Daschle Health Care Video Addresses Americans Directly (VIDEO)

The commitment of Barack Obama to have an open dialogue, whether it be in revealing donors or crafting policy, is one of the defining features of his early transition effort.

On Tuesday, his office put out another video, building off of one released last week, in which former Sen. Tom Daschle -- who will be heading the Department of Health and Human Services -- and adviser Lauren Aronson discuss health care reform. There is nothing particularly groundbreaking in the three-minute long clip. It consists mostly of personal stories and general policy topics (like preventative care and cost containment, among them).

But, as the Huffington Post reported earlier, the mere fact that they are releasing this video -- after soliciting some 3,500 comments from the earlier clip -- signifies a major step forward in health care reform. Obama wants the public to feel like a shareholder in the process, and he certainly hopes to avoid the pitfalls that doomed the closed-off effort that Hillary Clinton launched in 1993.

As Daschle says to the camera: "We want to keep this a very open process. We want to make sure that you understand how important those comments and your contributions are. We really want to hear from you. And already we've begun to follow through on some of the ideas."

Comments

[ljblinddog]

The suggestions were so inane. I was waiting to hear someone suggest we all cary first-aid kits. Another suggestion that I was expecting, to hold down medical costs, bite down on sticks during surgery to eliminate the cost of anesthesia. "Oh, I like that suggestion."

Change, yes we could have.

[DarleneMininni]

As a health behavior specialist, I can't begin to tell you how cool and exciting this whole process is! I have great faith in Tom Daschle and his team. And the fact that they consider disease prevention as important as treatment speaks volumes!! I'm feeling very hopeful!

[obamaluv]

does Tom Daschle look OK to you. He has been looking kind of sick to me.

[theaviator]

Beautiful. Health care reform will happen. Clearly, Daschle and Obama are serious about this.

[jeffmorgan]

The fake {"oh that's a great idea" as if he just first heard the idea right there on camera} thing is unnecessary!

People must snicker about those glasses everywhere he goes hehe.

Here's a great overview of different healthcare systems by Frontline:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/video/flv/generic.html?s=frol02p101&continuous=1

[weaselbasher]

Thanks for the link, very informative. There is one thing that stands out within all the systems examined in this report. No one goes bankrupt due to illness.

[shaqfan]

Daschle looks loke a goofball with those red glasses. They make him look kinda cute though. Fresh and new.

[Lvm]

The Sally Jesse Rafael glasses have to go.

[elimenez]

LMAO. Zing!

[tegrat]

Why, if he is serious about healthcare, has single-payer healthcare financing been taken off the table? This makes absolutely no sense. A majority of Americans and our doctors support single-payer.

[JumpyJack]

Dear Tom. You got a serious job and these are difficult times. *PLEASE* stop wearing those glasses.

[Grannysue]

I work in healthcare and have for a long time, it's time to dump the system, go to a one payor system and let physicians be physicians and patients be allowed to get the care they need. Right now we have a system based on the cast system, those with money and a great insurance policy get treated and can pay for everyone else it's bankruptcy, or die!

[jayded]

man that that guy Dash is fresh with those red specks...all the way fly, he's doin that flambouyant ish on purpose

[robXdion]

"Fresh" and "all the way fly" went out of circulation by 1987. "Flamboyant ish" went out of style by 1998. You are in dire need of a "cool black slang" upgrade chip, my friend.

[canucklivinginUSA]

LOL

[jayded]

i am cool. i am black. shows you what you know, you're not even aware that those throwback terms are super cool to use nowadays....

[Fongenie]

Haha. Y'all are silly.

[CaliforniaJake]

Let's go back to the system where your primary care physician called the shots based on the care you need to get well instead of what kind of insurance card you carry in your wallet.

My father died this past May of cancer. He had "okay" coverage but not great. He might have received better care if the d a m n insurance carrier had paid for more. They didn't.

It's a bitter pill to swallow when you know the care a loved one receives when they're dying could be better if they only had better coverage.

[SurferKit]

I'm so sorry about your father. Thanksgiving this year must have been difficult without him.

[CaliforniaJake]

Thanks, Kit. It was. My mother is a mess. She still hasn't gone through his things. I've been trying to spend as much time with her as I can but what with work I can't be there with here every minute.

Sorry for the lag time in replying. I had some work I needed to get done.

You're my bright spot here at HP. :)

[theaviator]

I'm so sorry. And let's hope things finally get done and we change the system.

[mjeffn]

Single payer. End of story.

[Excitedforfuture]

I'm supposed to have a mamogram every year since I was 35 due to family history -- because of the cost (even with health insurance), I've had 2. I have kids that go to the doctor before I do -- most families are the same. The children go to the doctor whenever it's needed, but parents wait until they absolutely have to go!

My mother is retired and pays over $300 a month for her medicare and supplement and prescription coverage!!! We help her pay some of her bills, but can't help as much as we'd like! I just think of how it would be if she could have a few hundred extra a month, so she could buy herself something extra, instead of just surviving!!!

[ella52]

My mother is in the same boat, medicare gap insurance comes in at about $170 a month, plus a prescription plan payment lofts it to about $200, then all the copays brings it in easily in the 300-350 range every bloody month and I help some but I am paying over $700 per month for my own insurance. I do not understand why we can't have single payer after seeing Sicko (Michael Moore) and even better Sick around the World on PBS there is simply no good answer except the insurance companies are going to make a big stink about it... haven't they cowered us long enough???

[Terrence0258]

I will give you some ideas if you take off the where's waldo glasses.

[Georgia1992]

I was thinking the same thing. Take them off, please!

[4wehttam]

I actually like them. They're kinda retro no?

[we-r-doomed]

Mixed with Sally Jesse..

[rockyb26]

love daschle's red frames! but more importantly i'm so glad they're doing this. as a physician i'm so frustrated at how bad our healthcare system is. there are so many issues that need to be tackled. it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that when 47 million people are uninsured it has an impact on all realms of society. so many people have gone bankrupt paying medical bills, and the cost of healthcare is astronomical. this is why our economy is in the tank. we spend more than any other industrialized nation but don't have anything to show for it. i'm glad that PE Obama recognizes this and am looking forward to the changes that will come.