A question for those in their late 50s .... 60s .... 70s ..... older .....

[Stinky The Clown]

Do you have any confidence you will see single payer health care before you die?

Do you have any confidence you will see any form of significantly improved health care delivery before you die?

Do you think this year is our last best chance to get it or will there be opportunity in future?

(Every president gets 70% or more of his entire term's accomplishments done in the first year or two.)

[EFerrari]

1. Early 50s. Nope. Make me wrong, Mr. President.

:)

[old mark]

2. Early 60's . YES, and probably before the year is out, at least for

the "significantly improved" part.Our healthcare "system" is not really a system, and any REAL improvement would be better than the crap we have.

Single payer I think is a very strong possibility after 2010, maybe mush sooner if the GOP's are stupid....Oh, wait.....:rofl:



mark

[canetoad]

3. Mid 50s

And living in a country with a national health service.

My response: You will not see it until you have candidates who run for office on the platform of nationalized health care and are obliged to put it into place after election. Until then, I don't believe anyone will stick their neck out.

[eleny]

4. The current bruhaha will pass and then the push will be on

I don't like Geithner and company. But I do think all the right wing outrage is a smoke screen to make Obama lose credibility and put the kibosh on health care reform. I think we'll see something this year. What it will look like is anyone's guess. But something must change. We can't go on with so many not having any health care.

[Stinky The Clown]

6. I would be happy if I were able to buy at group rates until I retire

Right now, my health care premium, for a high option HMO with the ability to go out of network at will, for just me and Sparkly, is $22,000.

That is OBSCENE.

I would be thrilled to buy Blue Cross high option at a group rate. My rate would drop $10,000.

Of course, what I want is single payer and I will ***gladly*** see my taxes go up to cover it. That way, you and I would be together .... supporting each other. As it should be in a mature, evolved society. :hug:

[eleny]

15. That *is* obscene

Hubby and I pay over $200 each monthly for an Anthem BC/BC PPO plan. It's the high deductible plan but it works for us. All what we put into the HSA account is taken right off the gross for taxes. We had to do the short tax form this year since we don't have enough deductions and we're getting a good chunk back because the HSA deposit is still deducted.

You and all Americans deserve better. We all deserve single payer. I'd grab Medicare in a minute. In the current way things are done I'll never be eligible on my own since I don't have 40 quarters. State employees didn't pay Social Security or even pay into Medicare until recently. I never paid into either. So I'll only get Part A when hubby becomes eligible for Social Security.

And medications are another story. They're so pricey. I don't let myself worry about them but hubs gets "stundeens".

[Stinky The Clown]

24. My rate skyrocketed when I had my heart attack.

Which almost gave me another heart attack!

:)

I count my lucky stars that I am still able to afford this insurance.

[onethatcares]

5. at 58, I doubt I'll see it.

though I might see a form of it. I just don't want that form to be National Required Health Insurance............I'm of a firm belief that a person should not lose their home, or go bancrupt due to sickness or accident.

If we could make our elected royal representatives in all areas of government pay for their own health care, there would be a great push for nationalized, single payer health care administered by the best in government.

Peace

[DearAbby]

7. Mid 50's

Yes, I believe I will see it. They have to do it within these first two years. I am thinking positively, I refuse to think otherwise.

[Bandit]

8. I do not believe I will live to see Single Payer National Health Care

I believe Obama will get something passed that will make it a little less expensive but it will still be a significant portion of our paycheck. We will still be paying Big Insurance Companies like AIG so they can have ten million dollar offices and Private Luxury jets.

[handmade34]

9. Yes, Yes, Yes...

I refuse to die before I see it and experience it... Yes We Can!

[tonysam]

10. Short Answer is NO.

This president is no more inclined than previous presidents to put in single-payer health insurance.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

11. a tough one but 'doable'

[madrchsod]

12. no,no,and maybe on both

62 and retired

[tularetom]

13. None, very little, unfortunately yes. (Late 60's)

[rurallib]

14. very late 50s here

1) No. back in the early 70s I really thought we were close to it. Even Nixon talked of it. I thought sure it would be in by 1980.
Now, I doubt I will see it unless I try to move to Canada.
2) Not any more. All I have to do is look at my asshole senator Chuck Grassley to realize that the old, white, male senate will fuck it up for everyone and my fellow citizens will return these idiots to office over and over.
3) I don't think it is the last chance. What I fear is that it will take a catastrophic social upheaval the likes of which we've never seen to finally get decent public health.
This may be the best chance for a while, though.

This is and has been my signature issue for decades. One problem is that we are divided into so many different groups. We need laser focus on this. But divide and conquer is the Republic strategy that has been beating us forever.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

16. pushing 60 and YES

[Buck Laser]

17. For myself, I don't HAVE to have it, but...

I'm extremely fortunate to have retired with a good supplementary insurance plan. And for those who don't know, Medicare is actually fast and efficient.

For the nation itself, it must be a top priority. Too many people go bankrupt from medical expenses.

[roody]

18. Mid 50s. Yes I do.

I never dreamed that gay marriage would be a major topic of the day! Consciousness is rising faster than we think.

[Upfront]

19. Yes to every question. 68 years here.

It will happen this year. Middle America needs to fight to win. Back your President and let the world know it. I do!

[havocmom]

20. slipping into late 50s and no, I don't expect to see it in my lifetime

I do notice insurance companies really pushing ads lately. Now they sell pet insurance and insurance for (seemingly) basic home and car repairs/maintenance. At the same time, insurers are canceling policies on long time clients for home owners policies AND redlining whole states where they won't cover homes anymore.

Health care is a wreck. Market (where insurers USED to make their real $$) not preforming. They are trying to sell policies for everything now. And my eyes don't work well enough to be able to see the fine print.

Single payer health care? I hope, but I don't really think I get to see it happen. Insurance industry way too powerful. They can pump a lotta Kool Aide into the system.

[salguine]

21. What I wish Obama and the rest of the democratic Party would realize is that

the president who finally brings a working, single-payer national healthcare system to America will automatically become one of the great presidents of the twenty-first century and will be remembered as such pretty much in perpetuity; he'll probably also be ranked among the greatest presidents of all time. And I can't imagine that, if the Democrats also made it happen, they wouldn't increase their majority in Congress by a huge margin for many years to come.

If this administration, and this Congress, made this happen, it might be the stroke that kills off the GOP for good. Make the single-payer system have a mechanism by which anyone who thinks it's bad because it's "socialism" can opt out of it, get a tax credit for opting out of it, and pay for their own medical care.

[Tesha]

22. Nope. Nope. Perhaps in a few decades... (NT)

[Raine]

23. 50's here and no

I have absolutely no confidence I'll ever see it in my lifetime. :-(

[slipslidingaway]

25. early 50's....No, enough improvement to quiet the masses, Yes...

and No...best chance for quite some time. Not sure how the government will pay for all the new Medicare enrollees in the next decade or so without raising taxes or cutting benefits.

[emilyg]

26. No.

[Gin]

27. question...don't laugh at me....I am 65 and on Medicare....what does single

payer mean?

[area51]

29. Here's a link with info about single-payer healthcare.

FAQs on single-payer.

[emilyg]

34. here's another link

http://www.grahamazon.com/sp/

[CTyankee]

28. I'm in my late 60s and I think I'll see it.

We have to do it. This is our time. It has to happen, too much is at stake.

Yes, I'll have singlepayer, universal health care in my lifetime!

[pinto]

30. I think the economic benefit may well be the key to it happening. (aside) I'm 56, have it now.

Medicare.

[Rowdyboy]

31. 55 and I expect to see significantly fairer health care before I die....

I also think this is the time...now.

[LWolf]

32. Late 40s. No.

Not for me, not for my adult sons. Perhaps for my grandson.

[Lugnut]

33. Early 60s and yes.

I think I will see single payer universal health care become reality before I die. I think it is an issue that can no longer be ignored. Most people know that insurance companies are the problem and deserve no part in the solution.