What Do We Need? Health Care. When Do We Need It? Yesterday.

http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=10023623&nav=menu183_9_4

"I lost my job on my 65th birthday," said Sandra Burt, of Concord, N.H. "I had been with the company for 40 years."

Burt, 66, is the face of the health care problem. Without work she had no health insurance and could not pay her $2,700 a month bill for medication to treat her autoimmune disorder.

She wants the nation's health care system overhauled.

"We are doing everything we can to get this bill passed but people listen to me because you will all be on Medicare some day and it's not a good situation. We need help yesterday," Burt said.

Hundreds like Burt gathered at UVM to share problems and offer solutions as part of a Regional White House health care forum. There will be five around the country. The president asked Governor Jim Douglas and Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick to host this one.

Reporter Kristin Carlson: Why do you think Vermont was selected to host this?

Gov. Douglas: The president wanted to reach out to America to different regions, to governors of both parties to look at states like Massachusetts and Vermont that have been at the forefront of health care reform.

State officials, doctors, business owners and health care users tackled problems like prescription drug costs and too much paperwork.

"There is tremendous waste in the system," said Jim Weinstein, of the Dartmouth Institute for Health. "And we designed a very poor health care system with little accountability."

Some say the system is so broken, they want a single-payer health care system. Everyone agreed preventive care is key since chronic illnesses contribute so much to rising costs.

"Considering the debt and economic crisis this country is in we have to think about preventive care for the youth as well," said Bronwyn Fleming-Jones, a senior at UVM.

There were no new ideas but a big chorus for change that the president's health care representative will take back to Washington.

The forum was set to last for an hour and a half-- it went for two hours and there were still people who wanted to talk, so the government is collecting comments online.

Hoping for some change at
http://www.michaelmoore.com

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Health
• Insurance
• Vermont
• Forum
• Obama
• Single
• Payer

[FluxCapacitor2008]

What we need is an alterative to the money making machine that is our health insurance industry.

[FluxCapacitor2008]

Do not fall for the Ultra rich power base fear mongering about Socialism, I dont know a lot about the United Kingdom, but we in the states have social services that are for the benefit of everyone. Just because we have some public services we are not going to slip in the communism or any other isms. Dont be so paranoid.

[TheHAMMER77777]

repeal Obamacare..no nanny state

[TheHAMMER77777]

@sincerityproductions repeal Obamacare

[nalkar2]

yes vermont . lead the way

[recompile]

Some people can't buy health insurance because insurance companies won't sell it to them.

If you're sick, you can't go out and buy insurance. (it would be losing proposition for the ins. co.).

If you have insurance and you get seriously ill, you often need to fight to keep it. (They WILL try to drop you).

And fight to get your provider to cover the costs (legit claims are often denied).

Once you've lost your coverage for making the mistake of getting sick, don't expect to get it back

[newyorkeastside]

Obama is DONE! He will go down in history as the first black , facist pres.and the WORST PRESIDENT EVER!

[MMMOKEJ]

Agreed. I live in Sweden and we have socialized medicine. Sure, we are one of the most liberal country's in the world. But when it comes to health care, I don't get the American way. Why wouldn't you just pay taxes so that EVERYONE can get help. It's not communism, it's a more humane way.

[muddshovel1]

I want health care now not 3 months after I'm ill and lost my job ...

[sincerityproductions]

Single Payer Health Care is not socialism doctors, hospital ect. remain private and do not work for the gov't unlike UK or Canada were they are gov't employees. Single Pay Health care will be able to use billions spent on Medicare, Medicaid, Veteran, Miliatary and Gov't Employees Insurance Premiums to insure everyone. The money saved will help local gov't debts. Wanna support single payer Health Care Msg me for Link to online Petition and pass it on

[lamborger]

LOL, everybody that cries socialism can't tell you what it is.

Single Payer system is the only solution.