IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN SO SIMPLE

"Anyone wishing to purchase health insurance through the Medicare program can do so with no restrictions on age, or preexisting health condition(s). Health coverage shall be free for children under 12 years of age and adults over the age of 70. Health insurance rates will be levied on a sliding scale dependant on personal assets and income. From this day forward, Medicare will be completely self sufficient and will operate as an independent financial organisation. These individual rights will be guaranteed for any legal citizen of the United States, and cannot be denied by any agency of the US government."

Instead we will get a watered down tribute to the insurance companies, who will reap the benefit of their political contributions, and can anticipate a share of 40 million new customers; financed by the federal government, with absolutely no competition or compulsion to do the right thing for their insured.

The insurance companies will reap record profits, as will the drug manufacturers based on their new spoon-fed customer base. They will continue to raise rates despite providing no value or service, and will continue to control costs by denying medical tests and services, as well as dropping anyone in need of expensive medical treatment.

Because something is better than nothing, right Mr. President?

This is not about the uninsured anymore...this is about saving face (yours). Hillary tried to rewrite the health care system herself, and failed. You learned from her mistakes and instructed Congress to come up with their own plan, and it failed. Now we have found a bill that will pass...one written extensively by the insurance lobbyists, completely devoid of any sense of competition to them, or giving them any impetus to act in a humane, less greedy fashion.

In the words and wisdom of Toby Ziegler......

"I am so sick of Congress, I could puke."