Comments about ‘Leavitt warns of pandemic, foresees health care reform’

A question to our former governor: which would you rather have, a war in Iraq or health care for America? We can pump money into killing but we don't want to make America live longer. It really was fustrating seeing our great former governor trying to work in the nation's capitol with no money to work with---we cut taxes and went to war, no money left for anything else and Leavitt has never apologized for the war or the tax cuts (he supported both). Yes, America needs to exercise and eat fruit and vegetables, but keeping all americans healthy will benefit the economy.

Corporate america and the american financial system has caused all the problems in our economy, even in health care, yet nobody in washington is addressing the cause of inflation and the recession. The people of america, even our children could afford health care insurance if they were paid enough in wages. Why is corporate america and business being rewarded and allowed to undermine and intimidate the workers out of reasonable wages and income? Being able to afford health care and what people earn are very much related. Funding insurance companies will not improve health care but it will surely keep the insurance companies in business and workers income well below poverty levels. Health care reform should not cost the american people a cent if only they would enact legislation and regulations aimed at health care providers and cost for treatment. What good is technology if it can't be used with graft and excessive costs aren't regulated? Much of the economic crises is directly a result of illegal aliens in america stealing and robbing from us. These illegals intentionaly and with malice are destroying the american way of life and a major burden on government and our economy.

What the frick are you talking about? Creating a diet gestapo that forces us to eat fruits and vegetables? And having the government take over health care is insane. Look at what a mess public schools, welfare, our economy and public transportation are in.

A question for "paging Dr. Leavitt": Which is a Presidential power as defined by the Constitution--the power to declare war (with the approval of Congress, of course) or the power to give health care to Americans and illegal immigrants? Why should Leavitt have to apologize for the war? Do you think that any money saved by ending the war would go to health care? With or without the vote of Congress (most of whom voted for the war, and only one ever apologized, even though it didn't get her in the White House)? Study the Constitution...the Prez isn't all that powerful, and neither is the Scty of Health and Human Services.

A large part of the health care problem is that we have allowed insurance providers and drug manufacturers to merge. Thus, you have approved medication lists that highly favor one company's medications over all others.

Also, as the article points out (although not quite as directly), our health care system is geared to treating the sick, not keeping people well. One specific case is in maternity stays in the hospital. Many insurance companies only pay for 24 hours stays for newborns and their mothers. The state of Maryland passed a law requiring insurers to pay for 48 hours at a minimum, citing studies showing that infant jaundice is significantly reduced in newborns who stay 48 hours over those who stay only 24 hours. I know many nurses who relay anecdotal evidence supporting this. They say they see many cases of newborns (who only had 24 hours in the hospital before release) returning to the hospital a day or two after being discharged because they have developed jaundice.

We consumers are also at fault, for not taking advantage of the wellness care that is available to us. How many of us only see a doctor AFTER we get sick?

I thank Mr. Leavitt for his service, but it's time for him to now step aside. He's too motivated by his own personal political ambition. Why don't politicians ever stop and look themselves in the mirror and reflect upon the fact that other younger talented aspiring politicians need a turn, so I should quietly step aside. Same goes for Bennett and Hatch. It's time for all three of these dinosaurs to quietly lumber off into the sunset. Don't run again Hatch. Retire. Don't run again Bennett. Hang it up Don't run for anything again, Leavitt. Quiet the inner demons that drive you to run again and again and again. Give others a chance. Bennett, you obsess over your Washington County lands bill, and it's a classic lukewarm spit it out of your mouth legislation that is nothing more than a study in mediocre compromise. Leavitt, 5 years ago you cared nothing for these health care issues of which you speak, and in three years you'll be onto something else, like whole life insurance policies. Hatch, you've long since lost your taste for detail which we need.

he did nothing but exacerbate global warming as a governor (legacy highway was his legacy) and was even more useless as a cabinet member of George II's "Reign of Error" (quoting from Robin Williams). lots of talk about health care but no action. typical politician.

Another aspect of the problem is the cost-cutting measures of the insurers. I've had a number of different insurers over the years as a contractor. Some provided child wellness care to children only until they reached 8 years old. Others cover wellness items (like immunizations and check-ups) through age 18.

It takes far less care and money to keep us well than it does to cure us.

This is not an issue that developed because we went to war. I've watched this situation evolve over decades. Everyone wants to spend less, so we opt for cheaper everything. Let's see, $50 or $150 for a microwave? Duh, I'll take the $50 one (even though this sends my money to China instead of Cleveland). Insurance for $100 or $200 per pay check? Duh, the cheaper one!

We get what we pay for. You pay less for goods, they either don't hold up, or are built by people making less, mostly outside the US. You pay less for insurance, eventually the coverage has to be cut somewhere, and insurers routinely cut the wellness benefits.

"Ready or not, one day soon there will be another pandemic." I am glad the politics of fear, bash the government for political gain chapter is behind us. Let's move forward and work together to solve problems rather than scare people to vote for us.

We all should be asking, "When will the Feds finally crack down on the whole pharmaceutical industry and induce them into producing cleaner, less toxic drugs?" This is America in the 21st Century! There's sufficient academic prowess to enable us to make drugs and vaccines with little or NO side-affects($)! If an obscure 18th century English physician could come up with the answer to one of nature's deadliest and devastating diseases (small-pox), then certainly, today's drug companies can finally act and the Feds can finally start to better ensure their responsible role to safeguard life. The 'avian flu pales when we have an pandemic under our noses right here, right now in the U.S. wherein hundreds of thousands are affected because of drug toxicity levels, drug recipe side-affects, mis-labelled prescriptions, overdoses, improperly monitored prescription drug use! Again, this' America; we have the right to be free from such dirty 'laundry lists' of "side affects" such as we hear on ALL TV ads by big-pharmaceutical companies! Dr. Leavitt, what've you done to reign-in all of these companies and a doting, rubber-stamping FDA on such controverisal drug-recipied side affects?!

Some more stupid ideas from Utah
When will we get a handle on Health Care Cost?
Just how much Money does a Doctor Need?
Everyone living in a Mansion

I have one last comment on this issue. Ever look at the EOB (explanation of benefits) the insurance company sends you after a claim? For instance, my son went for some blood tests. The lab charged $600. Insurance paid part, the insurance/coverage agreement the lab signed waived part, and we paid about $30.

What do the uninsured do? They either go without, or pay $600. That's unacceptable. We live in the most affluent nation in the world, and almost 20% of our citizens (neighbors) are without insurance. True, some choose this road, but many do not.

If you work for a company that offers the benefit, you can get fairly cheap health coverage. Why? Because your company negotiates as a group with the insurer. If you try to get coverage as an individual, you are going to pay MUCH more. If I pay on my own for the same coverage from the same insurer, I pay more - 3 times as much, with more limits on coverage. That's not right.

Why can't someone band 47 million people together under an umbrella group and get the insurance companies to offer them a decent rate?

We are witnessing the rebirth of the consumate politician.

Leavitt left Utah with tears flowing from the Democratic Party. The Republican Party, almost to a person was thrilled he was gone. With him went Utah's own neoconservative movement.

Leavitt spent money at a massive rate. Leavitt played games at every turn. Go ask any teacher who has followed the education public policy debate over the past 2 decades and they will roll their eyes at Leavitt: Pioneer schools, Schools of the 21st Century, New Century Schools, etc. Every year Leavitt would roll out his newest PR campaign, results aside.

He goes to Washington and is the perfect 'Yes Man' for the worst President in the last 100 years. And as the golden ball got closer to the end, as the bewitching hour of the new President loomed Leavitt has began to quietly transfigure himself into something not Neo-conservative.

First he leaks stories about how he held scripture readings and prayers in the Governors office every day. Something most Capitol hill types assure never happened.

Now we see Leavitt's machine attacking him for being too conservative. Transformation in process.

Man behind the curtain!!! Don't be fooled!

A viewpoint of the entitled.

Mike, who pays for your health plan? I'm pretty sure it's not you.

Why do our Senators and members of Congress receive excellent low, or is it no, premiums and co-payments, full service health care while us commoners get skewered?

What I want to say next would certainly be censored.

Having returned to Utah after living in Canada and Europe for, collectively, over 20 years let me assure you of one thing - universal health care (a wonderful idea in theory) does NOT work - never has and never will. The naivete of people who have never had direct experience with this most important issue never ceases to amaze me. As one who has been to "the promised land" let me assure you the promise is hollow and filled with deceit. Find ways to make the FAR SUPERIOR American system workable (including Governor Leavitt's suggestion for a prevention rather than treatment focus and by encouraging - not legislating - personal responsibility)and we will continue to be the greatest country on earth.

(From one who tried the best and has come home to the best!!!)

I could afford health care if the governement (federal state & local) wasn't taxing me at about 25% of my gross income. The state I live in has a pretty simple tax form:

line 1: your total income
line 2: times by 3%
send us this amount

Its fair for everybody, but when I see the wasteful use of my tax dollar for people who are on "disability" (read: depression, back injury, or both) I'd roll over in my grave if I were dead.

As Leavitt was a good & obedient Mormon, he kept his mouth shut as former Prez Bush wanted, and had learned that many different types of "bird flu" has already arrived in the US, and did "publicly" announce it. The Bush administration tactics in keeping this info hush-hush, is to send out public flyers to farmers, ranchers, saying that the most dangerous type of "bird-flu" hasn't been found here. They even gave it a numerical name, which took away any public focus on the other types of flu that has been found in the US.

Leavitt found this out years ago, and only now, is shouting "the sky is falling". As like Bush, a good leader, Leavitt is "NOT".

the liberals are out in force this morning.
Lets see, the answer to all our problems is with the new administration from the gutter of Chicago politics? You are in for a rude awakening, we are all in the path of a great PANDEMIC. A pandemic of political over-reaching. Get your wallets out and prepare to give to the last nickle!
As the new administration has stated many times "we must act fast and we must act now!"
Government and your money is the answer to all lifes woes!

Leavitt, as always, is almost as much of an idiot as George W. I am tired of the Republican party saying that time will change the legacy of Bush. We have to deal with the issues that are facing us now, like climate change, health care, the economy, and a host of other problems that have been exacerbated by the Republicans. Thank god that Leavitt is gone and we will have somebody in there that is going to make some real progress.

I realize science and economics are not the strongest subjects for you socialized-medicine types, but hear me out: EVERY DRUG HAS TOXIC SIDE EFFECTS.

The difference between a remedy and a poison is the dose.

You take two aspirin, and your fever breaks or your headache goes away.

You take a whole bottle and you end up in the emergency room.

The problems of "drug recipe side-effects, mis-labelled (sic) prescriptions, overdoses, improperly monitored prescription drug use!" are largely ones of physician mistakes or patient irresponsibility.

The US drug supply is the safest and most effective in the world's history. Every FDA-approved drug undergoes years of testing in vitro, in animals, and finally in humans. If someone is too dumb to read the label before taking a pill then that's not the pharmaceutical company's fault.

Oh, and that wonderful, safe smallpox vaccine that Dr. Jenner invented has some serious side effects itself, such as causing a smallpox-like disease in a small but significant percentage of those who recieve it. People accepted that risk because the benefits of the vaccine outweighed the risks of the disease.

The same principle applies to drugs.