This is the time for Democrats to celebrate their victories and Republicans to engage in recriminations and in-fighting, for a change.

I don't think single payer universal health care will pass... but kudos for thinking big!

This is great news. I never fully understood why HRC's plan was better but I was confident that Obama could be easily won over if it was.

ALL I WANT IS ONE THING: A provision that says health insurers can't cancel you or raise your rates, or not accept you in the first place based on pre-existing or suspected pre-existing conditions. I've never had a major disease or been hospitalized, have low cholesterol, etc. etc. and I still can't get insurance!

So if I can just get insurance for any kind of affordable rate I'll be thrilled ... BUT ... here's my fear. As long as we have companies trying to make a profit supplying insurance, how can they stay in business if they have to offer insurance to a person whom they know is going to have hundreds of thousands of dollars of medical bills?

I mean ... let's take Dick Cheney - if you had a company trying to turn a profit - would you want to offer him an affordable health plan? I mean ... he could single handedly bankrupt you. That's why I think it will never really work until you remove the capitalists and just have the government pay for healthcare for all.

That said - just give me a freaking policy and I'll stop complaining.

I always welcome signs of progress.

-gadfly

This is one step forward, but it is still a long way from single payer health care, and we will still be required to pay a dividend of about 20 percent to the health insurance and hospital corporations, perhaps more. And we are likely to still be gauged by high drug prices.

it's the human infrastructure, a healthy mobil work force, schools that educate future citizens and workers, if we  neglect citizens there will be no one to buy the crap that our economy floats on.  

Barack was against mandates in the primary, but he also said that he'd be open to something else if it were clear that mandates will be necessary for the plan to work.  

Baucus' plan (it's not really legislation stage yet) is really welcome. It certainly reflects the overwhelming voice of voters who made it clear that this is a huge priority. We are going to have an incredible health care access system very soon. A good plan will actually create savings, better care, and access for everyone based on economic status. We would see a very fast return on the initial investment. Power will not wield easily, however, so we must ensure that we are all willing to sustain a long term committment to preventing the insurance industry from turning this into another Medicare Part D type of deal. Insurance companies are already hacking away at what gets covered and raising premiums and deductibles and co-pays so severely that there will probably me a whole lot more people uninsured by the start of next year. There has to be a lame duck session of Congress just to start the discussion of this and highlight what insurance companies are doing now.

I'm actually getting irritated how much attention the media and others are paying to Republicans and Conservatives. So they need to somehow regroup or reform. Whatever. Most people are living in the right now and want this done, now.  

To be Honest, I don't like mandates and this could prove really divisive (between left and right) and dishonest (remember Obama in the third debate talking to camera about his health care plan?) ultimately I think Obama will "covertly" oppose it and push through the plan he promised for 12 months over the campaign trail. I trust his judgment either way though.

read: www.workforce.com/section/00/article/25/ 94/47.php

If Universal Healthcare... GOOD HEALTHCARE, mind you, passes in 2009, I will cry.   It will be a fantastic day.

MY FEAR THOUGH... Healthcare is required but the only required amount is the shitty High Deductible healthcare... Mine right now has a $3000 deductible before they will pay 1 dime toward it (Small Business of 15 employees).... That means prescriptions, doctor's visits, etc.  Its basically an IN CASE SHIT HAPPENS.   Its ridiculous.    THank GOD Walmart has all of my medication so I can get the $10 90 day generics (of course some of the other stuff like Ambien that I take when I can't sleep I can't get right now) or I'd be screwed.