Obama Calls for Universal Health Care

[Cheney Killed Bambi]

Every American should have health care coverage within six years, Democratic Sen. Barack Obama said Thursday as he set an ambitious goal soon after jumping into the 2008 presidential race.

"I am absolutely determined that by the end of the first term of the next president, we should have universal health care in this country," Obama told a conference of Families USA, a health care advocacy group.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16813270/from/RS.2/

[OKNancy]

1. OK! That does it. I've made up my mind to support him

I'm a Clarkie, so unless Clark jumps in, Obama is my man.

[Cheney Killed Bambi]

3. I've already made up my mind

I support Obama

Actually, now that I think of it, I should probably change my avatar to Obama.

[hippiechick]

2. ... some details would be nice, Senator.

Pretty much every Dem says this or something similar during a campaign season.
The devil's in the details, though.
And he must have forgot, his main 'competition' was the 'Health Care Initiative' boss in 92-93.
Look how well that went over.

[Cleita]

11. I agree. I want to know what his version of universal health care is.

Is it the one of the single payer versions that most of us want, or is it the ones that panders to the health insurance industry by forcing people to buy it who already are uninsured because they can't afford it?

[pokercat999]

21. Lets get the terminology correct.

In my mind Universal HealthCARE is not the same as Universal Health INSURANCE. Two quite different beasts. I believe it may be impossible to obtain Universal health care through INSURANCE. I think our goal should be stated as FREE HEALTH CARE for all Americans period, end of sentence, paragraph and story.

By the way I'm covered and have been for years by a very good (considering the alternatives) but expense health insurance plan. I personally don't "need" a change in our health care system but I see the damage to others that cannot afford or obtain even minimal coverage and I'm appalled that this condition exists in this once great country.

[karynnj]

16. You're correct

-everyone will use that phrase

and

- we need to see the details.

Hillary's 92/93 plan was opposed by most of the Democrats on the Finance committee because they had problems with how it was designed. Part of the problem was the Hillary and Ira Magasiner did not pull in Congress when designing it, even though people (like Kennedy) had worked health care issues since the 60s. She also initially insisted she did not have to say who she met with.
So, while she gets points for intend, she doesn't for implementation.

[endarkenment]

4. Obama needs to define what he means by UHC.

He has not said that he means single payer not-for-profit universal health insurance: medicare for everyone. I believe that he is on the record supporting some form of mandated individual private insurance purchase program - romney care - which is as far as I am concerned a corrupt and dishonest charade posing as UHC.

[Cheney Killed Bambi]

5. Where is he on the record

supporting that? I've never seen it?

[endarkenment]

7. He mostly avoids spelling out what he means by UHC.

I've researched this before and it is difficult to find quotes that pin him down. However here is one:

"QUESTION: Do you think it’s time for a national health care system?

OBAMA: No. I think what we need is to build on programs that are successful. Like KidCare in this state where for less than half what George Bush’s tax cuts cost for the top 1 percent, we could provide health insurance for every child. We can let 55-year-olds to 64-year-olds buy into Medicare for a relatively modest amount. We can make COBRA actually work by providing more subsidies to people when they lose their jobs so they’re not suddenly confronted with $1,000-a-month health premiums when they’re unemployed. Those are all areas we can make an impact on now, but we also have to focus on cost containment.

One of the most frustrating things that I think happened in this last legislative session was this prescription drug bill that’s going to cost $500 billion but is not providing full benefits to seniors because there wasn’t a mechanism in place to allow seniors to join the Medicare system. That hurts seniors and taxpayers. It’s the worst example of big government and George Bush pushed it."

http://austinmayor.blogspot.com/2004/08/obama-on-health-care.html

But go visit his website http://obama.senate.gov/issues/health_care/index.html and see if you can figure out exactly what he is talking about.

Here is my rule: unless the politician says 'single payer universal health insurance' the politician does not mean 'single payer universal health insurance'.

[Cheney Killed Bambi]

10. good rule

Obama's new statement seems different than this older one, which means he may now favor something different than he favored back then, when he was still running for Senate.

Maybe someone will ask him if he favors 'single payer universal health insurance.'

[Cleita]

19. Also, if he talks about extending an improved Medicare for

all, like Ted Kennedy does, then he's on the right track about a single payer universal health PLAN. Keep the insurance out of it. Insurance is for catastrophes. Health care is a necessity for everyone at certains times of their life.

[Lasher]

20. Good scoop, he's obviously not talking about 'single payer'

That's the biggest reason why Hillary's universal health care plan failed. It was not a single payer system.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinton_health_care_plan

Make it single payer and keep it simple. The net cost would be zero if we were to eliminate all the insurance company middlemen.

http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=1623

[OKNancy]

6. He asked for input

Why don't you write him. I did.

[sweetheart]

8. wars, wars, media and scientific truth

good news about healtcare from obama, a tick for him.

Now:
1. the wars
2. the drugs wars
3. ending media corruption (all media (finance as media))
4. truth - after bushscience, will the republicans be laughed at rightfully?

[applegrove]

9. That's great. Considering this is the US..he is a very brave man. Add bravery

to the list of qualities he possesses.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

12. At last

everyone will have access to real healthcare.

I find it surprising in this developed or over developed country we don't have healthcare for all.

[mvd]

13. Let's hope it's single payer

I don't expect him to offer all the specifics now, but single payer is the way to go. Pennsylvania's plan is a step in the right direction. Not surprisingly, all the plans proposed by states lately beat Bush's plan. Bush's plan would encourage working people to go to cheaper, more crappy plans, while not guaranteeing that more people get covered.

[Vinca]

14. I'd like to know his plan, too.

We won't have true universal health care until someone has the guts to take on big insurance. Take it on and cut it off. They're ripping off Americans, sending people who can actually afford their coverage into bankruptcy by denying claims or only covering 80% of expenses; laughing at the rest of us who'll be going straight to bankruptcy.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

15. Getting rid of health insurance companies would win support from

both doctors and patients.

[High Plains]

17. And let's nationalize the pharmaceutical companies while we're at it.

I'm serious, no provocation intended.

[lovuian]

18. It would make us competitive with Europe and China

It has to happen good for Obama