BPL public issues opinion poll results

public issues opinion poll results

All poll choices will be counted. Comments will not be moderated for viewpoint; however, comments containing inappropriate language will not be posted.

Number of responses: 226
Roughly 45 million U.S. citizens currently do not have health insurance. Are you in favor of national health insurance?
Yes :	163
No :	60
No response :	3
Should a national health insurance plan restrict coverage for certain conditions?
Yes :	55
No :	147
No response :	24
public comments:
comment submitted on 6/10/2009 Health insurance in the U.S. is a national disgrace. It is profit-driven, exclusionary, and inequitable. A national health insurance system with a strong emphasis on well-care would help keep all citizens healthier and more aware of health issues. Neglect of personal health because of inadequate or nonexistent insurance has taxed our emergency rooms and driven up the cost of care for us all. Other countries have successful, efficient national health care programs; let's study what works.
comment submitted on 6/11/2009 no cosmetic surgery, no fertility treatments of any kind, cover generic drugs where availble or lower cost similar drugs 1st. Cover genetic testing, prophylatic care, preventative care
comment submitted on 6/11/2009 there should be a single payer system with everyone covered
comment submitted on 6/11/2009 I don't like the new website...
comment submitted on 6/14/2009 Should not cover cosmetic surgery except for medical necessity. Should not cover transplants, chemotherapy and other expensive medications unless patient meets pre-established standards.
comment submitted on 6/15/2009 This is the road to go down ONLY IF we want to the health care decline. Look to other countries that have universal coverage. Guess where they come for important care? to the US where the govt doesn't decide for them what drs they can go to. the health care in these countries is just awful. They don't have the equipment to meet the needs of the population. It would be just like that here if we let the govt take more of our money for something else we would have no say in.
comment submitted on 6/15/2009 The lack of single-payer coverage is a national disgrace.
comment submitted on 6/15/2009 It should be a single payer program with a government run insurance program available to those who can't get or afford private insurance.
comment submitted on 6/17/2009 The government should not be int eh business of insurance.
comment submitted on 6/18/2009 It's about time the Goverment took over health care for every one. The health care insurance companys tell the doctors And the hospitals, what the patient's needs are,to try to overide the Docctors. #2 we have trouble in our own state for which our law makers, can not get along who are power hungry. They gavel in and gavel out and recieve pay for doing nothing. They have a great pension,and Great MEDICAL benefits, for being PART TIME SENATE
comment submitted on 6/18/2009 Only for elective conditions.
comment submitted on 6/19/2009 KNOW THE FACTS: Under the gov't plan, don't think for a moment that you personally will be allowed to keep that policy that you are satisfied with. Once the gov't offers employers a public option, they are going to drop providing insurance for workers. Be aware of the facts. England, at the moment, is moving away from nationalized health care to more of an HMO system because the socialized system has failed! Be aware that the reported numbers of uninsured are incredibly inflated and misleading. 14 million of that number are eligible for other gov't help but have NOT signed up for benefits. 10 million of them are in households making $75,000 + and CHOOSE not to buy insurance. 60% of these so-called uninsured are not even citizens. The gov't also is counting partime workers (teens!) with jobs in places like MacDonalds. What we really need is to reduce the cost of healthcare. The insurance is really part of the problem. We need to introduce more competition into the marketplace and allow the private sector to bring down the cost. The gov't plan will not do this. It will do exactly the opposite and cost a fortune which we taxpayers will have to provide! Don't just rely on nightly news reports and speeches. Do some of your own research and think about what this plan actually involves.
comment submitted on 6/19/2009 Name one program that is run by our gov't that is efficient and cost-effective. Medicare, social security, welfare, motor vehicle- and you want to give our healthcare system over to them!
comment submitted on 6/20/2009 Preventive care should be at the heart of any health plan. Those individuals that do not follow a basic healthy lifestyle should pay extra for high risk behaviors-smoking, obesity, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, not following a minimally active lifestyle.
comment submitted on 6/20/2009 A single payer health plan is the only way to provide for the RIGHT for health care for everyone. All other developed countries have this right for their citizens and we should not be so ignorant to think we can continue to manke millionaires out of insurance companies while people die every day from untreated or undiagnosed health conditions in the supposedly "richest country" in the world. It is obscene!!
comment submitted on 6/20/2009 A national plan needs to not only revamp the insurance industry but also the delivery industry -- which means changing the compensation model in total for all providers and hospitals. The lions share of cost in what we pay is in that compensation model. Control the costs across the board -- the insurer, pharmacy, providers, hospitals, insurance agents/brokers, etc.
comment submitted on 6/21/2009 The US govt of recent years has screwed up everything they've gotten their hands into. Why should we knowingly allow them to waste another system. If you understand Capitalism, get the govt out of it. Sure, it's a for-profit system; that is what the great US capitalist system revolves around. UNfortunately, our govt through the corrupt legal system has allowed the lawyers to gain unrealistic settlements and force the cost of healthcare thru the roof. KI
comment submitted on 6/21/2009 Single payer healthcare is the only way to really bring down costs and cover everyone.
comment submitted on 6/25/2009 National Health insurance has proven a failure in every country that has it.
comment submitted on 6/29/2009 the accent should be on preventive care. it pays to have healthy patient who take care of their health. Managing health. Preventing illness.
comment submitted on 6/29/2009 I'm not a doctor or a medical ethicist, so it's difficult to say
comment submitted on 6/29/2009 I'm in favor of non-political libraries.
comment submitted on 6/30/2009 Healthcare is a privilege...not a right! Who the hell do you think is going to pay for this and with very very bad care. Do you want doctors operating on you, treating you, at the point of a gun -- doctors should go on strike, and then see if you like it.
comment submitted on 7/1/2009 plastic surgery
comment submitted on 7/1/2009 im only 12 i have no idea what your talking about
comment submitted on 7/1/2009 If you allow the government to have control over your health care because you think it works for you, what will you do if it works against you?
comment submitted on 7/5/2009 Why would you trust the Federal government to take care of your health care when you don't even trust it to protect your safety from terrorists, i.e., asking questions regarding library usage with out a court order. Will court orders be required for the government to look at your health details, e.g., drug use?
comment submitted on 7/6/2009 45 million are not without healthcare, 17 million of them have a net worth of 50,000 or more, 18 million are in the age bracket of 18-28, and in all likely hood do not need healthcare, and if they do we have medicare, (im 23 and do not need or want healthcare). Another 9.5 million are not US citizens. This is all from the 2006 census bureau. At best 20 million, and About 50 percent of them regain their health insurance within four months. So, we should hand over more of our tax dollars to a DMV style burocracy that is easily stolen from and innefective to help 5 percent? at the cost of all americans? This sounds like a Ponzi scheme to me, considering they lie to us all day.
comment submitted on 7/7/2009 I beleave that all People are created equal no matter what who or where they came from,expecially living in the greatest country in the world. We all should have the same couverage, except if you abuse yourself to alchol or drugs'so called rec reational drugs. They should haft to pay for their own rehab and dr. bills.then people may show more responsibility to them selves.
comment submitted on 7/8/2009 Beware of over-controlling govenments.Nothing good ever comes out of that. Check out how France (yes France!) its lowering its taxes.
comment submitted on 7/8/2009 i would recommend a public health insurance option, with a premium of 5% of a family's income. I would really like to see the nursing shortage addressed by having states fund the last two years of a college nursing programs in return for at least that many years of service as a nurse.
comment submitted on 7/10/2009 I work in intensive care and many people I see have no access to health care due to no insurance coverage, and end up with life threatening health problems that could and should have been corrected an an outpatient basis.
comment submitted on 7/14/2009 ”A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have” Thomas Jefferson
comment submitted on 7/14/2009 Universal health care should not be able to exclude participants for 'pre' existing conditions and should be pro-active.