Reform unpopular with LTL’s online readership

This was pretty one-sided.

In response to last week’s poll question, Are you satisfied with the passage of healthcare reform?, our online audience was indisputably upset with Congress’ landmark decision. Whether calling it a big government power grab or an unfinished product headed in the right direction, you the readers voiced your opinions in one of the most heavily answered questions we’ve ever run. Below is what your peers had to say:

– I should have the right to decide who, what, when, where, and the type of treatment without the government dictating to me my rights and limitations on coverage. As a young female with a history of cancer already, I don’t want the government to decide for me at what age I can have testing and how extensive my treatment can be. This should always be up to me and my doctor not the insurance companies or the government!!

– They should have tried to improve drug costs, cap malpractice suites, and others to reduce unnecessary tests before taking on all people.

– It’s good for now. Not enough, but a step in the right direction, for sure.

– Higher taxes, diminished choices for all in regards to choosing healthcare options, hardship imposed on small businesses, and too much government involvement.

– If it’s so great for America why were most of the meetings held behind closed doors? If it’s so great why are Americans so upset about it? We wanted change in Washington, not business as usual. This whole process has been very disappointing.

– Too much uncertainty; just the size of the document and the speed with which it was ended leaves room for wonder…

– It’s a moral right that everyone in this country should have affordable access to healthcare, regardless of your politics, and not just the privileged or lucky.

– The American public spoke their opinion and it was ignored by our elected officials in Washington D.C.

– The bill is not perfect, but it is a start. The status quo is not acceptable. Something has to be done, and the obstructionists were not coming up with anything other than “just say no.”

– Way too expensive, too much government. Who is going to control and what will our children and grandchildren being paying? We need more to fight fraud, which if done properly might pay for the whole package anyway.

– We as a nation need to look at internal policies of waste:

1. We are overburdened with regulations that keep nurses behind a computer and drive up costs.

2. Critical access swing beds get 3x more for a Medicare A stay with almost zero regs and paper work compared to an SNF—they don’t do an MDS and yet are paid hosp cost plus 1%!!

3. What I do like is leveling the payment better to primary care docs. They are underpaid and overworked.

– If people are already having trouble making ends meet where are they going to get the money to pay for coverage and then co-pays?

– All good stuff pushed to later years but negatives start this year.

– Sounds like socialism.

– This process was performed behind closed doors and is being forced upon the public. It violates the Constitution, which is the basis of our laws. This administration and our current democratic Congress have now lost all confidence with us. We hope for repeal.

– The healthcare reform we got is two big steps in the right direction.

Agree or disagree with what you’ve read? Add your comments to the box below.