So Obama didn't "take single payer off the table" because he was spineless, etc., he never believed in going directly to it. I get the point about what people are used to and what it would take to transition.

I don't believe Obama got what he would have preferred, but he got what was doable at the time. To get nothing passed would have been catastrophic, and left us with little chance of improvement for at least a decade (remember Hilliarycare's defeat).

I think the framework is now there for movement to a public option or single payer. In the meantime, 30 million people will have access to coverage, insurer's can't deny coverage for pre-existing conditions, and more.


Fact is, even if we had gone to Medicare for all -- just like now, insurance companies would have handled the administrative functions and even offer Medicare Advantage Plans (that 28% of current Medicare beneficiaries have chosen voluntarily). It would not have eliminated insurance companies, no matter how much we hate them.

You are so right. We got what was doable and now have our foot in the door. This is a start and a good one. From here we can build on it and make it stronger.

Thank you~

This is just a start, and a very good one. PBO knows what he is doing. A very intelligent man as President with our interests at heart - beautiful!

He does, and a start is always better than nothing at all.

at the state level, with support from ACA.

Critics on the left think change isn't coming fast enough, while completely ignoring that the last attempt at health care reform was 20 years ago and failed hard. Change is coming in leaps and bounds faster than before, on par with Medicare and social security. The increased healthcare spending is going into increasing supply of providers to meet the increasing demand for treatment by the newly insured. This is a mission critical first step on the road to universal single payer.

The mindless and relentless opposition on the right should be a sign that the ACA is a big step in the right direction.

Although I'm an older lady, I'm wonderfully healthy and strong for my age. But when and if the time comes when I need a little extra help at home to stay independent and out of a nursing facility, I want to KNOW there'll be the right amount of home health care available. It's so much more cost effective anyway! Barring accident I have the genes to outlive most people, and as time goes by these matters loom larger on my horizon.

The 100-yr-old house I bought to rennovate has an extremely narrow and steep staircase up to the second floor. A lot of people told me that was the main reason they didn't buy the house before I found it. And of course they question my sanity partly because I did buy the place. But those stairs provide great exercise, and I don't intend to install a stair chair one minute before it's necessary. Maybe it never will be!