They would need to contribute 5% of their income to the cost of premiums to qualify for the assistance. It reduces the federal burden and requires some personal responsibility.

Yes and spending $1,000,000,000,000 more will help the country from going bankrupt. And this number DOESNT include the tens of millions that will be dumped by there employers when they realize they can save billions by letting them move to the government plan or the millions who currently are illegal immigrants who will be granted legal status and qualify.

Here are the facts:90% of americans have health care coverage and between 70-80% (depending on the poll) are HAPPY with what they have. Coverage, quality, cost. That is a higher satisfaction rate then customers of most airlines, hotels or the post office. And the thing lost in all this is a large part of the cost of insurance premiums is the fact that NO POOR PERSON is denied care when they show up at the hospital and it is FREE (to them at least). It is built into the premiums of the people who are paying already.

Here is a simple solution, provide federal vouchers for the 10% of americans who need assistance in acquiring private health coverage. It doesnt need to be cadillac but enough to cover them for basic exams and emergencies (with a high $2-3000 deductible). Nobody goes bankrupt from health bills because everyone has health coverage. And the cost to the Federal government is a fraction of the plans being floated now.

Now I no there is more that can be done to help solve this (tort reform, research assistance, etc.) but for now, while unemployment is rising, federal revenues are declining let’s take this simple step and move on to getting private business moving forward.

I have good friends who live in Italy who were just here visiting with us. Let me explain to you what “free” universal health care means to them. They make 1500 euro a month for a family of two (that puts them at just above US poverty level and in the 10% tax bracket). They pay 700 euro a month in taxes to the Fed government. For that they receive health care and “social security”. A family that makes the equivalent of $19,500 per year is paying about 45% in income tax. That same family in US would be paying $120 in income tax (after exemptions) and $35 in SS. That would provide them an additional $550 disposable income for which a family of 2 could “choose” a very good private plan (and still have money left over).

You are lying to yourself and the country if you believe this could be paid for by just taking from the uber-wealthy and it is not going to make it harder on the lower/middle class. That is what is reflected in the Baucus plan.

This is where the libs/Dems are driving us. Again it is not about helping it is about controlling.

You must have reading comprehension issues. This is not about helping families it is about controlling them. That is socialism/libralism whatever.

The best (or worst) we can hope for is that there is a harsher look at the HMO’s that rose up from the healthcare debates of ’93 and were enacted by Bill Clinton.

Perhaps a merger, of sorts, between for-profit and non-profit HMO’s to help minimize inflation.

Here’s the thing, though, despite the numerous connections between Obama and the Baucus Bill, you simply refuse to accept it. This bill has already been packaged – they have been working together on this. So, it is really hard to continue debating without accepting that very basic premise.

I do think it is important for Americans to have health care – I was (am) a staunch Hillary supporter, and supported her plan. But that is NOT the plan they are pushing.

Here’s just ONE of the huge, huge issues I have with it – and a survey just came out abt this – many employers will end up NOT offering health care as a benefit at ALL, thus forcing EVERYONE into the public option. And THAT seems to be the goal of this Administration.

Moreover, doctors have already said they will drop out of medicine should this get through, and far fewer students are applying to med school. How are those of us, potentially ALL of us, going to get the health care we need?? Will we indeed get it in a timely fashion so that our health isn’t endangered? I don’t see how.

There are just so many problems with these bills as they are put forth, particularly the Obama/Baucus bill.

The individual costs alone as described by Wyden and the WSJ are shocking. Between this and the newly released TRUE costs of Cap and Trade – SURPRISE – $1,000 more each household than Obama said – will, as I said previously, make the concept of “disposable income” for all except the very rich, a thing of the past. We will be forced to continue working longer and harder to merely march in place. And that seems to be the point, too.

I believe in my personal responsibility to help others less fortunate than I am, but I do not want to lose my house because the government decides to do that for us. These programs will tax us so heavily that we can no longer afford to live where we live or pay our bills. That’s unacceptable to me.

Stop the hurry and do something that will not helpfest!

P.S. Just for old times sake– my momma says the “rulez are the rulez.”

And I am lucky, btw – my partner works for a good co., but like I said, it is TAXABLE to us, and it surely adds up over the course of a year.

Wow abt Ohio – that’s terrible!

The points you raise are so critical, and they are why many of us who supported Hillary and her plan cannot support the ones being pushed out now.

And I completely understand abt your personal health ins. situation. Before my partner started working where she is, I couldn’t get any decent coverage because of pre-existing conditions. Some guy at BCBS wanted to sell me a policy that would NEVER cover anything related to those conditions for over $400, his “logic” being that if something really bad happened, I’d be covered (with a huge deductible, of course). I told him that for that much money (this was a few yrs ago), I could lease a Lexus, have a lot more fun each month driving it, and if something that bad happened, I would be covered under the state’s plan. Sheesh. (And like you, I do all the healthy things, too.)

So yes – ins. reform is a must.

And Diana, I’m sorry abt the loss of your parents. May you have many years on this earth.

Our resident Obot is incredibly naive and poorly informed not to know that.

Obama’s speech virtually endorsed the Baucus Bill and threw the House public option bill under the bus. When Obama said he would not sign a bill that added to the deficit, it was his way of saying he will not endorse the House Bill, because it increases deficits.

Baucuscare IS Obamacare.

Rachel and Tweety are “feeding the base,” but losing more and more viewers every day, especially Independents who are sick of the race card game they play.

Why do you think MSNBC pushed Leno NOT to retire?

If Leno fails, MSNBC fails.