President-elect Obama "asks Americans to brainstorm and share ideas" on how to fix healthcare...

[Amerigo Vespucci]

...It's a new thing, coming to grips with a President who actually cares about what others think, especially if those "others" aren't hand-picked loyal "Bushies" in his administration...a President who "gets" the fact that sometimes the way to solving a problem is asking those who are experiencing that problem "what do YOU think?"

:patriot:

Obama asks nation for health-care reform input
Tactic aims to circumvent special interests that quashed previous efforts

By Ceci Connolly
updated 3:10 a.m. PT, Sat., Dec. 6, 2008

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28081017/

In between the tree trimming and gift-giving, President-elect Barack Obama is inviting Americans to spend part of the holiday season talking about health care — and report back to him.

As he gears up for major health reform legislation next year, Obama is encouraging average Americans to host informal gatherings to brainstorm about how to improve the U.S. system.

The sessions, which could take place at a party, over a Menorah-lighting or at the annual Christmas cookie bake-off, are to be held Dec. 15 to Dec. 31. Former senator Thomas A. Daschle, Obama's point person on health, will attend at least one and prepare a detailed report, complete with video, to present to the next president.
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"In order for us to reform our health care system, we must first begin reforming how government communicates with the American people," Obama said in a statement yesterday. "These Health Care Community Discussions are a great way for the American people to have a direct say in our health reform efforts."

By applying the high-tech tools and grass-roots activism that helped him win the White House, Obama hopes to circumvent many of the traditionally powerful special interests that have quashed previous health-care reform efforts.

During the campaign, he recruited some 13 million supporters to his Web site, using the list to turn out record-setting crowds at rallies, find babysitters for Election Day and solicit ideas for the Democratic Party platform.

With the transition team contemplating how to deliver on his campaign promise to expand health coverage and lower costs, "what we want to do now is to move to a discussion across the country," Daschle said in a speech yesterday in Denver. "We want your exact ideas."

[a kennedy]

1. I suggested he talk to Michael Moore......when Michael was doing

his movie Sicko he wanted everyone to tell him of their trials and tribulations regarding their health or lack of health care stories.....I'd tell the PE to talk to Michael. :patriot:

[glowing]

2. Plus he'd be able to tell the president how much that would help out the auto industry.

[OKNancy]

3. I think Edwards had a good idea

TO start, lower the Medicare age to 55.
The 55-65 year old group would pay in, but not use it as much.
An advantage would be this group would be healthier in the long run.

Also... private insurance as you get older is outrageously expensive.
A lot of older workers, not covered at their job have to drop insurance.

[balantz]

7. I notice that Edwards doesn't seem to be invited to this party. n/t

[4themind]

8. Elizabeth Edwards might...

it's a passion of hers and she's already been facilitating conversations with americans in forums across america, I'm confident she'd approve of this process and that she'll make her presence felt in the debate.

[Bluenorthwest]

4. Well people will say

that the insurance companies are the problem. Doctors will say the same. I'll be making sure my physicians chime in. They will say single payer. Everyone will.
They will be hard pressed to find any American outside the insurance industry that wants to keep that industry involved in our health care. I hope they really intend to listen.

[FlaGranny]

5. Right - insurance companies

should not be allowed to profit from (denying) health care. The only profit in health care should go to those who actually provide health care.

[Bluenorthwest]

6. And here's my question

I'm no expert by any means, but if profit is expected due to risk of loss, and the government intends to cover all possible loss, what the hell are the insurance companies risking? In what way would they be 'insuring' anything? Seems to me that under the plan the major Democrats have in mind, the insurance companies would get profit without risk, and would not be insurers at all, but merely administrators.
If I'm missing something, I'd love to know what it is. But without the risk of loss, the promise of profit seems out of place to me.