JP
publicly fund is a great idea. as whould be free TV and radio ad time (we do still own the airwaves don't we)

thanks

hjs,

Of course you can write to your congressman, you’re their constituent. You and everyone else that voted should be the only thing that matters. Publicly fund all political races. It sounds a lot more radical then it is and the idea has been around for a very, very long time (I can remember seeing a documentary on it on Frontline way back in the 80’s). If you did this, no more wasted money on negative political advertising or stupid robo calls. Bloomberg would have to actually win on his political merits and not his wallet. Political fundraising is big, big business. But it’s also very inefficient, hence the big business. Look, I’m all for a lot of what Green Peace does and even some of the things AARP does for old folks. But my vote is far less important then theirs. They should be able to say what they want and advocate what they want. That’s what free speech is all about and no one should stop them. But I as an individual voter, my voice should come way first before any special interest group. It sounds like a fairy tail but it could realistically be done. The problem is not conservative verses liberal or democrat verses republican. The problem is all politicians on both sides don’t want it. Why? Don’t know, seems like a lot less stressful way of running for office and not having to worry about financing your campaign and instead actually worrying about what the constituents want.

JP
"until you get rid of all special interest groups in all areas of government"
so what is a special interest, would i still be allowed to write to my congressperson?

should we stop having elections

i'm just wondering how far we should go with this plan

None of this matters. When are you people going to wake up and smell the coffee? It does not matter what the kookiest conservative says about death panels or the craziest liberal says about free health care for all. It doesn’t matter if you force all of congress and senate take the same crappy HMO I personally have right now. It’s all about what the special interest groups want and that’s what we will have. They will win the day hands down. Plain simple fact, until you get rid of all special interest groups (even the ones you might think are good) in all areas of government, nothing will ever change. Let me repeat that, until you get rid of all special interest groups (even the ones you might think are good) in all areas of government, nothing will ever change.

Its as simple as that.

To hjs ... YES INDEED you are your sibling's keeper ... the "poor" are always with us, and they are sick, and they infect the well ... if we could really solve poverty, at least 50% of world-wide disease would disappear, and the rest would be more manageable.

The "interview" with Brooks was a "suck up session".

Brian asked NO challenging or penetrating questions. He actually managed to be boring. We might have just as well been referred to read Brooks' writings directly.

At one point towards the end of the interview Brooks actually conflates the health insurance industry with the health CARE industry (as if they were 100% the SAME!!!) ...and Brian says nothing.

What a waste of a radio show!

I know that Brian has the smarts and the skills to challenge people.....it's just that he doesn't have the guts to do it across the board....and not only does that do a disservice to the issue's at hand but it actually makes for boring milquetoast radio.

why don't u just starve if u can't feed yourself! am i my brothers keeper?

The statement that if you graduate school and don't have children you won't live in poverty is false. I have done those things and have graduated from a top college and based on my chosen career and student debt I am very close to poverty.

I don't know why it is put out that employers pay the majority of their employees health care premiums! Maybe for those upper echelon types with golden parachutes, but for most working stiffs today, I'd say that health insurance premium costs are split at least 50/50 employer/employee. Employees are probably in reality paying more than 50% in copays, etc.

NO MORE HEALTH CARE SERFDOM!

I hear politicians and pundits talk about how people need to be more "conscious" of their health care costs. Well, ask any cancer patient or other person who is getting long-term care about whether or not they need to be more conscious of their health care plans -- and ask them during the long hours when they're trying to balance all the bills that come from different doctors, hospital departments, testing facilities, etc., etc., and trying to figure out (if they have insurance) how many co-pays are legit, how many need to be challenged, what their insurance is paying for and what it isn't. And then their doctor tells them that they need to concentrate on getting better. Right.

Are Washington policians hypocrits? Let's revoke their medical coverage and see. Why shouldn't the whole country be protected in the same way?
Money is the issue? Why not take back the bailout that went to, e.g., Goldman Sachs and Warren Buffett by association. Or is wanting to pay for healthcare instead of keeping the rich rich somehow unseemly?

David Brooks has a very distorted definition of human nature, has no idea what "socialism" really is, and is pandering to the corporations. I have to turn this off.

Ask about the 1910 Abraham Flexner Report, and the first real reform of med ed in the US ... we need EXACTLY this kind of reform for healthcare ... the insurance that was supposed to fix fee=for=service is now the boondoggle.

Brian,

I think we've spent too much time on health care. I have a simple solution. Let Congress come up with a plan. The only condition is, is that it will become their plan as well. I think there is an almost surreal situation where we have people with a gold plated health care package for themselves, telling the rest of us we have to live with a substandard plan (or at least one they themselves would not deem adequate). If it's good for us, it should be good for them.

visit www.primary-care-medicine.net; www.the-public-option.com

This plan is merely old conservative wine in new bottles. It leaves Americans on the free market for what should be a basic service -- health care.

Don't be fooled.

Costs cannot be reduced until primary care is managed by doctxors who engage in the office practice of specialtdies--and this can happen with exopansion of primary care centers of america.

TShis would assure every citizen of comprehensive primary care which means a significan redution in referrals.

I don't know anyone who does NOT want Universal Healthcare, which is the most humane, ethical, compassionate, fair, and community-oriented way to take care of everyone in the society. Brooks's ideas are inhumane and profit-oriented and continue to leave people homeless on the streets dying from treatable disease.

Brian—It is my understanding that Betsy McCoy is paid by the insurance industry to promote her views on health care. If this is the case, you should refer to her as a health insurance industry spokesperson, not a commentator, as you did at the opening of today's program.

I like many of the things David Brooks says. But I have two questions:
(1) How can Obama change the fee-for-service system when at least half of our health care system is a private enterprise one?
(2) I've heard him praise the Wyden proposal as having bipartisan support. However, I've heard that that includes only about 14 bipartisans, and that the bill doesn't appeal to special interests. How can a plan be promoted that doesn't do so, no matter how good it is?

Um, why is David Brooks talking about healthcare reform? What qualifications does he have on this subject? He 'wants' patients to get more of their bills? Well I want a pony!