In my work leading the OrganicNation.tv project, health care has become an increasingly important issue of discussion among the production staff but hasn't been broached publicly in our videos. Personally, as a younger person without chronic health problems or a need for medications, it seems at first that the proposals don't have a direct impact on my life. And yet, what is determined today will greatly influence the kind of access to care I will have in the future, not to mention how I will deal with my parents as they age.

From the perspective of my work in the sustainable food & agriculture arena, health care reform is absolutely crucial but so is reform of the food industry as well as regulation of agriculture. Our primary concerns are the obesity and diabetes epidemics that are hitting Americans at ever younger ages. These two large problems cannot be solved merely with more or better health care, instead they require an overhaul of many sectors in our society and we believe only a holistic approach will succeed.

Ideally, we would like to see a health care system that takes this holistic and preventative approach to health. That means paying more attention to nutrition, making healthy food accessible even to the poorest citizens, taking into account environmental factors that contribute to ill health, getting the government to regulate the beauty and personal care industry, promoting healthy soil, air and water so that babies aren't born with toxins as they are today, and making sure every individual has access to care and medicine when they do need it.

I don't know what the ideal system is, but I lived in France and the UK and enjoyed both of those immensely. The thing I find annoying about the US healthcare system is how much like the shampoo aisle it is. There are so many options at such varied prices that don't seem to be all that different, the paradox of choice is paralysing, and it's not just my scalp that's paying the price.

Dorothee, you might be interested in this: When I first heard that Democrats might wuss out and drop the public option, I was very unhappy. Then I read Michael Pollan's op-ed here and it made me think yes, there may be an acceptable middle ground. For those who don't want to follow the link, his argument is essentially that the food lobby has never had a wealthy opponent before, and if the insurance industry is forced to accept people with pre-existing conditions, we who are fighting the "good food" fight will have some heavy reinforcements.

Having come from the doctor recently (The first time in 2.5 years), I was given a couple prescriptions that totaled over $200. Mind you, this was the total even with insurance.

These prescriptions were not for some outlandish disease or issue. It was for a case of exercise induced asthma. Considering all of the other rights we have in this country, how is it that the right to breathe should cost us $200 every couple months?

Pundits on TV and radio sell the fear the American public has for universal health care, but I have to imagine that most people are in the same boat as myself. Sporadic visits to a doctor only when needed, and a fear that if something really bad happens to our health, that we'll have no way of paying for the overinflated costs of care, even with our current insurance.

My biggest fear is that the insurance lobby will prevail and we'll be stuck with a watered-down universal health care plan that will be doomed to fail by only assisting an eligible few. A plan that doesn't keep drug prices in check, and one that doesn't give basic health care to the masses. In effect, a failed health care plan that looks like Medicaid.

These proposals will affect the country as a whole, no doubt about, by what they do or DO NOT accomplish. Should we not have meaningful reform, and soon, more and more Americans will begin feeling what has already been taking place for years now. During the last decade the cost of living has increased about 3% annually, mean while, increases in wages have been around half that at best. Employers, who have had to pay dramatic insurance premiums increases, have shoulder these costs, but as a result, have note increased wages at pace with inflation. Thus, consumer buying power has constricted. Projections for wages and healthcare cost look nothing but grime for the future. Should these proposals not adequately address this problem Americans will continue to see a decrease in purchasing power. As the system is currently, people do not seem to be equating this lack of wage increase to the healthcare problem since it is through their employer. The question remains, do Americans realize what role healthcare has played and will play in their quality of life moving forward, outside of medical care, but overall financial well being?

I have a vision of reform that includes a public option – if it’s good enough for the rest of the developed world, why is it not good enough for the USA? Any other attempt at "reform" may save some money, but is futile in the long run should more public control not be implemented. The overall problem seems to be with who currently holds the decision making power (and consequently money) within the healthcare industry. Currently, our health insurance industry is run by the private sector - whose purpose is to make a profit. This stands first and foremost in their mission. Government could offer a program that aims to promote greater health without entering “profit” into the bottom line. Doesn’t this make sense? Isn’t it the goal of government to protect and propagate the health and well being of our country? When did become un-American to believe that our government can do good? I want government to play a bigger role in healthcare, clearly the private sector hasn’t figured t out, or at least figured it out in a manner that works for me.

[Tangent Warning] Ultimately, I feel like “the people” are being played like pawns in a system that has gradually morphed to serve those with the most resources. It is clear that the pharmaceutical and insurance industry are winning this battle, using OUR money, which we pay in premiums and medical costs, to spread deception among us and to do work on their behalf. The propaganda is beyond disturbing. As a young person, I grow more and more concerned that this system, once built for and by the people, is no longer a machine or mechanism in which the great good is being promoted, but ultimately a means to maintain a status quo that quietly funnels more resources into the hands of those already in control. I think this “debate” serves as perfect example.

Hi All,

Unfortunately, I don't feel like I have a good grasp on any of the proposals, what they actually contain, and what they will ultimately mean for me and my country. This could be my own fault and lack of attention, due to smoke and mirrors politicians who are more interested in obscuring than getting at truth, or a media that is more interested in balloon boy than substantial news. Whatever the case - I need to learn more about the details of the bills that could so drastically change the way health care is delivered in the US.

I do know that above all though, I want a system that at its core has social justice and health equity as a priority, rather than profit and greed. I believe (and I think that there is a growing movement of millennials that would agree with me as well) that access to quality health care is a human right - one that a country with as much wealth as the US cannot afford to deny.

I hope that we as a citizenry can rally around a plan that realizes this fundamental right and that we can realize the injustice in not providing access to all Americans. This is our opportunity to drastically expand coverage and refashion the broken American health care system into one with a modicum of justice and compassion.

- Jon

I don't feel at all connected with any of the current health care proposals. I feel like there is nothing that the citizenry can do to actually get a good plan; the politicians on both sides of the aisle will do what they want and cut deals with the vested interests and ultimately we will not get anything much better than we currently have. I feel like the political class we have now is similar to the political class that ruled Rome prior to the collapse of the empire. They take care of themselves and their friends and only want to stay in power instead of doing what is best for the country as a whole. I know this sounds defeatist and jaded, but I truly have no confidence in Congress to actually create a proposal that will both cover people who are not covered and at the same time lower costs.

The current proposals only start to solve half of the problem, but create even bigger ones. They bring 30mm people into an already dysfunctional system at a huge cost to the government and tax payers. Its doubtful that the government will be able to run it properly and the insurance companies will end up with windfall profits because taxpayers are funding policies for the 30mm uninsured without lowering costs.

My ideal system is the Dutch system. It requires everyone to have health insurance and companies cannot reject people for preexisting conditions. If you cannot afford insurance, the government pays the private companies a subsidy. Companies that take on risky people with preexisting conditions are compensated via a risk pool from the government. The private companies have to compete for the best plans, leading to innovation in care and lower prices. It seems to work fairly well there, why not the US?

The US needs more choice, not less. I would love to be able to buy a policy that covers normal health related problems, but does not cover hair replacement, in vitro fertilization, autism coverage and all of the other government mandates that companies have been forced to offer. Create general policies for those who want them and then let others buy more expensive plans if they want to.

Unfortunately I do not feel that I have a good grasp on health care reform at all, although this is mostly my fault as I have not taken much time to explore the issue. Despite my inactivity in researching the issue, I must say that I agree with Nathan Lustig's statement about needing more choice for several reasons.

I come from a family with a long history of health complications. Organs have been transplanted and sacks of pills are consumed weekly. That said, I have been blessed with extremely good health and no need for operations or frequent prescription medication. This contrast makes me very aware that broad coverage is needed by many people, while others, like myself, need much less coverage. A tiered pricing system for the amount of coverage received seems to make sense, despite the argument that companies offering more coverage will not be able to pay for the expenses, and those who need that type of coverage will not be able to pay for it. Inevitably many people or families will purchase coverage for items that they do not need. The amount of money generated from these policies will, hopefully, be enough to offset the cost of the most expensive policies making them more affordable to those who need them.

The second reason for choice is simply that we live in a capitalistic society. Capitalism has always been based on competition, and competition leads to several things. Firstly, it leads to better products. Each company tries to outdo the next by creating superior products, leading to continual innovation and development. Secondly, when supply increases, cost decreases. A greater supply in health care choice will lead to a lower cost for consumers.

Perhaps I am fantasizing and I am not correct in these thoughts, but I do know that I hope this problem is solved quickly and decisively. The longer it takes to decide what to do, the weaker the solution will be.

My recent departure from the US has left me feeling somewhat disconnected from the healthcare debate - a distressing indicator in and of itself - so please forgive this largely anecdotal and nonlinear response to the questions.

My concern over healthcare feels like a constant worry. It ebbs and flows but its omnipresent. I was fortunate enough to have health insurance straight out of college all the way until I went back to graduate school. My company offered what is considered to be excellent coverage including dental and allowed for me to list my boyfriend as a dependent through domestic partnership. All of that being said, in 1.5 years, I spent over $5,000 on health related expenses that were beyond my coverage and watched countless peers live without coverage of any kind. The sharing of medication, a phenomenon covered by the NYTimes several months ago, was rampant. People took jobs they hated because they have chronic diseases and need insurance to lower the cost of pharmaceuticals. Paths were forged not based on skill or passion but basic necessity. What was even more poignant was that most of these people were college educated and from upper middle class families. Where did this leave the rest of the country?

A friend of mine, who has 3 children and lived through breast cancer, told me that she felt she had "failed as a parent" because she could not provide basic healthcare for her children despite working long hours at two jobs. She, herself, was in the process of choosing between basic living and replacing a ruptured implant (from her double mastectomy). People shouldn't have to make those choices.

Every day we ask people to get up and make good choices, to be productive members of society, to vote, to be responsible and accountable for themselves and for their families and yet there is an ongoing failure to provide the tools to do so. Or, and arguably worse, we put the tools just out of reach.

The costs have already been too high. Not passing a comprehensive and inclusive healthcare package will escalate a problem already beyond the par. It changes, fundamentally, the way we pursue a good life and how we provide a good life to those we love. As this is altered, we erode something elemental in our country and with a little more time and no more action, we may not be able to get it back.

I never used to feel connect to health care. Growing up (and currently) health care was provided to my family and I through the state of Maine because my father is a public school teacher. At the age of 20, I have never known life without health insurance, and truthfully, I have probably been taking my health insurance for granted. However, this will soon change once I graduate from college. I start school at the Culinary Institute of America in January to pursue my dream of living out the rest of my days doing what I love the most: baking/cooking. However, the restaurant industry isn't well known for having top-notch health insurance. Even at well known restaurants, health insurance is spotty at best. I have always wanted to open my own business, so having adequate health insurance for me and my future family is very important to me. Even though I may of taken health care for granted growing up, I now understand how important it is to be fully covered when raising a family. With that said, the debate in Washington on health care reform is starting to catch my attention.

I have always been behind President Obama. I take pride in voting for him in my first Presidential election I was allowed to participate in. I believe he has the right idea for health care reform. I also wholeheartedly agree with a public option. I envision an America where everyone has health insurance, either provided by the insurance companies or the government. I admit, I do not know every detail of all of the health care reform proposals floating around Congress, but I do know that everyone needs health care. Blame my idealist views, but I believe everyone should be allowed at least an option, let alone a chance, at health care.

One aspect I would love to see on a health care proposal is a promotion of healthy and local eating. I am a firm believer that our health is a reflection of how we feed ourselves. America's mainstream food industry is corrupt, to say the least, and it does not, in my research, promote a healthy lifestyle. That is why supporting local farmers is so important, and they will always have a healthier selection of foods. With over 60% of Americans being defined as overweight or obese, shouldn't we be looking at the main cause of this shocking statistic? I understand that many are born with preexisting conditions (i.e, thyroid problems) that that cause obesity, but poor nutrition and lack of exercise are the main culprits. Again, I am not well educated in how to put together a well balanced health care proposal, but I do not see how promoting healthy eating could not be part of health care reform. I would like to see our political leaders come up with some smart and reasonable ideas on how to do this.

I think I'm a little older than the Millennial Generation, but I'm still young, and health care is still important to me. I actually have some decent health care coverage, but it is still a struggle when you are the only one providing for three people in your family. Medical bills are a constant source of stressful conversations at the dinner table. I feel that this health care reform will affect my family and myself in a positive way.

I do feel connected to the healthcare debate happening in Congress. My healthcare has changed 4 times in the last 14 months... that's ridiculous! Plans haven't been portable state to state and as such I've switched employers, moved, finished jobs, started jobs and had no substantive healthcare for almost 10 months!

My ideal healthcare would be the public option that's affordable for people like myself who wouldn't be making the big bucks any time soon... I'd like to be able to take my healthcare anywhere - no matter who my employer is, no matter what state I live in, no matter what age I get to. I'd like a reasonable copay of less than $25 a doctor's visit and $10 copay for prescriptions (I know free isn't going to happen...). I'd like medical records to be electronic so that I don't have to be the person in charge of it because doctors understand my health better than I do.

This is the most important fight we've had in Congress in years. Everything that we do as human beings we're able to do because we're healthy. If America isn't healthy we can't continue to be a great country. Health should be our #1 priority.

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