Graham: 'Government-Run' Health Care Won't Pass Senate

The glaringly obvious reply to this would be to vote Mr. Graham and other like minded people irregardless of party affiliation out of office at the first opportunity.

I certainly can agree with Senator Graham that the Republicans will be in lock step against any useful Public Option. But maybe we Dem's can peel a few of them off with compromises, while still maintaining the efficacy of the plan. The patients on a ventilator right now though and if we lose any more Dem's, it's curtains.

How can Sen. Graham sit there with his fully paid goverment health ins. and say to the american people that they do not deserve the same health care plan if they wish. What a piece of work!!

It was reported that the New York Times ran a survey which showed that 57% of those polled favored a tax increase to pay to health care reform. However it is my understanding that over 50% of Americans do not pay Federal income tax. Is the survey fatally defective and misleading ? Does the survey just confirm that Americans would like someone else to pay for health care reform ?

We are not asking for Canadian and UK style health care plan in the U.S...we want reforms and why does Germany's health care system work so well? What are they doing right? And Frances? The houses have been discussing health care reform for eons and have come up with nothing, nilch...they do not want to take the time to fix it...they can't be bothered...and we get stuck payer higher employer sponsored premiums, deductibles, co-pays and are receiving less coverage and lower ceilings...just takes one car accident on ice...and boom everything is lost...and these folks have the nerve to receive the best government sponsored health care insurance money can buy and the average American family is paying $800-1000 a month for subpar insurance...

"The reason you're not going to have a government run health care pass the Senate is because it would be devastating for this country," Graham (said) Sunday in an exclusive "This Week" interview.

No, the reason is a bunch of very well-off, fully government-insured politicians are being obstructionist and thinking about their next re-election campaign instead of doing what the majority of Americans want them to do........

Frank, perhaps Americans are swapping their $800-1000 bucks a month for taxes...receiving a higher ceiling on coverage.

I would be interested in who were the 72% polled who favored Government Health care.As I have never been polled by anyone, I would like to know just who are voicing opinions that others would use to justify government health care. Remember, Medicare/Medicaid are broke- we really need another entitlement program to destroy any chance our grandchildren will be able to pay off the debt we are leaving them. I am against Government Controlled Healthcare just look at England and Canada. Long waits for care ie 4 months or more for an MRI in England. If you want it sooner, than you pay out of your own pocket. Canada decides how many of each kind of operations are permitted each year and you go on waiting list. Might be this year, maybe the next or even the year after. IS this the care we want-rationed care. Seniors find that many medicines and operations are denied them because of cost effectiveness base on their age. IS this what we really want.

Interesting that kool-aid poisoned partisans (GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS) chide Graham, but give the arrogant aristocrat Duke Christopher Dodd (ascension to Senate provided by father) a complete pass on the negative aspect of socialized medicine.

Just who in their right minds, wants another screwed up government bureaucracy? DEA, IRS, FBI, CIA, NEA??????

We need a government option for health care like we need to become another sad sack European social welfare country.

I disagree with Graham on several issues but this one he is right and this notion that government will be more efficient is utter nonsense. We will have rationing and worse care. Just ask your doctor.

Since when has the government done anything well.

Wake up America! Wake up George and stop being so biased on your own show and start looking at facts which is something liberal hate. Facts and reason are their enemy as no honest reasonable person would look at this issue and decide the government could fix it by running it.

Wow... The demagogy is incredible...

"...where you've got a bureaucrat standing in between the patient and the doctor"

First of all, this guy has a Government health plan for himself and his family. To be consistent, he should give that up immediately. Second, insurance company bureaucrats stand between me and my doctor right now. And their role is to make sure I DON'T qualify for anything, because that is how they make a profit. Vote this hypocritical politician out of office.

Beth -

I know people who favor a public option for health care and none that favor that have taken the time to study its real impact.

Who are these 72%? Good question. I don't believe it. No one has ever asked me but I do know a few things about polling and if they let me conduct the poll and write the questions and determine who participants are selected...I could create an entirely different result.

The only polls that matter are conducted in November and the Democrats have decided that have a mandate when they clearly don't as they picked up a few % points in the last two elections due to an unpopular war and a descending economy...not because America wants another government program to interfere in their lives.

Thank God the Democratic Pi-Polar party of the socialist Republic of the Insane won't get another Government freebe. I have news for the dems, you are going to take a beating in the next two elections. I am a registered independant and voted for Obama. On behalf of my family, let me offer my most sincere apologies! It woon't happen again and I won't be fooled by the next slick talking used car salesman that spends my money so foolishly.

Wake up America...Vote these creeps trying to turn our country into another lousy European Socialist pile of excrement out of office.

Their systems have failed.

We will too if we copy them.

Who in their right mind would copy failure?

Does anybody really think that the public health care plan is going to be the same one the congress people get?
It will be like a welfare plan- foreign doctors, dirty little clinics,procedures and tests denied for arbitrary reasons after months of waiting and you have to wait 6 month for all that! I would rather pay $800 in premiums than $800 in taxes for that..taxes will keep going up and benefits will keep going down and pretty soon they will be telling us that the program is running out of money (probably because they stole it- like they did social security money). Intelligent people won't want to go into medicine- this is such a nightmare

Susan,

I am a democrate and I could'nt see myself fro for this slickster again. Your :)

The British and Canadian papers online are filled with almost daily examples of the horrors of nationalized health care. Americans are so stupid and insular that they don't bother to read anything but our Obama worshiping media. We are so used to choice and options and the best care in the world that it is going to come as a huge shock to be told that it will be three weeks before you can see a GP about those chest pains, and an additional 6 months before you can see a cardiologist. Waiting lists, inadequate care, and government bureaucracy are the standard in these countries where the feds dictate what you get. The naive idea that we'll keep all the wonderful doctors we have and it'll all just be "free" is asinine. Wake up, America. Lindsay Graham is correct.

IF WE DON'T HAVE A PUBLIC OPTION IN HEALTH CARE, PRICES WILL ONLY CONTINUE TO GO HIGHER, COMPANIES THAT NOW PROVIDE HEALTH INSURANCE WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THIS TO THEIR EMPLOYEES AND THERE WILL BE MILLIONS MORE WITH OUT INSURANCE AND DRIVING UP PRICES EVEN FURTHER. MAYBE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY WILL BE THE NEXT.

Teresa post time Jun 21, 2009 12:20:29 PM
Must be a lobbies for the insurance industry.

Mr Graham, 72% of americans want health care reform and are willing to pay extra for it. Stop saying it will be like Canada and England because it won't. The people will have a choice, a fact that you try to avoid. This plan can be worked out and this is the time to drop your anger at losing and do something worthwhile.

Linsay Graham is Mr. Scrooge at his best. Gone completely from this man is integrity, concern for his fellow man, or any shred of decency he ever displayed before becoming a moron during the Bush administration. Republicans better get a clue that they caused failures time and time again for improvement in health care. They have stood in the way while accepting large donations from health industry and big pharmaceutical lobbyists who want no changes made to their hold over the American people.

Deab - You said "How can Sen. Graham sit there with his fully paid goverment health ins. and say to the american people that they do not deserve the same health care plan if they wish."

First off if you knew anything you would know that healthcare for Congressmen is not 100% paid for by the government.

Don't know what Senator Graham has for a health plan but I can say that as a member of Congress he has access to any of the plans used by all Federal Government employees. Since passage of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1983 members of Congress have been required to utilize the Federal Employees Health Benefit (FEHB) program for health insurance. If a member of Congress has any health insurance other than that provided through FEHB then they have paid for it out of their own pocket, not the government.

Based on this data we can say that what Senator Graham has for his healthcare is not a public option government run health plan it is access to government negotied group insurance plans. It is insurance provided through one of several insurance palns to choose from which is available in the state he lives in. If you desire to see the plans available then just Google FEHB.

If the government were to open these plans to the public the monthly premiums for a family plan would roughly be between $425.00 and $1300.00, for an individual the monthly premium would roughly be between $177.00 and $550.00. One of the differences in the plan costs is the level of benefits provided and the amount the patient pays when receiving healthcare. To me this would be a viable option as the government would not have to make a large outlay to open these plans to the public and they already negotiate the cost and benefits each year with the plan providers.

1. What do you think the monthly premium for a family should be?

2. What do you think you should have to pay out of your pocket when you visit a Doctor?

3. What do you think you should have to pay out of your pocket for a months supply of a generic drug? A brand-name drug?

4. What do you think you should have to pay out of your pocket for a visit to a hospitial?

5. What do you think you should have to pay out of your pocket to have an X-ray performed on your rib cage?

6. What do you think you should have to pay out of your pocket for a dental check-up and cleaning? How many per year should be covered by insurance?

7. What do you think you should have to pay out of your pocket to vist an optromitist for an vision exam? How much do you think the insurance should pay for eyeglasses? How many pair per year? Should they pay for no-line bifocals? Custom tinted lenses?

What about the other side of Healthcare, you guys afraid to go agianst Obama. Guess I won't be watching ABC anymore

It seems to me that we already have government run health plan which is run by the insurance companies as representatives of the government! I have good insurance but do I have any say so in my health care?
Can I choose acupuncture instead of surgery? Can I get a massage instead of 30 Valiums? Am I paying for all the uninsured people from the United States and other countries whether I like it or not?! Is my insurance premium higher because of all the costs that are NOT paid by poor people who can not afford insurance and go to the emergency for everything from a cut on their arm to a heart attack? SOMEBODY DO SOMETHING - WE ARE ALL BLEEDING TO DEATH!

My correction, it's bob's post time Jun 21, 2009 12:20:29 PM who must be working for the insurance industry. Many posts here are from lobbies who are trying to sway public opinion against a public run option. Don't let them get away with this.