Analysis of benefits and options lead our family to choose a health savings account HSA, we have a $4000 deductible. We are careful with medical care. We don't run to the doctor with every pimple. In the past people paid for office visits and prescriptions, primarily for antibiotics. The exotic medications out there for every burp are not improving the health or life of patients. Some families virtually have become malignant hypocondriacs and the doctors office lobby has become the new picnic site. Basic health depends predominantly on basic lifestyle choices. The poor in this country have access to health care.

of bitterness as the Republicans have to admit that they were wrong (or that at least their agenda will not go forward at this time). Of course there are/were "kinks" in the healthcare reform, but all major legislation such as this has/will start that way. I have been an insurance professional and I know that what is going forward is good. The costs and the pre-exisiting consitions are going to be contained and that is very good for the American people! This is a good start and I admire the vision and courage of the Democrats for getting it going. Did some of you forget that we already have government run programs in place like Medicare and Medicaid? The goal for the furture will be to expand on that to give more people to have the opportunity to have health insurance. But for now, that is off the table. The above mentioned advances is a great start and it's no thanks to the Republicans.

don't. I am a hard working middle class citizen that doesn't have health insurance. I pay as I go, but if I were to have something catotrophic happen I would go bankrupt or worse. A law is now going to be passed to help me, the average citizen. I am happy to have the vision that the Democrats have and I am in full support of their program. It will go forward and will slowly stop insurance companies from raising prices year after year and denying people insurance or coverages for a particular problem. That, my friends, is what insurance is for and they are not meeting our needs.
In the future there may be another program like Medicare and Medicaid to help those of us that are in the middle, but for now we are passing law to help us get our own insurance like the upper class and the poor can already do.

This bill HR 3200 doesn't fix soaring costs levied on docs and passed on to us, for insurance to protect against medical lawsuits, as Webb noted. Trial lawyers richly subsidize Demos' campaign coffers. This bill is bribery for Demos. Courts were mentioned 9 times in the bill, I found, but no cap on lawsuits appeared anywhere. Why not?

Insurance against lawsuits costs hugely, as do lab tests docs must order defensively against lawsuits, besides extra pain and huge costs to patients: us.

On moving to California in 1966, I earned $30 daily as an engineer; my wife earned just over $30 as a (B.S.) medical technologist doing lab tests, but some days did over $1,000/day billable! We all knew most tests protected defensively against suits by suits, hurting everyone.

Tests then were mostly manual, using centrifuges, microscopes and chemical reagents. Now as I saw last fall at ARUP labs in a campus tour, labs are far faster, more automated, more capable (and far costlier). But many tests are still largely to fend off lawyers. Prevent lawyers' malpractice too.

No serious lawsuit lid, no legislation. Period. And act preventively, not merely cleanup after the fact.

put caps on lawsuits. This definately needs addressed. Hopefully this will be in the near future.

to "there is a clause to" .. "put caps on lawsuits":

Where does the bill have any such clause to cap lawsuits? I couldn't find anything like that in automated searches of the bill's .pdf file. In what page does any cap on lawsuits appear?

The 1018 pages of the bill are so massive it defies a full read, thus obscuring well-informed understanding, and frustrating responsible corrections of ills.

I 'm glad you agree that curbing lawsuits needs to be addressed, but it simply won't occur in the near future unless required as part of passage now. Demo trial lawyers have prevented any real curbs, by payoffs, and continue to bleed us all with suits.

First fix the bill's failures before any push for passage, else the claim "we did something needed" will hypocritically echo hollowly and hauntingly.

Fixing our health care system is not a Democrat or Republican issue — it’s a patient issue. Every American deserves affordable, high quality health care regardless of health or job status.

The AMA is focused on expanding health insurance coverage to all Americans through a choice of plans and physicians, repealing the broken Medicare payment reform system that harms seniors' access to care, and ensuring the best value from health care spending.

There is more work to be done after Congress’ August recess, and the AMA will stay constructively engaged to make sure the final legislation improves the system for patients and the dedicated physicians who care for them.

We agree with the AMA that all Americans deserve access to affordable, quality health care. There are far too many people without coverage or only one major illness away from bankrupcy. Health care should be available when it is needed to improve a patient's health, with incentives aligned to encourage wellness and prevention, quality-based treatments, and evidence-based care by doctors so that the care provided is effective. This is a true patient-centered system; affordable, quality care that seeks to improve the quality of life for those who need treatment. People do not choose to become sick, lose their jobs, or lose coverage. We want to keep Medicare strong and stable for all generations, so that growing old in this country does not mean a loss of quality care. We currently spend too much money in our health care system for too little result; if we look for ways to deliver health care smarter and show compassion for each other so that we can replace hateful rhetoric with real solutions.