Sad, isn't it? Obama would have been better off, leaving the HC word alone. Feeding into the greedy hands of the Health Insurance industry is NOT the sort of "reform" we need. They should study what works in countries like Canada, Australia and UK. Also...what doesn't work. Somewhere there must be compromise. The current bill as it now stands, just spreads the insurance (the quality of which, might be marginal for some), around to "those who don't have insurance", which is NOT the same thing as providing basic Health Care for every citizen. Emphasis on BASIC, because not everybody can get everything they want in a Socialized Medical scheme. If we want everything, we need to PAY for it, and the citizens cannot afford that without significant tax burdens.

Do the following:

1. Stop ripping off Medicare and don't slash it by one more cent...it's criminal what is being proposed. 2. Let people who have Insurance continue to use it and have it provide MORE coverage by kicking these greedy Insurance company execs in the ASS with laws that limit their rationing, and prevent their abusive charge reductions to clinics, hospitals and PHYSICIANS. 3. Give People who have insurance the option of using a Government Sponsored Healthcare System (ie Socialized Medicine) as well as their insurance covered health care. 4. Give People who have NO insurance, the Government system (which should cover most basic and fundamental care) and the option to work out costs with other providers by funding plans which they work out with those providers...without the need for costly healthcare premiums...ie pay as you go, what you can afford, payment plans, etc.. 5. The Government Health Care plans should be run at STATE not FEDERAL level. Options for Municipal management should exist in for example large Urban areas, in order to ease the burden of Administration at the State Level. Example...City of New York might have their own Gov't Health Care Plan. This will also allow plans to be tailored to regional need. Iowa's plan might have different options than Florida for example. 6. Doctors and other health care providers need to get paid. Let there be options. There are plenty of Physicians who would love to be working in a Government Health Care plan as full time employees...they get salaried jobs (albeit less money than if they were entirely "private"), but in exchange for which they get defined hours, good benefits and lifestyle options that might not be possible for those who want to earn more and work harder. For other physicians who are so motivated, they could chose a Fee for Service type practice with traditional insurance plan covered patients, self pay patients, or a combination of Government Plan and private insurance.

Realities of a Socialized Healthcare scheme: You can't always get what you want, but ...you get what you need. There will be some rationing of services, wait times for some types of testing and surgeries, and a formulary for medications (not all meds are on the formulary, where cost effectiveness needs to be considered).

We already have a Government run Health Care system in this country and it works well by and large...no need to reinvent the wheel. Check out the VA and DoD. I know, I work there. Why not start off by extending the scope of that service to family members of Veterans and Servicemen for the next 5 years and see what happens...at least its a starting point for further construction of an effective Social Health Care scheme.