Jon Stewart on the Great healthcare debate...

Glenn Beck VS....GLENN BECK?!?

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-august-13-2009/glenn-beck-s-operation

Seems as if his opinion about our nation's haelth care system has changed DRAMATICALLY over the last year and a half...

Here's something about Government-run health care...

Since 1964, Medicare has provided health care insurance for more than 100 million Americans...
no Medicare participant has ever been denied coverage because of a previous medical problem...
or because of a change or loss of a job...
No medicare participant has ever been told which physician he can or can't use...
or had his deductibles go up by 50% without warning...
No Medicare participant has had to send 15 letters to get her medical bills paid...
or had her contributions go toward a billion-dollar bonus for the head of Medicare...
As a percentage of the minimum wage, Medicare premiums have gone up only 20% in 45 years while covering everyone eligible...
while the average private health insurance premium has gone up 200% in the last 5 years, despite denying coverage to millions who need it most...

This is the so-called government-run health care that the right wingers want you to be afraid of. What they're afraid of is losing donations from the private health insurance lobby.

Keith Olbermann's being mealy mouthed again...

Man NEVER says what he thinks...:-)

Got this from a Canadian friend...

And thought it worthwhile in the light of current events:

As a Canadian I marvel at all of these terms that are so common to Americans, but are virtually unknown to us.

Here's a partial list off the top of my head:

1. "Out of network"
There are no "networks" in Canada. Doctors and hospitals are not affiliated with private insurance companies. Doctors are private business entities and hospitals are usually run by non-profit boards or regional health associations.

2. "COBRA"
Health coverage is NOT tied to your place of employment in any way. So any COBRA-like scheme is unnecessary.

3. "Co-Pay"
The government pays 100% of basic care, 100% of the time. Drugs are not covered, but are subsidized by government to a point. And because of mass buys, discounts are obtained from the drug companies. That's why our prices are so much lower. Most employers offer a drug plan that pays for 100% of drug cost coverage.

4. "monthly premium\deductible"
Wazzat? We don't consider our health to be the same as our possessions.

5. "waiting for approval"
Doctors are the sole decision makers for health care. NOBODY influences or delays their decisions, warns them of costs or prevents them from giving treatment for any reason.

6. "Government interference"
The provincial government in each province PAYS for whatever services doctors provide. No questions asked. Unless the procedure is experimental, not medically necessary or unwarranted, doctors cannot deny basic care - by law.

7. "Health insurance lobby"
There are NO insurance companies for basic care, only companies for providing insurance for travelers. No money to be made here.

8. "bureaucracy"
When we visit a hospital or doctor's office, we walk in, get treated, walk out. No "applications", "registrations" or any other kind of paperwork is required. We NEVER have to talk to a single "government official" or wait for a "judgment".

9. "PRE-EXISTING CONDITION"
This is such a foreign concept to us. A Canadian's usual reaction to the explanation of this term is astonishment.


I'm glad to see that a sane health care system is within reach in America. Fight for it. It's WORTH it.