It’s not clear to me that preferring a government-run system over a private system makes any sense whatsoever. After all, isn’t the basis of our Constitutional Republic that we are free and that government is NOT to run our lives? The Edwards plan leaves private insurance in place. He says, they’re free to do this as this is America, not the Soviet Union. Second, he says, we’re going to create competition in the insurance industry by offering alternatives through a government program. That is a typical way to use government to patch over problems which the free market system don’t handle well. Third, he says, we’re going to assist those who can’t help themselves. That’s the Democratic way to ensure everyone is lifted up in America — not just the wealthy.

I don’t know a lot of the details, but I sure do like the basis for this plan (and Clinton’s).

A law requiring doctors decide what is in the best interest of their patients and not insurance companies just has to be a winner. Edwards wants that too.

I am not usually an “us vs. them” kind of thinker, but enough is enough. “They’ve” had every opportunity to reform the system to make it work for everyone and this is where we’ve ended up. I’m paying almost $10,000/year in health insurance premiums as a self-employed individual who got kicked over to my state’s risk pool mostly because I have asthma and polycystic ovarian syndrome, both of which are under control. Granted, this is a huge financial burden that I can ill afford but I find a way to pony up because I can’t justify the risk that I’d end up burdening my family. But my situation is not anywhere close to deserving of sympathy (at least not yet) as the millions who either can’t get insurance or can’t pay for it or who do pay for it and end up fighting for every nickel of coverage every step of the way. I know several people in each of these categories. This situation is beyond reprehensible and those who are to blame for it, including those who have the power to fix it and do nothing while paying only a couple of hundred a month for their own first-rate coverage, deserve a front-row seat on the karma train.

There seems to be a giant leap of faith here or the usual indirection of the American corporate system. “Better, smarter folks elected”? We need a single payor system where that single payor does not profit from denying healthcare to those in need. We need Medicare for all; Medicare that is carefully supervised to protect against waste, fraud and abuse.

“Sometimes, you just want to throw up your hands and laugh at the absurdity…”

Except for most people this isn’t funny…