President Obama is Soliciting Health Care Questions... Here You Go!

I and millions of others on the Obama listserv just got an email from David Plouffe announcing:

President Obama is holding a live strategy meeting on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time for all Organizing for America supporters.

The event page allows anyone to submit questions to the prez. Here's mine:

Why not promote long-term bipartisanship through results, not dead-end negotiations with Republicans on the health care bill? Grassley, Kyl, and the Republicans don't want any health care reform. If you pass the real reform you were elected on (read: PUBLIC OPTION) without them and it works, you will win. America will benefit. Consider using reconciliation. You should easily be able to garner 51 votes you need for real change. Broader consensus in the puppet-packed Senate will come later, on other bills, when your ideas are proven to work.

Earnest meetings and concessions to Republicans will not give us the change we need. Getting the right bill will; the bipartisan support will follow. It's good policy first, and good long-term politics as well. Why alienate your base? Why not bypass these opponents?

What's your question for 44?

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Comments

[ChelleAgain]

I got the email, but after trying to juggle things, there's no way I'll be able to attend. The ridiculous part is that this is literally the only non-negotiable time in the near future -- any other time I could be there. Ridiculous timing.

Do you think there will be a readily available transcript or video?

My question would be similar to yours:

Thank you, Mr President.

Last year's election seemed to represent a mandate from the people to bring about the objectives of the Democratic party and allow to hold sway for a while. With this in mind, is there a point when the concessions to the Republican side of the aisle will be too opposed to the ideals people had in mind when they elected you? At what point would that be and would you then return the public option to a crucial role and seek to pass it as a primarily Democratic endeavor?

[OdysseusNemesis]

I would like to know why he continues to insist on bipartisanship when his antagonists only want to bite off his hands of bipartisanship – maybe that could even be a good thing because then, he wouldn't have any hand left to reach out to his antagonists!

[jfrusch]

I also asked for someone to look at the No-Fault Auto Insurance program as a model. You could establish a National High Risk pool where the 20% of the citizens that contribute to 80% of the cost are placed into a single health care plan that is subsidized by everyone that issues any insurance or provides self-insured coverage across the nation. This would lower the total cost since no one plan would have to fund the contingency required to handle the risk that small pools of people could ALL encounter high costs at any point in time. It would also create single plan that could apply care management practices that would focus on the quality of care for this high use population and consider alternative compensation models that would promote centers of excellence and new treatment plans that would lower total cost. The coverage for this high risk pool would be administered by not-for-profit models or by adding this group to already existing Government programs.

I think there is not enough conversation about the economic fundamentals of insurance. Larger pools of covered folks with no opt outs lower total cost because they spread risk. This is why the co-op insurance plan option doesn't work - small pool of self-selected individuals cannot lower total cost and cannot fund the risk they assume in small groups.

[jfrusch]

I asked about the Federal Employee Program - the government option that no one is talking about. It is the one that covers the elected officials that are more than happy to leave everyone else with the 'free market'. Why not consider either opening up this program to all or eliminating it for ELECTED officials? Perhaps if the elected officials experienced what happened when their employer-supplied health care is dropped and they were left to the 'free market' they would understand why reform was needed.

The Federal Employee Program is not a private health care option but one administered by the Federal Government outside the free market system that many of those elected indicate we absolutely need to preserve. Perhaps they think that everyone else has what they have and that is why they just don't get what the pain is about.

[ncmom54]

Since the GOP and Corporate Health Insurance obviously don't care that 47million citizens are unable to access health services... will you please consider Single Payer ?

[Solja]

I want to know why I no longer receive OFA emails anymore or can't post anything on the website. After the obama site was hacked during the campaign, I no longer receive group emails and can't write on the blogs at all. I have registered and re-registered and it says I will receive an email to confirm my account, but I have never received that email, making it so I cannot communicate with other supporters. I knocked on doors, made phone calls and gave money but now I am shut out. I joined the democrats.org website before the last elections and that's how I get the information. I used to get the emails from Plouffe, but now I don't.

I have written the site and the WH and have since given up. If Tim Kaine had not forwarded that Plouffe email to me today, I wouldn't have ever known about it.

Can someone PLEASE tell the folks running the OFA website that some are locked out of the site. My account is called Soldierette or Solja. I want to help but can't if I'm not informed.

Thanks!

p.s. I don't have any health care questions. I don't believe the lies and support the public option, along with most Progressive Democrats. I also think my POTUS is not fighting hard enough for us against the Repigs. They don't want health care reform, even though they say they do. They are the Party of No, AND THEY MEAN IT!

[Forman]

Dear Mr. President: I and millions of Americans are counting on you to be the man we believed would change the culture in Washington. You said "Yes We Can" and we believed in the depths of our souls you meant what you said. My question is this, sir: What is the reason for the existence of health insurance companies, other than to provide its owners with huge bank accounts? What do they do for the health of the people of this great country, other than deny coverage to those who can't afford it or, like my only daughter, have a pre-existing condition? PLEASE MR PRESIDENT- DON'T ABANDON THE PEOPLE WHO PUT YOU IN OFFICE! PUT SINGLE PAYER BACK ON THE TABLE, PLEASE.

[action09]

PRESIDENT OBAMA’S HEALTH CARE REFORM2009
Republicans are playing the "Fear" card tactic against the Democrats strategic Sanity in drawing support for destroying “Health Care Reform" from the table.

Seniors and other disabled, under-served America, feels death, already, so the Republicans (Truly "Master Race" Party 2009) are taking the easy way out--"Little Humanity to No Humanity." If you feel no life--there will, eventually be--no life.

Democrats must realize, first, Health Care Reform is long overdue. The Democratic Politicians and the investors must broadcast this information, clearly. There must be continual reform.

Who wrote, “Continual (Health care) Reform, must be kept before the people, and by our example we must enforce "Health care Teachings". True humanity and laws of health care go hand in hand. It is impossible to work for the salvation of humanity without presenting to them the need of breaking away from bad health practices, which destroy the health, debase the soul and prevent divine truth from impressing the mind.
There are many Americans, that have only a partial view and understanding of the principles of Health Care Reform Are often the most rigid, not only in carrying out their views themselves, but in urging them on their families and friends and their neighbors. The effect of the "republicans' mistaken health reforms, under former President Bush, as seen in their own ill-health, force their views on others give a false idea of health reform and lead America to reject Health Care Reform, altogether.

[Pantleg]

How many votes would it take to have congress submit a bill before a vote of the people that would
Demand a single payer health care bill. If this could be done through reconciliation this would be great. I think a vote before the people for single payer the only way to reduce costs and give everyone health care,

[barefoot2002]

I hve been telling all my friends to call the white house today at 202 456 1111 it was busy most of the day but most of us have gotten through ...let him know we want him to stand up be strong and give us what we voted for ....public option at the least ...if not single payer. thanks