Obama Asks For Your Questions On Health Care (VIDEO)

President Obama is scheduled to hold an online town hall on Wednesday to discuss health care and the White House is asking people to get involved by submitting their questions about health care reform via video. The White House's blog says that in this instance "we are engaging online networks outside of WhiteHouse.gov, such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter." Watch President Obama's video about the discussion below. To learn more about how to submit a question, read here.

Comments

[wilray]

Prescription drug costs are kept at an affordable rate in Canada. That is why Americans buy their drugs from Canada. Think about it. Americans buying American Pharmaceuticals from a Canadian prescriptions company. The America Pharmaceutical companies tried to outlaw the practice. Until the prescription drugs benefits passed (a good piece of legislation during the Bush administration) those on a fix incomes had prescriptions that exceeded their food cost, their housing cost, and even their actual incomes. Some seniors were reduced to eating dog food. Personally, I have about a dozen prescriptions each month. A single prescription at U.S. market price is $350. The next clocks in at $230. It's certainly easy to see how there could be nothing left of income once all the prescriptions are paid if U. S. market price was inescapable.

[lebkuchen]

I hope Obama has conferred with Canada, Europe and Asia on their universal health care systems. For some reason, most of the world can afford to provide health care to its citizens and at the same time maintain infrastructure, like roads, bridges and schools, not to mention, provide two months paid vacation.

Do you suppose the reason the US is so far behind the power curve on health care et al is due to all its taxpayer monies being diverted to those who invest in and lobby for war?

[wilray]

One of issues that I haven't heard discussed is getting companies out of the health care equation. Companies don't seem to want to be involved in health care and seem to use it as an ax against employees, so why not get them out of the equation altogether. Last night I met a fellow who is working 40 hours a week and has no healthcare even though his companies offer it - two part time jobs means no healthcare. Starbucks is the only company I know that has offered healthcare for workers of only 20 hours a week. In this economy most companies are trying to reduce as many people as possible to part time status in order to discontinue health benefits. Also, healthcare should not be tied to a particular company; most people will pass up a better paying job, if it means a loss in health coverage. People do not want to play with their family's healthcare, so they pass up job opportunities. Healthcare should no longer be a bargaining chip, and healthcare should have complete portability, and it should be universal.

[unionave]

Regarding health care ; The "public option" was dreamed up by someone to benefit Wall Street and has saturated the media with this debate . The real truth is "health care providers" cause insurance rates to increase and the same thing will happen with the "public option" as it has with medicare . And Wall Street (GOP) can destroy the "public option" insurance program as they have been doing with medicare . Before RR we had many low cost government clinics and hospitals and he dismantled them so the AMA would not have the competition these low cost health systems offered . A governemnt insurance program will be a failure unless the AMA has competition and many know this but do not have the voice to oppose the media sponsored "public option" . You can bet your socks if the media is pushing it Wall Street wants it .
Why not cancel the RR tax cuts for the rich and put the health care system back to what it was before RR , GHWB , and WJC when we did not have a health care problem ? This is really not what the AMA want's and will bring out legions of lobbyist and ads to kill it dead .

[loudspeaker]

My questions should make him pretty uncomfortable.

[pepenero]

It's been seen that in the past at some point the congress and the senate saw to it that they have super good health and retirement benefits. That's selfish and hypocritical of then in light of who it is that they are supposed to represent, and what the state of their health and retirement benefits are.

I think that the feeling among the congress and the senate is that they are special, blessed, privileged. That they have the status of princes and princesses, counts, barons, etc., and that we,m we are just folk, ordinary and are here to be penalized one day and tossed a crumb the next.

Something is very wrong with this our Republic, our Democracy. I seriously doubt that any congressperson or senator ever ended up on welfare, on skid row, or living in a cardboard box.

[lianmolive]

1) What can be done about Medicare fraud? If we are to have a SP system, what safeguards will be in place for those patients and Doctors who WILL commit fraud?

2) How do you get a healthcare model that focuses on preventative care?

3) Why would you even consider a Mandate? What do you mean you Evolved on the issue? If healthcare is a right, and not a privilege like driving a car, then why consider a mandate?

[TheAntiNixon]

single payer.

[Balzac]

Speaking of health care, I'd like say that working too hard can be very troublesome for one's health.

I'd suggest that while Bush was wrong to take so many vacation days because of his general incompetence and bad attitude, Mr. Obama should probably take a lot more.

Mr. Obama has already proven his ability to work out the details to a fine level of granularity, but that's not necessary all the time. That's why he's appointed all these other folks.

Mr. Obama sets the tempo for the country and I think it ought to slow down, even while not allowing any space for fools to make messes.

Every president I've seen has experienced an accelerated aging process while in office. I don't think it's good for the country to have too aggressive of a schedule. Here the French seem wiser and healthier. If he can't keep from working incredibly long hours then at least he can prevent gravity from draining his vitality.

In the spirit of the pitchmen who push the latest consumer innovations to the public, and without any personal interest, I suggest one of these for the president to handle any fatigue or the resulting hypertension:

http://www.google.com/search?q=inversion+table

[freddiefreeloader]

If over 70% of Americans want the public option and get it than over 70% will join the public option, leaving less than 30% with private insurance which will cause the cost of private insurance to rise so high no one but the rich could afford it. So the end result will be universal healthcare. Republicans and centrist Democrats are putting private insurance in front of the American voter.

[jmpurser]

None of the policy makers including President Obama plan to allow a "public option" that is available to the general public at their option. President Obama has specifically said that he has no intention of allowing any "public option" to EVER become a back door "single payer" plan.

[wilray]

I welcome a Canadian to weigh in on this. My understanding is that everyone in Canada is covered under one system. However those who can afford may pay for extra coverage. In essence the wealthy are not precluded from an even better plan paid by their own dime. To me this sounds like everybody wins.

[jmpurser]

My question for the president would be:
Why are you not even trying to get the best health care system for the American people?

I'd follow that up with:
How do you square that with the oath you took?

[jakiew]

he already told us.. we have to do it. we have to demand it. washington won't do anything unless we make them. There's only one 'public option' and that is one big enough to force pharma and doctors and hospitals to lower costs. and as you can see, they detest it. and if your senator or congressmen don't want it, you know they have sold themselves out to them over their constituents welfare.

[jmpurser]

Why in the WORLD would we demand a plan that doesn't address any of our real needs for health care reform? And the "public option" is designed to NOT be big enough to force anyone to do anything.

[123andy]

I finaly learned something about Medicare. The government does not negotiate what it will pay for services with anyone, it simply mandates what it will pay. Often the medicare payment does not cover actual cost and health insurance companies make up the difference. If this is actually true then I understand more clearly the fear of a public plan that "negotiates" like medicare. It will not solve any problems, just make them worse. We need help. Someone who can pull all the information together and provide a real comparison between the various options and pieces of options that are on the table. President Obama lost all credibility with me with his answers and the way he conducted the discussion last Wednesday.

[Chace Haynes]

Obama has been possessed. Look at his eyes in the more recent photos of him...Very similar to Bush's eyes. This man can no longer be trusted to do the things he promised. It is up to we the people now.

[gallimaufry03]

Yeah? What will be your first action chace?

[pharmmajor]

"Possessed". Okay... you're starting to sound a little creepy.

[moonflowerjewelry]

i had such high hopes, but the "send me a video question" proves that this president is no more in our collective corner than the last one was. WE, the people, do not matter, we never have, we never will.

[Agent420]

The happiest countries in the world are socialist countries.

[pharmmajor]

Well, Penn Jillette has his own thoughts on that. Are socialist countries and nations where people are highly taxed necessarily a good thing?

http://crackle.com/c/Penn_Says#id=2474302&ml=o%3D12%26fpl%3D377781%26fx%3D

[gallimaufry03]

Only if you can somehow equate "good" with "happy" (which I can).

[jmpurser]

After 30 years of watching the "conservative movement" fail to achieve every single goal it claimed was it's reason for existing Penn is STILL a republican.

I'm not that interested in what someone with such a perfectly flat learning curve has to say on any topic.

[jmpurser]

The happiest ones are the ones where the government is afraid of the people. They all have EXCELLENT health care systems as well.

[llfutrell]

and they are paying 62% tax rates.........are you game with that?

[weatherwaxx]

Why should Americans have to get hold of a video recorder and record a d@mned video to participate? I don't have or want a Youtube account and I don't have any interest in playing 'reality tv.'

[pharmmajor]

I was a little ticked as well. Why couldn't I post a question?

Oh, right, because then they'd have to filter out all of the comments that are critical of his plan.

[Chace Haynes]

Indeed