American Morning
We Listen – Your comments 8/24/2009
Editor's Note: Various elements of heath care reform were debated among Monday’s American Morning viewers. Many believed that Americans did not understand that current government health care was “public,” while others argued that these very programs were headed toward bankruptcy.
- Ruth: Please explain our current health care programs: Medicare is a public program for those over 65. The Veterans Admin. is socialized medicine, i.e., gov't owns the hospitals, docs work for the gov't., and Medicaid – a federal/state program for low income citizens of any age. Some states limit Medicare coverage due to state budgets. I believe that if people understood these three programs, they would have a better idea of what is being proposed by Congress. Thank you.
- Hubert: COST TOO MUCH???? If we fix health care, we would save money. Cut the fraud, cut the high cost of insurance. Cut the lobbyists. Cut the (CEO's) bonuses. Cut the politicians kickback from pharmaceutical, and only god knows how many more. UNLESS congress want to payback the lobbyists and give them money that they might have made buy cheating us. The people that don't want a change must be making $millions from fraud and overcharges.
- Ginspelts: Congress's answer to everything is spend now and worry later about how we will pay for it. Is that what they did years ago when they passed Medicare & social security? Because both are now fixing to go bankrupted. Why don't they concentrate on fixing both of those government programs? Their answer is to worry about it later when it comes crashing down on our heads
With the various problems faced by Social Security, the Veteran’s Administration, and Medicare, is the government capable of running an appropriate public health care program for all our citizens? What are your concerns about this?
No one disputed the need for the public option, with concern over the insurance industry’s power to decide on medical procedures
- Jerry: If you have an IQ equal to that of George Bush you should be able to figure out that a public option will reduce cost by making private insurance companies cut cost. All the Republicans can see is that they will lose money from their lobbyist buddies in the insurance business.
- Laura: If this bill goes through without the PUBLIC OPTION, the insurance companies win and the American people lose big! Call your congressmen. Don't allow the richest one percent to control this very important time in our history. Universal health care is a right. Demand it of our elected representatives. They work for us, not the insurance industry.
- Mark: You people who are against the public option better get your heads out of the sand, one day it may be you or another loved one who needs health care. Do you not have sons and daughters and even grandchildren. You say you don't believe in abortion but you don't mind sending people to their death by denying them health insurance. The same goes for you who are afraid of the so called death panels, what do you think the private insurance companies are doing.
How do you feel about the public option? Is health care reform dead without it?
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i tried to get help from my Dr's and hopitals....because i am on medicare medacade as far my bill ...they said....I MAKE TO MUCH MONEY....according to bills nebraska said i affored to pay 25% of the bill....as my check runs out after 2 weeks..thats just paying rent foor meds.insurance food ......i am forsed to sell and i am not kidding..some of the office of the DRs said ...sell it...the it is....my wheel chair....the sign comming into ...NEBRASKA......the good life......where....
worried.
this world has lost a great man,my condolences to the family
I, too was upset by the AARP segment. This senior citizen, who canceled her membership, was the perfect example of how misinformed people are. She kept refering to "Obama's bil", Obama's bill.." Well, Obama doesn't have a bill.He has decided, rather rightly or wrong, that the Congress should write the bill in order to reach b-partisianship. We all know where that has gone. Then, this senior citizen kept reiterating that Obama is for a single payer system. Obama said that years ago as a Senator, not as President. But, if single payer is so objectionable to her, was is she getting Medicare? Which is single payer. This senior citizen was a Rebuplican Precint Chairperson. Her points were right out of the misinformed right wing talking point book. It is this misinformation nthat the main stream media allows, and does not question, that has lead to the HCR problems we now face. We need reform now..
Kiran Chetry interviewed two guests about AARP. The first guest gave a very vague reason for dropping her membership. She said the same thing that many of the townhall protestors said, Obama, Obama, Obama. Kiran did not ask her to explain specifically, what it was about any of the proposals she was against, also, was she receiving Medicare/Medicaid benefits. It is exactly this kind of impotent reporting that lies continue to fester and grow like a cancer. What good does it do to have these kinds of discussions when the person who has opportunity to bring truth to light, drop the ball, simply because their intimidated by their quests. Kiran, if you're affraid to ask critical questions to unmask the lies, don't do the interview. It's worse enough having to listen to the verbal vomit for a month just simply because of obvious racism and partisn politics. What a dragedy.
After years of receiving AARP mailings, inviting me to join AARP,
I confidently joined AARP when I knew that they were actively supporting us older folk's interests in healthcare.
When I knew that AARP was not going along with the insurance companies agenda (a breath of fresh air) I signed up this year.
I am happy to be a member in 2009 and pray that they continue to look out for our interests with informed, productive and intelligent people in the white house and beyond.
YES, WE CAN, AARP!
Why does CNN put a single dried up old republican prune on to bash "Obama" (she doesn't even have the grace to refer to him as President" So she (and 60K other nuts) quit AARP? So what! That means 99.4% DID NOT QUIT. The peopl who oppose health care reform always turn out to be (in this case, in drag) "Joe the Plumber" i.e.
No nothings who invariable have it wrong. They do NOT have any other position other than unyeilding opposition to the President.
Remember this; these are the same people who wanted to privatize Social Security (morons). Ask any of them if they're giving up their Medicare and Social Security. That should be the first question asked
On the interview with the AARP senior who cancelled her membership. I am not surprised Kiran gave her the last word.
This woman like others are so disrespectful, they cannot bring themselves to call this very educated black man the PRESIDENT. It is all OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA. They gave Bush more respect because he is white.
If you want to find these disrespectful people watch AMFIX and today was the last time I have watched the program.
These racists are coming out of the closet and using the "health care issue" to vent because the US has a black PRESIDENT
I was so incensed at the ignorance of the lady who quit AARP over their supposed support for health care reform. Don't these people (particularly those who are against a Public OPTION) understand who is making their healthcare decisions now?? It is NOT their doctor, it is some grossly-overpaid health insurance executive whose ONLY interest is in maximizing profits to keep his stockholders happy! Why the heck isn't media making that more public? People are SO grossly uninformed on this issue, and you are partly to blame for not telling – and re-telling over and over – the REAL story! We MUST get the profit motive out of healthcare, or we are all at risk.
(PS – I am a health care professional, so I DO know whereof I speak!)
I just heard Dr. Gupta's interview with the Irish health minister, who mentioned that 40% of the government budget is allocated to health care spending, and who also seemed to indicate that people on the public system have no choice in selecting a doctor.
Regarding the costs in Ireland, the percentage is high because much much less is spent on military spending in Ireland. It would not translate to the same % in the USA.
Regarding choice of doctors, Canada would be a better example. The choice of doctors is up to the patient, and the government is just the bill-payer; it sets medical fees and fees for diagnostic work, and pays all doctors who register with the system.
Something really does need to be fixed in Health Care when even $150,000 -a -month can't buy you competent, sensible, reliably safe medical -care.
On Thursday 8/20 8:45 AM my doctor wrote an order for a procedure to a surgeon ASAP, STAT. I still have not received a call from the doctor.
The slacker doctors AND staff still have not sent the order to the surgeon. The Doctor's should receive some of the negative press as well.
Let's cut their salery in half, layoff and outsource to another country.
Can I go to the ER and claim undocumented?
I want my my elected officials and all other government workers to have my wonderful insurance so I can see them in the Doctor's hall meeting room where I wait for two hours or more PAST my Appointment time.
We have had public and private options in education for generations. Why is it appropriate for the education fiekld but not for the health care field?
If you aren't for a Public Option you must be stupid or be head first in the insurance honey bucket and I don't mean the one you pee in, the one that Winnie the Pooh loves and in this case it's full of money not honey!
Ruth & Hubert – You're right on!
Ginspelts – Social Security is solvent until 2040 or some far off year like that and will improve as unemployment improves, because employed Americans pay into that system through the many years they work, and reap the beneifts upon retirement age. Medicare is also solvent for a long long time even in it's inefficient state. Once Bush's medicare D(??? the prescription version passed by Bush) takes it's trillion dollars back from the big pharma and we tweek many other inefficiencies it to will be more solvent. Medicaid, if I'm not mistaken, is a federally backed state run program and has stringent rules for who qualifies for things like medicaid and food stamps etc.
Jerry, Laura & Mark – Right on!!!