McCain on Health Care: ‘Start Over or Don’t do Anything’

MCain is still bitter over the election. I believe the GOP should get over themselves and vote for this Bill. This is not about the GOP this is about what America really wants AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE!

So tired of McCain. Just wish he’d retire and go back to AZ. Can’t remember when he last had something useful to say.

I think our politicians need to stop bickering like little children and actually DO something instead of spending all their time fighting. Democrats and Republicans are always fighting. Its childish and does nothing for us (the american people).
And I would just like to say that Republicans are not the party of No. I’m not a Republican myself, I’m an Indpendent, but my boyfriend is a Republican and he can’t afford Health Care either. I work for a health insurance company, so I pay very little for my premiums (about 4 bucks a month), but I do agree that health care costs need to come down. I’ve heard how expensive they are.

I am not a McCain fan but he is right, START OVER. The Democrats let the liberals hijack this bill that is why they could never pass it. This is a terrible bill that will have devestating conquences for our economy if passed.

Some day John you will come to understand that the american people did not elect you to run this country. Just as the country had to let george run the country when he was in. My own thoughts are that all of you politicans have shown us this time how stupid the american voter is to elect any jerk that is already in office. We need the politican like we need a hole in the head. Very few of us would want you for a friend or family member. And tthe only reason the politican would like the public is because you want the money from the position. You are all just like a bloodsucker on the public. And at one time I use to think car salesmen were bad. Wow was that a mistake
And I have to wonder just how smart John thinks he really is. After all he WAS next to last to graduate from the Naval academy.

Enough of this clown who somehow thinks his ideas are relevent and that he is still running for President. His whole tirade yesterday was a campaign speech from his failed election bid. He needs to fully understand that America has spoken and that he lost. He symbolic though of what the Republican Party has become, a club of old men with old ideas, some young men with old ideas, and nothing constructive to add to today’s world. These guys all live in a vacume, are serving the masters of corporate America and would not think of giving you the same health care insurance coverage they have. Nothing but a bunch of self serving who’s motto is…”I’m the one that counts, to hell with the rest of America, you’re just our pawns and doormats to be used for our interest”.

Billy Bob and Vern: First, Bob, it wasn’t liberals who hijacked the bill. If us liberals had written the bill, health care would have a strong public option and be all emcompassing. No silly fines, no co-pays/deductables, no absurd referrals. It was special interests and dirty democrats who ruined the bills. To you Vern, the grown up people in this country are going to vote out the problem democrats come this November. Unless Pelosi, Reid, and the rest of the gang step down and let other democrats run, I promise you this, we will vote for whoever runs againsts them even if its a republican. We got President Obama by getting the vote from disgruntled republicans who wanted to clean house. Now its our turn to clean house and were gonna clean hard in November.

I had the chance yesterday to watch about 5 hours of the summit. My impression of the entire thing:
Republicans – “We don’t like this bill and our people are telling us they don’t like this bill. This is why…”
President – “I hear what you are saying and your point is interesting but I think what we have done is the best we are going to get. Now to the next speaker.”
Democrats – “We have alot of stories of Americans who are uninsured or underinsured and our people are telling us that we have do to something to fix healthcare so we did something.”
Tom Coburn of Ok was the only one that said anything really of substance on the issue. The rest was political pandering and positioning. Oh well at least CSPAN was there.

“MCCAIN ON HEALTH CARE: ‘Start Over or Don’t do Anything’” what he’s really saying: Stall, stall, stall. We haven’t quite wiped out the middle class just yet. But I think they’re on their last breath.

mac WRITES: The current Bill is nothing about lowering health costs and everything about Pelosi and Obama gaining control over 1/6th of our economy. All you lazy people that want the government to provide for you are nuts.
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Not everyone without healthcare is lazy. I have a friend who was diagnosed with Lukemia 3 years ago. His current employer’s healthcare pays $3,000 PER MONTH on his treatment to stay alive. I hope they don’t up and drop him. He’s been a good friend. I’d hate to lose him because noone cared!

Most Americans don’t want anything done until it is too late.

Republicans blocked health care reform legislation during the Clinton administration and the problem has continued to grow into quite the monster. If we start over, put this off for another year, the problem will get worse and the solutions will become even more complicated.

I dont know who gets polled, but everyone, except Rep/Con where I live says pass HC reform…I have Medicare Advantage and it wouldnt hurt to go back to regular Medicare, but the $15, billion a year Insurance Co. would lose is enough for them to lobby hard against…. posted by chaney
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Most Americans, including Republicans and conservatives DO want health insurance reform (which is what this is about).
As stated several times during yesterday’s meeting (by Democrats, Republicans, and the President), there are different views as to how best to accomplish providing everyone with health insurance while not bankrupting the nation. It’s called getting the most bang for your bucks.

Looking at most of these responses, they are really nothing more than a continuation of the same meaningless babble that our politicians are doing. It is all about proving that I am t he smartest one, I am intellectually superior to all of you.
Here is one thing I heard in the clash between McCain and Obama: McCain tries to hold the president accountable for his promises to make this whole process transparent. Obama does not directly respond to that statement, but tries to put McCain down with his remark about the electiion being over. So then I am left to assume that the president is in effect saying that he never intended to keep those promises. They were just campaign promises.

Somebody needs to tell him he lost!LOL!!—-posted by rightbehind
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Senator McClain was not elected POTUS; he is STILL a United States Senator and is authorized and obligated to speak out on issues.

The “public option” isn’t the only way, though it might point the country back to what worked well: the private NON-profit health insurance we had a generation ago. Even “Japan Incorporated”, that nation of capitalism worshippers, knows it’s ridiculous to have for-profits doing primary health insurance. There is absolutely NO government insurance in Japan, but everyone is insured by one of 240 non-profits. There is ONE national set of network charges and that reduces the cost of paperwork from 25% of healthcare dollars to 3%. On top of that, Japanese insurers spend 94% of premiums on health care vs 71% in the USA where 7% profits, corporate jets, skyscraper headquarters, bloated bonuses, etc. are the standard.

Republicans seem to think that the 69 million people who voted for Obama should just go away? The Dems still have huge majorities in both houses. There is no way in hell the Dems will start over. Get ready for recolciliation which basically means majority rules which means 51 votes. Republicans have used in 16 times in recent history while Dems have used it just 7 times. Those of you who voted Republican lost! Just like McCranky Pants! Go to hell!

First of all I want to commend Pres. Obama for actually putting this health care summit on national t.v. Bush never did that, only back room deals to steal tax payer money. Now the repubs can’t say he didn’t invite them or use any of their ideas. In fact he stated that he put their ideas in the bill and they turned around and said it was Gov’t run ideas. How can they go against their own ideas. Just goes to show they don’t care about Americans at all, they just want to make Obama look bad, but they just put the nail in their own coffin, cause they looked soooooooo stupid sitting there with those dumb looks on their faces, cause Obama called them out on national tv to either put up or shut up. Now they can’t go around lying anymore about he would not let them bring their ideas. Sorry repubs I know you can’t stand the fact Obama is president, and there is nothing you can do about it. And I am here to tell you, I plan to help him get re-elected for a 2nd term and so will a lot of other people. You need to realize G.W. Bush and that idiot Cheney, messed up the republican party for life. Those two and their whole administration will go down in history as one of the worst president and vice president in American History, and that will be remembered for a long time and our children will learn about their crimes in the history books for years to come.

George when are you going to stop pushing the Republican viewpoint this was a BIG summit and before and after you never talked to any Democrats just the usual Republican viewpoint you are certainly obvious on which side YOU favor but I don’t watch news to hear YOUR side just the INFORMATION. George you are a very poor excuse for a news reporter very one sided. I loved watching GMA in the morning now that you are there it ruins my day. We need too rename the show Good Morning Fox News. The Today show is looking better each day.

Those of you who voted Republican lost! Just like McCranky Pants! Go to hell!-hatefully ranted by roxsteady
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No thank you, Hell has no attraction for me at all. Yes, those who voted for McCain for president voted for the loser OF THAT RACE.
Senator John McCain is a United States Senator with the same rights and obligations of every other US Senator, be they Democrat or Republican.
People like you seem to want the US to be some 3rd-rate country where the majority party is also the only party with any rights. Sorry, that’s not the way it works in the USA.
I pray hateful people like you never get your wish.

Is GMA going to have some Democrats on soon or are we just going to continue to get this slop from guys like John McCain who seem like angry ex boyfriends trying to get revenge. Come on George, where is the non-biased news you used to give. It seems like this show has been purchased by the GOP for their own political agendas.

Mr. Mc Cain: get over it…as the Pres. says..the election is over. Time and money is ticking and we need this health care now. Tell it to the people who have no insurance and to those who have been dropped and are being asked to pay exorbitant fees like $750 per month to keep a child on for one year so she can finish her college education. That is outrageous. You have been away from the PEOPLE too long. You need to speak not to the tea party ones but the everyday people who are really suffering and are afraid to be sick. Many are not going to the doctor because they are afraid he will find something. Why should anyone in this United States live with those fears when we can do something about it?

when george asked mccain did he still have a personal vendetta against president he did that silly laugh like come on george,but ray charles can see that john mccain is truly still bitter that he lost the election to a one term senator that he labeled incompetent and inexperienced but the american people saw different.he need to get over it and do his job in the senate.the republicans are trying to win back the house and senate so they will try to derail anything the democrats are trying to pass. the american people are truly being fooled by the republican party but when and if they get back in power watch out america be careful what you wish for.

JoelMiller wrote, “Republicans blocked health care reform legislation during the Clinton administration and the problem has continued to grow into quite the monster. If we start over, put this off for another year, the problem will get worse and the solutions will become even more complicated.”
Yo, Joel — if the Democratic reform plan was so good, why didn’t they get it passed while they had the majority? Because of infighting in their own party! You cannot blame the Republicans for that one! :-)
(and it’s a good thing this one didn’t pass because a big chunk of the American public was against it as well…can’t blame the Republicans for that, either.)

I watched almost every minute of this thing. It was quite fascinating to watch the Republicans try so hard to be civil while their intent was very clear. Each time they raised even a “valid” objection, it was answered by the president to the point of silence. When it was all finished, the more pragmatic type republicans had had to agree to about 80 percent of what was proposed. How could they not agree. They had little choice because most of these ideas were their ideas in the first place. Too bad none of them had the sack to simply say==”we were wrong before–but we are right now”
But then you had those two sitting the right of the President acting like they were being tortured by having to sit their in front of the cameras and hid their true feelings on the matter.
(Espcially that Mitch Mcconnell– who clearly looks stressed most of the time anyway) But when it was their turn to speak they basically ignored about 5 hours worth of talk from their very own people, and started in with the (We need to start over because 80 percent is not good enough–BS. The truth is they clearly do not want to do anything.. and 80 is 8/10 of the way away from their TRUE position anyway.)
I know they are only worried about being reelected. Reminds me of an over indulgent parent of a child who doesn’t like booster shots–telling the doctor NO. Honestly, the parent is more afraid of the child’s temper than of the child catching a measles. Needless to say that parent is against health care for her child–the way republicans are against it for their unwilling/scared/ignorant children– their constituents. Yes democracy is hard. And yes, if these republicans do not get reelected they will have to find health care for themselves–the way the rest of us do.

Personally, as a resident of AZ, I would like to ask JMcCain…Where the hell are you during AZ’s budget crisis? We are laying off police, teachers and have NO budget agreements for state and local governments…and here you are, quoting alleged Arizonans on HealthCare? We need our leaders, not some national spotlight hogging politician who does NADA for his home state! Yet, here you are, AGAIN, quoting statistics for a state you represent, but do not help??? Tragically Hypocritical!!

How could anyone be against the president’s healthcare bill? Government’s responsibility is to govern and that is just what this bill does. If we don’t want any government then we are living in the wrong country. As far as ncCain, well its time for him to go home and give someone else a chance.

This is the never ending Obama campaign, all the same actors and the same rhetoric and B.S…..I wish Obama would remember he IS the President and act like one in stead of Mr. Wimpy and I wish McSame would retire and join Rumsfeld in counting desert rocks.

Start over??? The Republican establishment never began. As for the Democrats, you couldn’t even come to a consensus in your own party. I’m going Independent. Your both gone in November.

I don’t know why anyone would want the government to control any more of our lives than they already do , This MANDATE thing is terrible . Then on top of that they want to raise taxes and cut medicare Why are american people so gullible ?

Start over or don’t do anything?
“My way or else.”

also, malcat- I could say the totally opposite of what you said about everyone wanting it where you live. Unless, you are talking about “insuring everyone” because thats what people here, in Texas, want -not a bill thats going to exclude & include anything and everything one side of the table wants. I think for once, our ” government” -(dont want to step on toes so that includes all of them)- needs to listen to ” real” people the ones who are actually uninsured. And believe me, that isnt anyone sitting in that room yesterday. posted by Angie
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Angie, I did not say everyone wanted it. I was responding to someone who did say that. I ususally paste the comment I am responding to before my comments…like I did here.
I do want health insurance reform…but disagree with much of how the Democrats are going about it.

Just want to throw something out there. Consider it the conservatives position as to why heathcare costs are so high.
The problem with our healthcare system isn’t who pays for the care but how it is set up to be paid for. Since at least the early 20th century the reimbursement for heathcare services has gone from a provider to consumer relationship to a leveraged relationship, with a third party payor.
Provider to consumer – “I(doctor) gave you an exam because of your illness. The fee for the service is $10.” Consumer pays $10
Leveraged Relationship – Same situation above but instead of the Consumer paying $10, and third party, be it the government or a private company takes say $5 from 10 people, betting that only 1/3 of the people in a given time frame will need the check up and figures they will need to pay 3 doctors $10 each, and have $20 left over for administration and as back up just incase one out of the 7/10 that need to be well get sick.
Now such a situation works only if there are enough doctors supplying the service to keep the price of the service at $10 and if only 1/3 of the people in the time frame(lets say a month) need the service.
What we have now in our country is a lessening of the number of providers and an increase in people using the service, either because they are sick or they are using the service for other than when are sick and so are using it unnecessarily, and stressing the reserve pool.
So the providers raise the price of the service either because they can because of supply and demand, or because of the increase in overhead, and so the third party must increase the price they are getting from the pool of people to cover them. Instead of the 3/10 predicted to use the service, say 7/10 are predicted to use it, and instead $10 an exam, say it is $13 an exam. If we keep with the original 40% back up for administration and reserve we have to take a minium of $15.17 to cover the original spread percentage of projected payout, administration and reserve. But we don’t want to charge more for the insurance than the service costs so we have to get the consumer to share costs so we can keep the price low i.e. copays, deductible and restrictions.
Sound familiar. Anyway the only way we can fix this issue with leveraging is if we deal with four issues: (1)More providers(doctors, nurses, ect) to treat the patients and to bring the cost down through competition, (2)reduce the overhead of providers so they can have less costs to pass to the consumer,(3) reduce to number of people who have to use the service thereby reducing how much each person has to pay for insurance,(4) and increasing the pools of people who pay for the services of those who need to use it.
The bill before congress deals with 4, and touches on 3 but doesn’t deal with 1 and 2 at all.
We either have to have a plan that deals with all four of those issues, or we have to go back to a provider to consumer relationship and abolish all insurance companies and all healthcare entitlements that are government provided.
I doubt the government has the will to take on the second option so the first is the only option.

Start over or don’t do anything?
“My way or else.” posted by newzi
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Start over means begin work again to produce a better bill. It doesn’t mean the bill has to be only what Senator McCain wants.
But ‘my way or else’ is exactly what the Democrats are saying: agree with what we want or we will use reconciliation. Of course, how the Democrats will get all of their own party to agree remains to be seen. There are additional bribes to be made?

McCain sits there with his insurance paid for by us, just like Cheney we paid for his insurance, but they will deny us the same. I don’t know where people get the idea we don’t want reform, am I looking at the wrong stats???? Both of them should go home and stay there, retire like I did…

This bybartisanship has gone to far. It will never work, Dems should go it alone by whatever means neccessary

Hurry up already and pass this bill. We need a new form of government where the government controls healthcare, business, and private property ownership! Perhaps then we can have a society where everyone is equal: no rich and no poor!
I am so tired living in a country where the poor are taken advantage of and the rich just get richer. It is time for a change; a time where government punishes greed and rewards the disadvantaged.
President Obama is trying to lead us in that direction, but is constantly getting heat from the rich club repubs. This is the first President in my lifetime that gives me hope of an equal playing field. posted by powerdrive
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Do you realize you are asking for a communistic government? You might want to pack your bags for China; I ‘think’ that is the only country with that form of government.
Personally, I prefer a government that recognizes the intelligence and abilities of private citizens.
You state ‘reward the disadvantaged’. Reward for what? Or did you mean ‘help’ the disadvantaged?

Well put – powerdrive. But the Dems messed-up with this bybartisanship; they should have destroyed the Repubs when they had the chance. Then the Dems should have taken the step to file treason charges against Bush, Chaney, Rumsfeld and Conde Rice.

After the “conservative” media talking heads have been screaming lies for a whole year, many citizens haven’t a clue who to believe. The fact that the Republican leadership has repeated rather than refuted their lies is unconscionable. The USA faces many difficult challenges we must overcome to build a secure future in a peaceful world. The Republican Party has made itself one of those challenges.

Here’s a translation for ‘start over’:
Let’s keep arguing and arguing and arguing and arguing and arguing and arguing and arguing and arguing and arguing about it and eventually I’ll be dead and gone and won’t have to worry about anything anymore.
In other words, ‘don’t do anything.’
Stallers who have nothing constructive to offer make me sick.

AngryMobVoter – - “We are witnessing the greatest intrusion into the private lives of individuals and business in history. It is time to take our government and Country back. VOTE THEM OUT!!!” AngryMobVoter, what a bunch of B.S. Who told you that you actually have a private life? What, because you can sit on the john and wipe without asking permission, you have a private life? You’re not free to do whatever you like. You may think you are, but you’re not. There’s a law for everything you do and say. You can’t drive a car just because you want too; you can’t board a plane just because you want too. “Witnessing the greatest intrusion into the private lives” – you obviously didn’t live through World War 2 prison camps in America; or the Concentration Camps in America during World War 2; we won’t even talk a slavery.

Why should some be rich and others poor? Why should we have such a gulf between the haves and the have nots? If we are all created equal, shouldn’t we share equally?
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Powerdrive, you are stating communistic views. Everyone receives according to their need; what you call share equally. The reasons some are more well-off than others are varied…including that the one that is more more well-off is smarter, more educated, more talented, more skilled, a hard worker.
What you want would eliminate a person’s drive to succeed. Why work harder or more efficiently if it gets you nothing more than those who don’t?
I’m a Christian that follows Christ’s teachings to help those less fortunate than I. I believe in sacrificial giving. But I also believe that someone should strive to better his/herself so that they are not less fortunate.

Voter, please remember that a lot of Americans approve of what the Democrats are doing. A lot of us don’t.
P.S. could you maybe turn off the all caps? Most people don’t like being ‘yelled’ at.

Powerdrive, I hate communism because it squashes a person’s inspiration and drive to better themself.
What you envision for this country scares me…really does.
Taxes as long as they are fair AND sufficient to meet the needs of the country are fine. But for the government to take a higher percentage from one person because they make more is wrong. If a person making a $100K is taxed at the same percentage as a person making $10K, the person making more pays more…10 times more than the person making less.
You want to penalize someone for working hard and being successful. That is totally opposite of what this great nation is all about.
If that is the type of world you think you want to live in, I suggest you move to China. Try it out; see if you think it’s a great idea after living under it’s rules for awhile.
Better yet, take advantage of all the wonderful opportunities this country provides. Apply for scholarships for college; learn a new trade; work hard to better yourself instead of asking everyone else to subsidize you.
And just so you know: I grew up very poor (I’m 59 now). My mother raised 3 children on $40 a week working in a factory. I took advantage of support to go to school and learn a trade. I used what I learned to get a job ‘at the bottom’ and have worked my way up to where I do college-degree work. My salary is still low; I make $35K a year. But I earn my money; I am where I am because I made the effort to better myself.
I wish I made more; I wish I could go back to college and get that degree. But I am responsible for the choices I made and make now. I would not have it any other way.

Powerdrive, that also removes the incentive to innovate as well.
Why work harder to perfect a way of doing things when it will give you no benefit to do so?
Why work at all if you can expect a consistant stipend regardless of what you do?
Why produce anything when the results of production or inaction are the same?
Social equality is a nice concept, however it completely ignores that every human being in American has different hopes, dreams, needs, wants desires, plans, vision, gifts, skills or training, along with a number of other variables.
I will not discount that wealth does help but we have gotten this idea in this country that money equals success, rather than money is a useful tool.
Greater amounts of funds do increase the chance for success but only if it is used wisely. Poor use of it will get you no where.
Why is it that most lottery winners are bankrupt serveral years after winning? Because they received wealth with no idea as to how to use it as a tool.
What will happen if we redistribute wealth as you recommend? Those who know how to use money wisely will continue to use it wisely and will prosper despite of having a large portion of income taken away, while those who don’t know how to use money properly will be still be in the same situation as they are in now because their mindset on the use of money will not have changed.

Isn’t this the same John McCain who said that “the fundamentals of the economy are sound” when the financial market crashed! Thanks God America did not elect this man. I can’t even envision him tackling our problems.

Yeah!! Let’s vote another Socialist into office and then we can all suffer, financally,medically and spiritually.
They are doing just what Peoples_Pres said. The whole government needs a complete makeover. How about we get rid of all the cronies and the control freaks and start over!!!

Question…if a plane had hit Blair house yesterday, who would have been president?? all the leaders were in the room..
Posted by: skaterdon | Feb 26, 2010 2:17:37 PM
Order of succession is VP, Speak of the House, President Pro Temp of the Senate, then goes down the list of the Cabinet Secretaries. Presidental Succession act of 1947.

If an earthquake had destroyed blair house, we would be saying Pres. Byrd today…yikes..!!

Start over so they only delay it again to try to make more political mileage out of the issue, when the numbers of uninsured continues to grow? McCain and Congress have their coverage, while millions suffer and die, and corporate insurers make ungodly profits. Decades have passed and times have changed since health care was last reformed, but McCain wants to maintain the status quo. If the GOP was really sincere and earnest about doing something about health care, why hasn’t a single one of them signed on or supported anything, even their own GOP initiatives? Very hypocritical and politics as usual.

And another thing; John McCain is the reason for a lot of what you appreciate and the reason you can still make health decisions for yourself. We should and will re-elect mccain. JD is just too morally corrupt.

Why can’t the Republicans do something constructive instead of stamping their feet and saying no, no, no? Come up with some good ideas; starting over is ridiculous! Can’t they all just grow up? How are we supposed to believe they actually do give a damn about the American people? And I’ve had about all I can take of John McCain; isn’t it about time for him to retire? How about we stop paying for all the great insurance coverage we pay for them to have and give these guys a taste of the reality they want us to live in?

I have been in the insurance biz for years, I got laid off in July, and if it wasn’t for Obama I would not be able to have my insurance done where I paid 35% and the co. paid 65%, and the worst part? My husband got a job, and his insurance is very good, but to include me, (his legal wife) we would have to pay $750.00 for both of us on his plan, which I, on unemployment, cannot afford! I heard your ridiculous story about the elderly, they have medicare! Both A for hospitals, and B for office calls and D for prescriptions, what do we have! The elderly will always be taken care of, my own mother had Secure Horizon’s which was like a HMO for the elderly, but we cannot afford healthcare, and you have the nerve to say that what Obama who is trying to get United healthcare is wrong? You need to go away, you are way out of your game anymore! Andy Corona

Dear Senator McCain (not John)
You are correct.
BTW the election is indeed over, but this is one Obama voter who wishes we could have a do over.

Someone needs to inform McCain that we
can have only one President at a
time. A nation divided against itself
cannot stand. “Together we stand and
divided we fall.”

George, you are correct saying “people” want ObamaCare. However, “people” is in a small minority. All the polls I’ve seen recently show most Americans DO NOT WANT ObamaCare. Why do you carry the water for the progressives? Oh, that’s right. You’re a progressive not a reporter.

JOHN MCAIN GET OVER IT YOU LOST. PICK YOURSELF UP AND HELP PRES. OBAMA PASS THE HEALTH BILL FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE COUNTRY.

I am very tired of hearing politicians say they work for the american public. I don’t believe that my interests are being addressed. I am not left or right, I am an American. An American that needs affordable healthcare, I can’t believe that the political system is still this prejudice that they refuse to work with the President America chose! Stop fighting and earn your paychecks.

George, McCain is partially right. “Start Over” – and address the Fee for Service payment system that is contributing to the high cost of healthcare for Medicare and the private healthcare industry. Remember that both Medicare and the private healthcare industry use the same Healthcare Delivery system. By reducing Medicare costs you will also reduce the private cost. Now is the time to fix Medicare by changing to a Total Cost payment system. This would involve best practices for Real Estate management (facilities owned by the Medicare Program), Medical Services Management (Human resources – salary compensation, procurement of equipment / supplies, Patient Care), Electronic Medical Record Management (capturing records), and Patient Care Business Intelligence (community, regional, and national levels for quality of patient care and utilization review of patient care for determining best patient care treatments / wellness and cost of treatments). Once Medicare becomes cost efficient the private healthcare industry can also change to a Total Cost payment system which will then provide healthcare coverage (including pre-existing conditions) for all Americans.

George, it is not uncommon in commercial business to “Start Over” on large initiatives. The first try has broad sweeping objectives that the stakeholders believe are needed. But, after trying to define the specific scope of the initiative it becomes apparent what is really needed and in some cases it may not be the driving reason for the initiative. Once stakeholders have a chance to dig into a subject it becomes apparent what is needed. Then there is the try it again phase with more specific objectives. Depending on the complexity of the initiative there may be another “Start Over” and try it again phase. Clearly healthcare is an extremely complex subject. There has been a call for healthcare reform for the last 5 decades and there have been multiple “Start Over” attempts. The latest attempt “Call to Action Healthcare Reform 2009” began with gathering stakeholders’ input on what is driving healthcare cost up and how to fix it. Basically, the healthcare recipient said I can’t afford healthcare premiums and there needs to be consumer protection for unfair denial of claims by insurance companies. Insurance companies point to wellness and fraud and abuse as areas for reducing healthcare cost. Healthcare providers point to limits on medical lawsuits and consolidation of insurance companies (resulting in monopolies in certain areas) as areas for reform. All stakeholders agree that the uninsured is a problem. The house and senate healthcare reform bills address these issues, but, still needs tweaking for final approval. The major issue is that the stakeholders (specifically Providers and Insurance companies) didn’t point out the issue that the Fee for Service payment system is driving healthcare cost up. Negotiations between Providers and Insurance companies to define the prices by services rendered (Hospital / Doctor rates) results in different prices for the same services for each Insurance company. For example, three patients are treated by the same Provider (Hospital / Doctor) with the same service (procedure code) and the Provider receives three different payment amounts. The cost to the Provider is the same. The lowest payment amount at least covers the Provider’s cost or the Provider would not have agreed to the negotiated price. The Fee for Service payment system needs to be replaced. The private healthcare industry is way to complex and needs more than just tweaking. Medicare has characteristics needed for a total cost model and with some tweaking can be changed from a Fee for Service payment system to a Total Cost payment system. The next “Start Over” and try it again phase should focus on replacing the Fee for Service payment system.

This is absolutely rediculous. Our country won’t get any better no matter what bill gets passed. Everyone is too worried about dissing each others political party, race, religion ect. to fix any problems that we have. I wish that more Americans would stand up and have a voice these days. Unfortunately it does seem that we are all pawns in this whole mess. We used to be the UNITED States of America…the states are connected but the American population is in no way shape or form UNITED. What happened to having an opinion of your own and still respecting others? There is no way that every single person in this country is going to be satisfied with every law, bill, decision made. I do strongly believe that if more people made their voices heard we might have a chance of saving our wonderful country from innevitable failure. I hope no one takes offense by anything I have said.