This should put an end to the discussion. Unfortunately it wont:

Why not let those in favor of the public option pay for it. I myself am for true reform.

Completely false - On April 14th, 2009 @ 23:00 I went into the emergency room with excruciating 10/10 worst pain of my life in my abdomen.

By April 15th, 2009 @ 02:00 the ER docs had determined that their suspicion of a kidney stone was probably not correct and got me in for a CT scan immediately. By 04:00 they had determined that my left kidney was about 3 times too large and scheduled me for an infused CT scan to determine the cause. 09:00 I had a second infused CT scan and by 11:00 after a radiologist (specialist) determined that I had a tumor in my left kidney which was probably malignant. By 17:00 that day I met with a urologist (and to my thankfulness and luck arguably the best urologist in North America) who scheduled emergency surgery for April 18th.

In the proceeding time I had a bone scan, abdominal renal scan, and several other specialty tests to make sure that I had no other tumors/problems.

On April 18th I had a left radical naphrectomy (kidney removal). By the end of May I had my first oncology appointment, followed by another one a month later, and now every 6 months for x-ray's / CT scans and the occasional MRI to monitor my condition.

I have been lucky so far and have no long lasting effects other than a 12" scar where they removed my cancerous kidney. I paid out of pocket nothing but the taxes I've paid throughout my life... I had 100% coverage, not 80% which would have made sure I was bankrupt.

I was in top physical health, in an occupation that requires good health, and I'm 28 years old and have worked all my adult life. I thank god I'm a Canadian and thankful for a government run insurance system that is leaps and bounds ahead of anything in the US... well maybe the military and congress/senate has our system... funnily enough a government run system.

From nearly dying of cancer to cured in 4 days and not bankrupt or paying a dime out of pocket. Tell me how often that story occurs in the US, because it occurs in Canada fairly frequently.

Word of advice - Watching Fox News especially watching Glenn Beck's program should come with a warning label that it's hazardous to your intelligence.

BTW--- that part of the consitution of the congress that says to provide for the general welfare of the people of the United States of America... regulating healthcare and providing universal healthcare to all American's seems to be for the "general welfare of the people"

That is all.

It may be Beck's program but he was off that night. Judge Napolitano was running it that night. So, it's beneficial to intelligence.

That is not what the founders intended you can see what they wrote on it.

And that shows what? Absolutely nothing ... It appears that I should have clarified my statement to 'average wait time for specialists' ... I as*sumed that it would be understood that I was referring to setting appointments not ER work.

I see government regulation on such things as utilities being very necessary. Whenever you have a monopoly on pricing it is necessary for the outside source to control for abuse of price gouging.

Health care is very much a monopoly. Where I live we have a few hospitals. We don't always have the choice as to which one we go to. Even when we do there is a "going rate" for services that hospitals & doctors charge for certain services. Shopping around will not provide you with much variation.

Why do health care costs rise at a higher rate than most anything else lately? Why shouldn't there be controls on such pricing? 12 percent this, another 12 percent next year. Where does that end?

If the electric company had its way the cost energy would be much, much higher & that would affect the general welfare of the entire nation.

I think that we have to regulate costs.

Yep we need more regulation!

Taken from here: Campaign For Liberty — Fun Health Regulation Fact

The total medical regulations in the US today measure approximately (my estimate) 200,000 pages (110,000 of it just for Medicare) in length. I compared this to a manual I use at work called the DCAA Contract Audit Manual. Volume 1 is 1.5 inches thick at 887 pages long. The book has dimensions of 4.5 inches wide by 7.5 inches long. If we were to print out the whole of the medical regulatory body in the United States today into a single book with those dimensions, the book would stand 28 feet tall, 15.5 feet of it being made up of just Medicare regulation. At 2 pounds per book, this stack of regulations would weigh 450 pounds. The total volume of all these regulations is 6.56 cubic feet or the equivelent 49 gallons of water.

Just a word of note ... The premiums are regulated ... In order for an insurance company to raise their rates ... They must submit their proposed benefits changes, their proposed rates and actuarial data validating those changes (that is a claims based defense for the change) in order for the department of insurance for any given state to put said changes into effect.

So in essence ... The '12% increase' you are referring to already has received the rubber stmp of approval from the government.

Which, does make one wonder ... How is the government going to reduce premiums when they take over ... They already control the premiums now.