We Listen!

Editor's Note: Monday’s American Morning debate on heath care captivated the audience, especially guest Ron Paul.  Viewers expressed deep concern about Rep. Paul’s contention that socialized medicine was a questionable choice for Americans.  Many felt he was attacking such a system in favor of insurance and big pharmaceutical companies.

• Richard:  American companies are being put at a world wide disadvantage by the healthcare costs they have to carry.  Wouldn't a Medicare style plan shift the burden from our companies thereby making them more competitive and improving our economy and our trade deficit.
• Sandy:  Let's take healthcare reform really seriously.  Let's have the U.S. legislators have the same social security and medical coverage as everyone else.  How can they hold themselves above the rest of us while discussing such far reaching topics.  How can they be our "voice" and deem themselves qualified to provide for us one coverage while having such a deluxe package of benefits for themselves.  It doesn't ring sincere.
• Toronto Heart Attack Sufferer:  I'm tired of hearing U.S. lobby groups talk about the Canadian Healthcare System being broken, as you discuss the move to a government run National Healthcare System.  3 weeks ago I suffered a heart attack, and was seen in the emergency room almost immediately upon my arrival (I walked in under my own steam), had my blood tested, was seen by an array of various specialists, given medication and an angiogram (no damage thank god!) - all in less than 12 hours from the moment of my first arrival. I had my own room and a dedicated nurse round the clock - all at NO cost!!  I've never had to be in the Canadian Health System, as I've been healthy up to now, but I've never been more impressed.  Socialized medicine is not broken, except in the opinion of greedy U.S. (and some Canadian) doctors, and private healthcare insurance providers, who stand to lose their ability to bilk the public
• Soarkey:  It's not a matter of whether the government takes over or not (which is just the med insurance companies trying to keep their mitts onto their greedy little income).... but it is about being smart about charges being made by the insurance industry. We spend 500 dollars for the proverbial hammer.  Look at a stay in the hospital: doctors whiz by your room and say good  morning and there is a $1500 charge on your bill.  With what America spends in health care, we could service the world with the correct checks and balances. .... we should not be removing coverage for people, but insuring that it is there for everyone. We spend an outrageous amount on wasteful overcharges, and dumb choices that make sure the sub contracting suppliers make good money. That's the biggest problem. When hospitals/providers have to purchase items from certain subcontractors, then they can sell a whole unit instead of the piece that is needed. This is big time waste.  PS: on the other side of the coin, a government take over of the system should not be based on the Veterans Administration's system as this is a horrid coverage. People don't realize they deny coverage or ignore big problems, and push you through like a check out line at the grocery store. You have to be dead, dying and broke in order to be seen, and then you are rolling the dice in who you are going to be seen my. Most of the doctors are foreigners and do not speak English.
• Ron Paul may be a good guy, but he's a radical libertarian. And, like his fellow Republicans, is more concerned with protecting the rights of the insurance and pharmaceutical industries to make obscene profits than with delivering quality, affordable health care to the public. Why not counter his opinions with some reality-based commentary from someone like Dr. Howard Dean, who is not so enthralled with protecting the industries who are sucking billions and billions of dollars out of the health care equation? I'm sure all you folks at CNN have some excellent health insurance, but that's not the case for probably over half of Americans. Don't let the corporate interests pull the wool over the public's eyes like was done in 1993. Please.

How do you feel about universal health care?  Is it the appropriate choice for America?  Do you believe, as one viewer stated, that those who can afford health care do not want others to have such an option?  What do you think of the Canadian viewer who recently suffered a heart attack and had to depend on the Canadian system of care?  Comment on the story here.