18,000 Americans die each year because they can't afford coverage.

50 million don't have insurance.

We pay twice what every other country pays, and we don't even cover everyone.

It's broken.

62% of the personal bankruptcies in America are caused by medical bills. 76% of those cases involved people with insurance. Out of pocket costs crushed them.

The big private insurance companies pay their execs eight and nine figure salaries, while they hire people to cut sick people from their roles. In front of Congress, three big execs said they would not stop the practice of recission voluntarily.

Private insurers add hundreds of billions to our health care bills without adding ANYTHING to the quality of our health care. They take enormous profits, salaries, pay their shareholders, etc. But add nothing to the quality of care. They are in the business of DENYING you coverage. That's how they make their profits.

The rest of the civilized world pays half what we pay, covers virtually everyone, without out of pocket costs. It's rare for a person to die in Europe because of lack of health care. It's rare for Europeans to go bankrupt due to medical costs.

Oh, and BTW. Page 16 doesn't do what you and Michelle Bachman says it does. There is absolutely no provision outlawing private insurance. It doesn't exist in the any of the current bills.

Yu are a delusional "free market" bozo, no better than a Flat-Earther or creationist, so I'll acknowledge you once, although it's much more than you deserve. Health care should be free, completely, permanently and with no strings attached, financed by tax payers and financially feasible by deep cuts in defense spending and the dismantling of the empire. Anybosy who tries to prevent this should be destroyed as an enemy of the sate.

Conceptually we do agree - remove the middleman who over charges us, under-pays the medical professional, and denies payment as much as possible (just happened to me this week for a January visit to the ER - I am getting hit for $624, but God has blessed and I can afford it - I know many could not).

Email me at: urbiznet@gmail.com and I will give you as much detail as you like.

I have to be honest - I trust a free market contractual situation more than I trust the federal government and infinitely more than I trust insurance companies.

Yea, we spend more than all other countries, and yet all other countries send us their sick leaders to make well.

Could it be that we have more lawyers that need to feed off of the medical system? Raising insurance rates higher than any other country in the world?

Could it be that we have lots of high tech equipment denied to other country's medical systems because of cost?

Could it be that states have forced insurance companies to cover elective procedures raising their rates? My old company dropped coverage in my state when the state mandated Lasic be included in all coverage. Lasic is an option, not a must have. Will they add cosmetic surgery next?

We don't need the government screwing up health care by trying to run it. I am 62 and don't have insurance. I pay my own way on, get this, an average income of 80k. I will make it to 65 and only need Medicaid when I kick the proverbial bucket.

I know a lot of you flaming liberals out there have sampled all that life has to offer, and now have health problems because of that. Choices have consequences. Don't ask me to pay for your fun.

Republicans are not your problem. Democrats and Independents are equally opposed. And to that nut job talking about killing those who disagree with his world view, I remind him that this is the USA: I have a right of self defense, and I do keep and bear arms.

As to keeping your own insurance, page 16 of the house bill says no new private insurance policy can be sold after the program starts. So the government will just wait a few years for the old insurance companies to go away. No competition, no chance to buy a better program, or a cheaper program, or a program for your way of life. One size fits all.

Politicians will load up the program with more lard like they did with Social Security promising anything to get elected. And then, lol, tax the rich to pay for it. This will cost so much, that the rich will be redefined as all those who make anything over the median income. Ah and don't forget, we will also have to tax the rich to fund Social Security that is also bankrupt. Let me tell you as story about a goose that laid a golden egg and a farmer that got greedy...

That sounds interesting. Like a co-op.

If I understand you correctly, that would be a great deal. And if those huge out of pocket costs are no longer a consideration, then it would prevent most of the bankruptcies (due to health care costs) I mentioned earlier.

Again, if I understand you correctly, you've removed the costly middleman, the private insurer. Which is something Single Payer does. It's something we need to do in order to reduce costs.

I'm not wedded to the idea that only the government can do this. So if another entity can perform these non-profit functions, I'm cool with that. We would just need to make sure that everyone had a chance to join up, and that they could be assured that there was a legal structure to protect their benefits under this system.

Would be interested in learning more about it, if you care to elaborate . . . .

Crawl back into your swamp with that attitude - you are extreme!

Palhaco, sem graca!

Let me tell you why those 145 medical practices are now my clients. They have all agreed to accept a direct monthly payment from a group of people comprised of individuals, businesses, unions, and government agencies/programs.

There are 1150 more medical providers that have registered who are waiting to participate. All have signed contracts to provide their services for one amount.

The monthly payment from each individual, employee, union member, or person in the govt or program is $96.83 a month for all non-hospital medical intervention. A family would cost $193.66 no matter how many children.

The scope of the medical providers in the 145 practices is:

• family practice

• all specialties from allergy to urology

• all labs - both blood and tissue

• all imaging from nuclear to xray

• unlimited physical therapy

• mental health

• chiropractic

The medical providers have also contracted to waive all co-pays, deductibles, co-insurance, referrals, and there are no restrictions on previous conditions (why would a dr care about a previous condition?)

Now - this is all fact and can be re-duplicated in 3 to 4 months in most any place in the US. In 2007 the federal stats indicated that 86% of all medical interventions took place outside the hospital. If you carve out the over 65 crowd, the percentage rises to 99.4%

So who will make the decisions about my treatment, the insurance company, the government, or my doctor who I have hired for $96.83 a month? I opt for the doctor!

And THIS IS NOT INSURANCE - it is a contract that was reviewd by the insurance commissioner in my state and declared not to be insurance.

So I see another way.