Personally, I would like to see national health coverage for all Americans. But this is something American need to make happen (If they want it), and not Hilary. We have great medicine, but a poor medical system. At some point, it will be universal. I don’t see it as “socialism”. Doctors today don’t work for Medicare. I say put everyone on Medicare and send them the bill.
I see Bill and Hilary like fire. Handy, but always needed to be watched and contained.
Lieberman is a rat and needs to go.
Powell may be S. Of Ed.

I was sort of hoping Hilary would get Health and Human Services. It wouldn’t give her any kind of dictatorial power over health coverage; i.e., Obama’s plan would still be the one pushed forward. And it would put her over the NIH, which I think would have been wonderful.

Seth,

I get lots of health care in the US and I’m not especially rich. You can’t afford to see a doctor here? Really? I’ve fought a big insurance company to have them cover a treatment that was critical for my son, so I know what it is like to have a claim denied, but if you think government health care will be able to give everyone every proceedure they want, I just don’t see how that is possible.

I’m really delighted with the choice of Hilary for Secretary of State. I think she’s smart, will work hard, and will be very respected abroad. I worry a bit about Bill, but hopefully they can find something productive for him to do. As far as health care goes, I’m also really hoping for some kind of plan similar to Hilary’s. My husband’s starting a business, bad economy and all, and trying to get health insurance for a person with asthma and type two diabetes, as he does, on your own is very hard, and expensive.

Queuno: I know nothing about Daschle’s plan. I only remember that there was a lot of chaos surrounding Hilary’s plan and I don’t trust her not to take a cut off the top of any plan she comes up with.

Bob: I love Lieberman now. It’s not our medical system or our medicine. I believe it comes down to the matter of class and inequity. The rich have enough to pay for their medical needs and the poor get anything they need or want because they’re poor. Me and Bill are paying through the nose for insurance and still have to be very careful. From first hand experience, I know Canada’s health care system sucks. I don’t care how much they don’t have to pay, they’re not paying for what they’re not getting, including clean hospitals.

My mother gets all the medical attention she needs because she’s indigent She would have died years ago without all that good medical care, she almost died a couple of weeks ago, but she got good care and now she’s bouncing around the rest home running her cart into the old people who annoy her. It was quite frankly amazing.

I’d like to see a happy medium between Canada free’s medical care and cheap prescriptions (hell, THAT has to be revamped, the rich medicine companies!) and our excellence and cleanliness. I can’t say enough about the dirty hospital in Victoria, BC, where Bill got stuck in the hallway with other very sick patients. Garbage and dirty laundry all over and a doctor who wouldn’t see anyone because he was getting off in ten minutes.

Education is a good place for Colin Powell.

Back to health, we pay $790 for my health insurance, a month! We couldn’t even get on any AARP plan because of my health issues and so we’re stuck. Which is why I’m now working answering phones for AT&T. In six months, we’ll only be paying about $200. Woo-hoo, we’re rich!

What does any of you really smart guys think of Romney’s health plan in Massachussetts? You know, that guy would have made a good president, all my earlier comments aside, I’m looking at everything now and thinking, “boy, you guys are going to regret not putting him in.”
—————————————————–

I do not believe that the government can successfully manage health care. They have neither the brains, nor the will to make it successful. The government has a hard time managing money (simple math). I certainly do not trust them with my health (complicated biology). Also, with out of control spending on bailing out every company and their dog, promised tax cuts for the middle-class, and extremely costly wars, where will the money come from in the foreseeable future (5-10 years) to implement social medicine?

Voluntarily hanging Bill Clinton and any future shenanigans around your administration’s neck? Hilarity will ensue…

Why Obama has chosen Clinton, Hilary and all of his acolytes to join his administration is beyond me. At the rate he is going Monica may have to come back to intern again, just for old times sake.

# 12 Sam,

I think you’re right.

One reason I don’t think there ought to be a federal health care system is the diversity of needs throughout the population.

I think the only way to provide welfare for whole population is to provide welfare at the smallest possible level without being inefficient.

States should manage health care according to the needs of their populations. A Federal system ought to be the lowest common denominator, meant to provide basic health care and/or grants and funding for specific health cases or priorities.

Health Care ought to remain private and there ought to be incentive to provide premium health care, though at reasonable prices. And there ought to be money available from a government fund to provide funding for certain cases that something like Medicaid does not cover.

I love to tell the story of walking into a European hospital to get an HIV test for renewing my VISA on my mission and seeing a pool of blood in the room and on the blood-drawing table. They told me to sit and lay my arm on the table and I asked them to clean it off first. Interesting.

And don’t get me started on my aqauintence in Canada who needed a biopsy for a cancer screening. Could have been dead in the time it took to get it.

The Clintons are 100% untrustworthy, but talented. Lieberman is a stud. He’s shown more integrity that many politiicans out there.

Personally, I’m a little disheartened by some of Obama’s picks. I was really hoping for change. My wife recorded an Oprah episode that was taped the day after the election- Oprah and Brad Pitt were applauding “waking up to a new world”. I’m feeling like it’s 1992 all over again.

I am now insured with Kaiser in CA. I pay them XX$$s for my coverage. When I turn 65, Uncle Sam will take over the payment to them under Medicare. What’s wrong with that?
Now, if I were 25, and Uncle Sam would be willing to give me Medicare for my medical premium, and Kaiser was willing to cover me under Uncle Sam’s Medicare, what’s wrong with that?

I know nothing about Daschle’s plan. I only remember that there was a lot of chaos surrounding Hilary’s plan and I don’t trust her not to take a cut off the top of any plan she comes up with.

So you’re willing to go with a plan you don’t know over a plan you didn’t like? What if Daschle’s plan is worse? Will you then write a post saying, “Come back Hillary, all is forgiven?”

queuno, 19: you’re probably right. I was just hoping that the chance of playing (or at least appearing to play) a key role in big, new, long-term health care plan that is on the mind of Americans would hold a high enough profile.

Bookslinger – I don’t hold a campaign against anyone. How many men in pressed white shirts have looked ridiculous throwing a football?

#23: The problem with a “Right to die”, once you get it, it becomes a “Duty to die”.

Seth (#9)

if government health care is going to work, we’re simply going to have to learn to prioritize some things and turn away some health requests.

Aren’t these denials of health requests exactly like the denied insurance claims you were citing as the reason to go to government run health care? Except, under the government run system you can’t have it even if you can pay for it yourself.

don’t neglect the fact that a nationalized health care system is much less lucrative for doctors, which will lead prospective medical-school applicants to seek their fortune (literally) elsewhere.

I know, I know, doctors aren’t all about the money. Riiiight.

Queuno, thanks for your perspective. I think because I’m so ready to go, I’m a bit insensitive about those who are not. I do wonder about heroic measures taken to cure the very aged and wonder if sometimes we prolong a person’s suffering as we prolong their lives. Medicine goes too far in that, I believe, at expense to everyone. Perhaps sometime I’ll see it from a different perspective.

Anybody have an opinion on that Lyle Lovett look-a-like just picked for Obama’s team?