They passed it.

they got only 2 votes more than they needed. Lets see what it does in the Senate.

So can someone Canadian this for me?

I meant in this specific case. Does this mean anything, or just another piece of paper doing nothing.

It does and doesn't mean something. The House passed it, but just barely.

So is this the part where they staple on a bunch of ridiculous bullcrud to the coat tails of the bill to slip stuff by?

Now those who voted yes from more centrist states need to see how this effects thier futures. Not a real career ensuring votr.

This will bounce around the Senate, for awhile, then they present thier bill. And the circuses begin.

Glad I am exempt from any bill that may see the light of day. I am 100% covered by VA, and wife is under Champ VA, so thank you all for paying, now it will be the additional 389,999,999 that you will also be paying for that will really cost ya.

And I really hope you know what you are getting into, and what hurdels you will now face as the full cost is now on you, and no longer the employer paying a percentage. So you actually get a pay cut (health care premium payed by employer) more competition for any services available (rationing), and more paperwork and intrusion into your life (tax return review, etc) by Big Brother, who just created the first true tiered healthcare system the nation has ever seen. Top tier are themselves the Polititians and Powerfull, and the standard wait in line for how long health Care system for the rest of America.

Doctor Flight to Carribean is just a matter of time, and the rich will go there for thier health care, and the rest of you get Joe Foriegn intern in an assembly line care system. Make sure you check in the line you are in for your representative in Washington. Strange how they exempot themselves from the system they just created, if it was that good they should have been first in line for it.

Edited by oldsoldier - 08 November 2009 at 7:43am

If you really think that health care quality isn't directly tied to economic position, you are crazy, OS.

I seriously doubt anything you're predicting will come true.

OK, Whale lets look at this. I retire from the military and start in the Tri-Care (Government funded, but personal co-pay system simular to private insurance)system. A system that had coverage restrictions, large co-pays, extensive restrictions on the type of care funded, none of this explained to the retiree until that catostrphic injury/illness happens. Went to my Private Doctor and was told he was at the limit of what he could do with my knees, any more specialized care was out of pocket. So in a nutshell Tri-Care was a "rationed" system.

Decided to go to VA for specialized treatment, in order for me to do that under Government regulation I had to have the VA as my primary care system. OK, another set of eyes on the problem, maybe a good thing. Since 1997 when I went to the VA I have had 8 primary care physician (turnover as the interns move on to private practice) and a inch by inch diagnoses. With each new Primary Care physician had to start again at square 1 in order to get something actually done. I do believe the purpose of the exercise is to frustrate the patient to the point they leave the system.

Many things in the wonderfull system were overlooked to the point it now turned catistrophic, both knews went down to bone on bone, and an actual wearing to expose marrow on the right. So there was no real intervention or treatment until they were to a point that only option was replacement. Now comes the fun part, had to wait till an available orthopedist was available, almost a year till the VA finally figured they had to pay for an out of system orthopedist to do surguries, another person that now had to be "read in" on the situation. Took almost a whole year.

NOw due to the surguries, I am dealing with blood clot issues (one stoke, 2 TIA's), dibilitating RSD pains due to the surguries, and now since the system now recognized "Gulf War Syndrome" are looking at that in the search for the reason my nervous system is shutting down.

Now did I make a mistake in using Tri-Care or the VA in the course of this? Sometimes I think so, but now I am in a "pre-exsisting condition" status and all care for the primary issues, and uninsurable for treatment of those issues. For comman issues use wife's city insurance
and co-pay, faster and more readily available care than calling 'duty nurse' to see if an appointment can be made, and if no appointment sitting in the VA emergencie room for upwards of 12-24 hours as the limited amount of Doctors for the patient load manages the system.

SO it is not really my call that I am in the VA system, the current 'rules' do not let me shop elsewhere. And under the new plan as explained I will still be in a restricted class of patients, where universal coverage will be restricted to non exsisting conditions per the new bill. (again rationed). The Department of Defense as well as the Veterans Administration has sent out the letters explaining the new medical care available under the Veterans Administration and the proposed new universal health care legislation.

So I am stuck in a inefficiant government run healthcare system based on current regulations, not personal choice. Can not under wife's medical plan, or upcomming regulations switch back to a "private" provider unless I pay out of pocket for 100% of care on my pre-exsisting conditions. Once the "service comnnected" tag is placed on myissues even under the proposed system I am inelligable for it.

Welcome to the world of government oversight and 'catch 22' regulations the government operates under.

Ben Grimm wrote: OS - you probably don't realize this, but you are basically a walking advertisement for socialized healthcare, and almost every post you make on the subject is an unintentional argument in favor of the same.

Yeah pretty much. I just can't stand the attitude of "why fix the system, it works for me?" You're just ignoring the rest of your country OS. Have some pride, help others.

VA healthcare =/= a decent large scale government healthcare plan