. To me they are allot more vicious. You need to read the bill.

[onlyrey]

@sarasmiles05,

I will not read the bill NOR will you. Did you even know there is no single bill yet? There are several bills proposed by several commissions in the Senate and House. They might take all the best ideas and put them into a single bill, but that has yet to happen.

I know a couple in their late 70's that lives in Canada and they are extremely happy with their health care, and they DO use it. In fact, the husband got a pacemaker fairly recently.

.

[sarasmiles05]

I have read some parts of the bill, it do not have the time on my hands to read all, but I have read some, and I have checked facts from what people have said about it, to see if it was true. The concerns that people are having are real, whether there are 2 or 3 bills out there, it is still being proposed, we as the people it will affect, do need to reject all, if there is some part unknown to us whether it will be in the final bill. Obama hasn't given anyone info on how this bill will be paid.

[sarasmiles05]

I have read parts of the bill, I have checked facts.... and the whole frustration people have is that we are fighting a battle with people like you who will not ever read the bill, I see people on here saying, what is wrong with you rights... it's free. And you will refuse to read the bill, and on top of that congress will not read the bill either.... they will deny something is in the bill and admit they haven't read it. COME ON!

[sarasmiles05]

Don't be the declining stupid minority that is still supporting this bill. How can you agree with something that you don't even understand, you will be giving away your rights, without a fight. And later, wonder why you didn't stop it.

[onlyrey]

@sarasmiles05,

I was amazed you had not fallen into insulting yet. This is what I have noticed trying to discuss health care reform with those like you.

So you are saying you understand the bills before congress better than I do? And you think you understand them better because you decry them?

Go to POLITIFACTS-com and check the anti-health-care chain e-mail scam; most of the things you said come from that e-mail.

.

[sarasmiles05]

I notice it from this side too. It goes both ways. The President has not encouraged debate on this issue, he wants to ram it through as an emergency, so you will see people on the opposing side, yelling, and getting very upset. Obama is riding his hopes on the fact that people will not find out what is in the bill... the longer the bill is out the less supporters he was had, and this is showing in the polls. It is not a scam, the scam in the White House. The concerns are real.

[onlyrey]

@Sarasmiles05,

There is already a death tax in America if you didn't know. IT is collected by your local hospital. Many with disease will have all their remaining money taken by hospitals.

There is already rationed care in the US, an army of bureaucrats work very hard to deny you care at the health insurance company (and their bonus of course); they are matched only by an equal number of bureaucrats in the hospital that are hired to deal with the health insurance bureaucrats.You pay for them

[sarasmiles05]

Did you know that by passing the bill, and you accepting their healthcare, gives the government direct access to your bank account? Did you know that if you did a cash for clunker deal, you sign away your right to privacy? Read something... you are just trusting.

[onlyrey]

@sarasmiles05,

I do read a lot about health care, you should not trust just one source, when you read something that sounds way out there (conspiracy theory like), it probably is.

There is NO provision in that bill that says that the government will have direct access to your bank account. In fact, the summary on the SAME bill says the intent in the section is "to adopt standards for typical transactions" between insurance companies AND health care providers. No patient mentioned there.

.

[sarasmiles05]

They are far from conspiracy theory like... Obama has said him self,.....no one said we where going to take away your healthcare plan, government runs business with private companies all the time, look at the post office with usp and fedex... those private companies are doing great while the post office is running a 7 billion dollar deficit every year. Great just what we need, another failed government business that is running a loss that is sucked up by the tax payers.

[sarasmiles05]

Obama said him self, on video before his election, that he wants a single payer system, but he had to get there in small steps.... because he knew he would have to back door it. He said himself that he would not close the door to the public while making this bill... oh he must have forgot about that promised he made on several occations, while debating against Hillary... hillary made the mistake of closing the door and not allowing public debate......... this is what he said..... and ....

[sarasmiles05]

... he has done it again. He said we will put the debate on CSPAN so the public can take part in debate. What happened to that? He has made promise after promise, and has stiffed the tax payer... so I do not want anymore of my money spent on another failed government program.

[buzzz121]

I have figured out that the corporate/bank owned government wants this to pass so they will increse their bottom lines by not having to pay benefits to employees. In essence they rather have the working class pay it through higher taxes They will be able to buy the best coverage . Also they figure with unemployment high and many uninsured it would easily get the peoples support. i have no coverage little money and still don't want it. I think people are getting wise to these sneaky SOB's!

[sarasmiles05]

I agree! It will be an instant way to cut cost, to remove the otherwise good benefits, and force employees to change their plan to the government plan, that covers less, and keep the same salary. It would be more or less a pay cut. It would also pass the burden to the tax payer, and decrease their disposable income.

[ZeegirlN]

quit finding and looking at what the president said... get the facts republicans are failure to the world and american. This time we are moving forward; we are not letting republicans keep attacking what Obama regime wants. All you do is attack attack what are you doing to help the situation. NOTHING!! so shut up stop giving yourself heartattack we are moving on. Period!! the bill will be passed you dont like it kill yourself.

[sarasmiles05]

Then maybe you can tell me how he will pay for it then.... I will not "shut up"... I have nothing but facts... have you read the bill Mr. Nasty? "kill yourself"... really... You can lie down and let a truck hit, because that is what you are doing by allowing this bill to pass, without reading it.

[gargamel6699]

@sarasmiles05

Then GTFO of the country because we're finally reaching up to the rest of the civilized world in regards to healthcare. We are making progress to keep this country the best in the world and have it live to the potential our forefathers had in mind.

The pursuit of happiness will soon be able to be available to all, healthy or not so healthy. This is MY america bitch.

[MyImago]

Copy Europe:

"According to the Economist the total US spend on health care is 15.4% of GDP including both state and private. With that it gets 2.6 doctors per 1,000 people, 3.3 hospital beds and its people live to an average age of 78.2. As a whole Europe spends 9.6% of GDP on health care, has 3.9 doctors per 1,000 people, 6.6 hospital beds and live until they are 81.15 years old. The US has the most expensive health care system that seems not to be effective, which is very bizarre indeed.

[onlyrey]

I ask myself over and over, WHERE does ALL the health care money go here in the US...

When the CBO is asked, they say:

- Does NOT go to malpractice insurance or malpractice protecting practices. They have a 2004 and a recent study where they found states that put caps on malpractice did not have any improvements in costs.

- Cost shifting from Medicare to private insurance is NOT true. Medicare pays rates that are much higher than prices of most private clinics in Europe.

.

[onlyrey]

I, like the majority in the US support a public plan. Health insurance companies are out of control, they should be kept in check with the public plan and a regulation similar to Switzerland's. Heck, many of those that think they have good insurance have never given it a real test. It takes trying to use your insurance to understand that it is not what you think it is.

[shaithis45]

since when is it good policty for the govt. to threaten you with penalties for not getting healthcare. there is something wrong with what is in that bill. for a govt. to force healthcare upon you is bullshit. govt. never got to the root of the problem to begin with why health care is so expensive. also if they really want to force it on us, then all they have to do is expand medicare medicaid and take more out of our checks since we do pay in to that right?

[onlyrey]

shainthis45, you are proposing single payer.

[shaithis45]

I honestly need to research out the single payer system. But here's one thing that bites. Since the country may be moving this direction, let's throw in vision and dental with the medical and be done with it once and for all. Also yes, individual insurance has become a crock here in the states where a premium plan doesn't get you 100% coverage. But again, why would I want the U.S. govt. involved when they can't balance the books and show a good fiscal track record.

[sarasmiles05]

I say we stick a fork in the Obama Administration, and congress and call them done.

[shaithis45]

agreed sarasmiles05 but also in talking to others, this is really shaping up to be the Carter years version 2.0 for todays generation. Also in quoting others on You Tube "We voted their happy arses in and we can take them out just as easy." And just to level with anyone hear, I don't have time to read a 1000 page health care bill and I do get suspicious as I don't think it is true reform.

[JEM3811]

Congress shouldn't be allowed to keep their private health care insurance if they pass this bill.

[cinesimonj]

ummm... they don't have private insurance. They have PUBLIC insurance PROVIDED BY THE GOVERNMENT

That is one of the benefits of being a public servant.

UG UG

[JEM3811]

Then you could fully expect the same treatment as Senator Kennedy for any major event.

I wonder if medical case workers would agree with how great government paid health care is when they work within predetermend financial guidelines called Medicaid.

Either way needs work.

[cinesimonj]

Way to try to cover for your lack of understanding what type of health care our congress has.

Your next lot of comments are based in similar ignorance.

[pamrose4arts]

I am an independent clinical social worker who has contracts to provide Medicaid patients with behavioral health services. The truth is it pays three times as much as most private insurance companies who want to pay me very little and then want me to do lots of paperwork and chase them down to pay my fees.

[onlyrey]

LOL, actually congressmen,

ALL of them should be thrown into the wolves of the private individual insurance market, given $5,000 and then monitor them so they don't get special treatment by health insurance companies. They would be denied coverage, they would be subjected to pre-existing conditions, etc. This, however could be dangerous, because anybody who is treated like crap by the health insurance companies might be tempted just to erase them and set single-payer system.

.

[Richardgwm]

We should have had this by the end of last February.

[almamatters2471]

take away health care for every member of congress and reinstate it only when all Americans are covered. Watch how fast they agree on a public plan if that was to happen.

[mrbhave]

How do we accomplish this?

I'd also like to ban the outright bribery of campaign financing, too, but it's a lot easier said than done.

[HealthcareAccess]

Waxman is making 2009 the "Year of Affordable Healthcare!"

Check out our videos to the right.

[MrHelldogger]

If you think health care is expensive now, wait till it's "free". There will never be gov't run health care in America for one reason. The Constitution. All the problems in the American health care system began with Medic-Care. Get t he gov't out & it'll be fine.

[dumbworld]

pig nose! hahaha

[sharinganclan213]

YES, lets give illegals more free shit.

[PASMdude]

Illegals don't get free shit from going to the emergency room. The hospital charges your HMO 10 dollars for an aspirin and triples the charges for people who have insurance to pay for it so you donate the money to these illegals by paying your HMO or PPO premium.

[Tokkemon]

Kill the healthcare bill. NOW!

[wavelinked]

Please pass this bill ....I really need my president Obama promised me....free health care and free housing.

[doctorofghetto]

Free Health Care and Housing, Wave??? Remember, where do you think this service will come from?.....Our income taxes. If you request these services from the government, you are more dependent on them than ever before. I guarantee you our taxes will increase substantially if this pass. Check out my video on my You Tube account about the IRS cover up phone call.

[pokermaster54]

when sick people can't get insurance so they wait until they get really sick what do you think happens? Do they just double over in pain and wait until they die? No you fucking moron. They get taken to the emergency room at no cost to them to get expensive ass examinations, treatments, surgeries etc.

Who have been paying for their emergency room visits?

US you cretin! And I for one would rather pay for their preventative care because it's more humane AND CHEAPER!!

Use your brain please.

[doctorofghetto]

Did you just read of what I comment from Wave, Pokemaster? What do you think taxes are in regards to? Our politicians, roads/bridges/tunnels, government agencies, and even Welfare/healthcare for low-income people. Anything you ask more from government, the government will take more from us citizens.......us workers. If I make $100 a week and already paying $30 in federal/state taxes, add this universal healthcare it will increase up to about $10 if not more. Lets get rid of insurances and....

[pokermaster54]

"Anything you ask more from government, the government will take more from us citizens.......us workers."

They've already been putting their hands in our pockets to get money to pay for emergency care patients. You were just blissfully ignorant of that.

Universal healthcare will actually lower the cost for you and I because as it turns out near death people are really expensive to keep alive. It's better to fix them early or prevent whatever illness they have from getting worse.

[doctorofghetto]

Ok. I will keep your comment in mind.....for now.

[doctorofghetto]

that will solve most of the problem. What is the purpose of medical insurances for how many years now? To make and save money. In this monetary system we are in, there is no fully way to care for another human being if health insurances are making profits by withholding people's payments and denying extensive care.

Google PAINSCOURT and look at my IRS cover Up video on my channel.

[FatherJudgement]

Hell why stop there....Ask for FREE EVERYTHING...Wait a minute it's not free. Those of US with Jobs who pay taxes, Pay for it.

[sharinganclan213]

nothing is free, idiot.

[fishhead06]

About time!

[PASMdude]

I have single payer healthcare (medicare). Only one doctor and one state agency will see me. I got my blood drawn today and they did not have sterile gauze so they wrapped me up in Kleenex. Careful what you ask for you might get it.

[FatherJudgement]

Exactly brother, Ask a Candian how they like their Health Care...My cousin lives there and under the Health Care Obama wants it would take you or anyone else like it did her 9 months to get an MRI....Because it had to be approved by four count them 4 government health agencies.....These people who who just swallow that little Obama pill...Have not a clue what it's all about...

[OlivierdeAthos]

1. Unfortunatley, Obama's not proposing a single payer system.

2. I agree, why NOT ask Canadians how they like their single payer system. They're actually pretty damned fond of it. This study from Queens University shows 88% of them strongly support the single payer system, and only 9% think the American system is better.

queensu. ca/cora/_files/MendelsohnEngli sh. pdf

Or, you could watch this, although man in the street interviews are not scientific.

watch?v=88KmmR4d5Ig

[fishhead06]

I *AM* a Canadian and I have a question - if Canadians hate their health care system so much, how come it enjoys nearly universal support, and no political party would dare touch it?

[PASMdude]

We have two forms of free health care in America. Medicare and Veterans benefits. They both suck. Other countries may be able to pull it off but I am not convinced the US is one of them.

[fishhead06]

In fact, every industrialized country in the world has been able to pull it off - the American people have been content to suffer an inferior health insurance system because they are content to allow powerful corporations to dictate public policy. The tragedy is that theses corporations actually convince ordinary Americans to be spokespersons for them.

[PASMdude]

Could not agree more. Worked in health care for 10 years and seen what a rip off insurance is and people love it because they don't have to pay for anyone else health care. How do they think insurance works? They take premiums from the people who do not get sick and redistribute that money to people who do while taking a healthy cut off the top. Insurance is voluntary socialism.

[fishhead06]

A healthy cut is not socialism, it's capitalism. We also have government-administered auto insurance in British Columbia; and a couple of years ago when the corporation made a profit, everyone's premiums were reduced. Would that happen in a private system?

[PASMdude]

In won't happen in our system I can tell you that. The point is the people who want private health care define socialism as the redistribution of wealth and that is exactly what happens in private insurance.

[FatherJudgement]

When was the last time you went for an MRI?

[fishhead06]

Last year after an initial diagnosis for labyrinthitis, I had a CT scan, an EEG and an MRI. Waits: CT scan, 4 days; MRI, 2 weeks; EEG, 2 weeks. My friend just had an MRI and EEG, and he got both in less than a week. This is Vancouver, a major Canadian city.

[FatherJudgement]

And are you sucking off the Governments free Health Care?

[fishhead06]

Who said it was free? I and every working Canadian pay for it through income and sales taxes.

[FatherJudgement]

Thank you for much. There is my point, Why should I bust my ass everyday as I have for for nearly 30 years to pay 600 Billion plus in New taxes under our new proposed Health care program for a bunch of damn dead beats who are to lazy to work even a convience store job for insurance for their own family. Under our new Energy bill Obama is proposing. Everything I buy is about to double in cost if not triple. The children of some dead beat Crack addict dad..IS NOT MY PROBLEM..And I won't pay 4 them

[zndprophet]

Ah quit bitching your chump change probably won't even go there.

[fishhead06]

It's not as if the amount you pay into a national health insurance plan is ON TOP of your existing health insurance. It replaces it, more cheaply and efficiently. You also obviously think that the quality of a person's health should vary depending on the fatness of their wallet. I believe health should be like education - available to all, depending on need; with the ability to obtain additional coverage privately. Finally, a healthy population is good for a country's productivity and growth.

[FatherJudgement]

Health care is a hell of lot more expensive than education....BTW I Home school my Kids, Because our current government education is trying to indoctrinate my kids into their way of thinking,.......NOT COMMON SENSE......But Politically Correct way of thinking...

So NO THANK YOU...I will educate my children on reading, writing and arthritic. And They can teach the mindless sheep about their idae of political correctness. And guess what I pay my families Health Insurance . NOT THE GOVERNMENT.....

[fishhead06]

Okay, so you simply don't believe in community values. I get it. Good luck indoctrinating your children with your own idea of political correctness.

[shaithis45]

fishhead06 there is nothing wrong with kids that are homeschooled and I know of others that have pulled their kids out of the public education system quite possibly for the same reason. your community values statement is a crock.

[shaithis45]

sorry fishead don't you mean forced national insurance plan also before I register and start paying more money to anyone, I'd read the fine print and also in the event of a job loss, I want to opt in and out of the system instead of pay uncle sam a monthly fee. I'm not going to be told how I should spend my money as the govt. takes enough out of my check already.

[junkforkaryn]

yay for canada .if we weren't such a bunch of arrogant pricks we could learn a few things from that country. healthcare and equality come to mind.

[njcarlos1]

LOL! what a joke of a comment. perfect demonstration of how naive and ignorant you are to Canadian realities.

[junkforkaryn]

ooooooooooooo slam bam! i cited two canadian political and social realities that i admire..and what did you contribute to the conversation? zip nada. do me a favor and keep your weak suck to yourself.

[njcarlos1]

Do you fail at logic? My comment was addressing your perceived "realities." You believe health care in Canada is a success? Fail. You believe Canadians have a higher degree of equality than America? Fail. What I can tell you is, your reality compels you to leave this "arrogant" nation and head north, so go for it... and good riddance.

[junkforkaryn]

kind of love it or leave it, huh? where have i heard THAT undemocratic response before. not only are you ignorant in a retro sense, you are also arrogance personified. when we achieve universal healthcare as a right in this country, i'll expect it to be YOU, the unpatriotic fuck, to be heading out of the country.

[njcarlos1]

No not love it or leave it, just a suggestion...since you seem to hate it so much. It's cool to use ad hominem and a straw man argument though, really. It's better to go that route than address any particular stupidity you exhibited. You, much like a huge majority of universal health care proponents, don't understand the logistics of the matter... I don't fault you, I just pity you.

[pamrose4arts]

Do you know any Canadians? I do and they would laugh at your response.

[onlyrey]

fishhead06, it takes here in the US 5 weeks to get appointments with most specialists. Here in the US, many hospitals actually have over-capacity (complete wings empty in hospitlas). Prices for procedures here in the US are between 3x to 10x times more expensive than in any private clinic in the world. Medicare prices that doctors complaint about are actually 2x times what hospitals get in other industrialized nations. People here go to Mexico to get treatment they can't afford in the US.

[pamrose4arts]

This is so true: I live on the border and most of my friends go to Mexico. The doctors actually take their time with you, charge reasonable fees and are very caring. I know many doctors here who struggle to do the same, but their clinics demand that they see 4 - 6 people an hour no matter what their medical issues are.

[djancak]

did you report them for malpractice?

[PASMdude]

They would not see me any more if I did that and I would only have one other doctor that would see me and she does not speak English well enough for me to know what is wrong with me.

[djancak]

i suppose if you want to look for the bright side it is an incentive to take good care of yourself :-/ sucks that it drains your money to take care of other people who probably are going to wind up with kids you'll have to pay for too

[notscooter952]

I guess it all depends where you are. We've got a single payer system here, I can see any doctor I want, and for all the x-rays and MRI's I've ever had the longest I ever had to wait was two days. I guess it's all about funding. Canadians pay a lot higher taxes though.

[mrbadguysan]

I'm so glad to hear you'll be dumping medicare and getting private insurance. That is what you'll be planning, right?

I sure hope so, because here in Los Angeles County we've got about 2.7 million people (28% of population) who would love to have your slot, seeing as how all of them, all 2.7 million of them, only have access to 4 county hospitals and emergency rooms. But it's not like they need any fancy testing...

BTW: Kleenex is more expensive than the cotton ball and tape most offices use.

[PASMdude]

Disabled = pre-existing conditions. No private health plan would take me. I would lose them money and they are not in business to do that. Kleenex is not sterile like sterile gauze. I worked in health care for 10 years and I know how private insurance works. It is a rip off. France has good free health care but I don't think our government is capable of doing it seeing as I have had it for 5 years.

[fishhead06]

I live in Canada, and I wouldn't trade my single payer health care for the inferior American system for anything. Compare the two countries in terms of maternal health, infant mortality, population health attainment, and life expectancy, and perhaps you'll agree on those FACTS.