$(document).ready( function () { talk_rendercallback({"enabled":"0","islive":"0","eid":6481,"total":"11","discussion":[{"nm":"Gregory Hall","rs":"0","ms":"Dear Frontline:\n\nCongratulations on another brilliant and informative presentation, of the\n\nevents surrounding the passage of a National Healthcare Policy.\n\nIt was a national disgrace that Americans were so vulnerable to any serious\n\nmedical illness, and could be financially ruined, if a long or serious medical\n\n\nproblem became a reality in their lives.\n\n\nA national Health Care Policy is blessing ranking close in benefit as Social\n\nSecurity.  I will remain eternally appreciative of President Obama\'s tenacity,\n\nin his quest to protect American Citizens.\n\nPerhaps the Health Care Bill, is not perfect, but it sure as hell is better than\n\nwhat we had in place, before.  I regret the Public Option Plan had to be taken\n\nout of the Health Care Bill,  pehaps the Congress and Senate will amend the bill\n\nlater, to include a Public Option.  Obtaining medical attention had risen in cost\n\nthat was actually sinful, and to think one of the richest nations in world history\n\ndid not have universal healthcare, was a disgrace.\n\n\nOnce again, Frontline, thank you for broadcasting such a brilliant and informative\n\nprogram.","pt":"Apr 21, 2010 05:37"},{"nm":"Robert Owen","rs":"0","ms":"A very good short picture of the recent legislative process- it must have been difficult to condense such a long, convoluted process into a short film. That being said, however, I note that all six of the journalist commentators were from the four most liberal media outlets in the country. So, Mother Jones and In These Times weren\'t available for their take on the process? Perhaps there could have been some acknowledgment that the reason for the bill\'s unpopularity was that that most people do not like what it contains, rather than portraying it all as caused by a healthco media buy. And the absolute lack of transparency in the process and the absolute absence of any bipartisanship in the drafting of the bill must certainly have been noticed by those who relied on Obama\'s campaign promises to the contrary. I would have appreciated a little more appreciation of the substantive objections to the bill, rather than its characterization as a &quot;reform bill&quot; that evil capitalist and political forces were trying to defeat. ","pt":"Apr 19, 2010 13:14"},{"nm":"Jose Gonzalez, Sr.","rs":"0","ms":"By far one of the best and most informative program made by PBS/Frontline. An outstanding presentation to the American people of how the system operates for and against their best interest and how the wheels of money and power move in our capital. We were presented with &quot;good faith&quot; efforts, deals, political prostitution, cynism on the part of the lobbying arm of the insurance companies, the &quot;front&quot; that was the chamber of Commerce, shame on them, and how the administration had to compromise at the end in order to pass at least portions of the original promise made by the President. I do not fault Obama, I think that one of the wisest decisions that he ever made was to pick Rahm Emanuel as his Chief of Staff, the man knows his business and knows it well. I question how patriotic the Republicans have been not only on this bill, but in the overall picture since Obama became our President fight any and all proposals, nominations, etc. in order to drive the administration to a defeat at our next elections at the expense of the American people and their well being. Again, PBS/Frontline did a great job.","pt":"Apr 15, 2010 22:30"},{"nm":"Donna","rs":"0","ms":"I\'m still amazed that there are those who still believe that this bill is a government takeover. Even if we got the public option the government\'s involvement would have been less of a burden - as than say, if we got a single-payer bill. I live in Massachusetts and I can say first hand that having Mitt Romney\'s healthcare system (quite similar to the president\'s hc bill) does NO harm, only good. Romney, as a republican governor, wrote this bill as a means to help balance the state budget. He is a business man first. A politician second - or ...not at all.\nAnd to those who think this bill is against the will of the people? Think again. Those polls also represent those who think the bill doesn\'t do enough. When the dabate began last year, more than 65-70% of the country wanted healthcare reform. But then, the public option was tossed out the window.  That\'s when support for it took a downturn. It\'s the dem base who were most dissatisfied. Getting the public option back into the bill, which is being worked on by some of the progressives in congress right now, would win those progressives back.","pt":"Apr 15, 2010 16:48"},{"nm":"Viola Posthuma","rs":"0","ms":"This was a monumental task and I believe that President Obama managed it in a way that would encourage debate and uncover the unwillingness of the Republicans to participate in that debate.  The American people have much to be thankful for: coverage for pre-existing conditions, coverage for dependents upto age 26, closing the donut hole for Medicare pres\criptions.  I say we still need a public option - but as the President said this is the start of reform - To those work like to use the socialism rhetoric, I say this is not socialism this is a civilized way to deal with society\'s problem.  I do believe that health care reform answers to &quot;life, liberity, and the pursuit of happiness.&quot;  Thankyou Mr. President and the Democratic Congress - Thankyou","pt":"Apr 14, 2010 20:59"},{"nm":"Denise Arnall","rs":"0","ms":"What I think is often missed by the left is that this bill, IMHO, is opening the door. After years of either inaction or incrementalism (SCHIP, Medicare Part D), this bill provides a scaffold for better fixes in the future. It was ugly to watch and no one really knows what effect it will have after 2012. I do predict that if insurance companies decide to raise premiums despite the individual mandate, that a public option will be enacted sooner rather than later.","pt":"Apr 14, 2010 12:16"},{"nm":"James McAllister","rs":"0","ms":"This was an interesting program and it touched on several of the key issues that truly anger the American people...this was legislation that will do harm not good. This administration has run head-shot over the will of the people by forcing this Health-care garbage down our throats! This is a Socialist take over of a massive piece of the American economy and I am confident that this will be found unconstitutional, if not illegal! \n\n&quot;Socialism will try to disguise a medical program as a humanitarian project...&quot; Ronald Regan\n\n&quot;Experience has shown, that even under the best forms of government, those entrusted with power have, in time. and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny...&quot;Thomas Jefferson","pt":"Apr 14, 2010 08:05"},{"nm":"max","rs":"0","ms":"Looking at all the documentary participants\' comments, I could probably agree with Dan Balz\'s comment the most - when Dan says he took ownership of the fight.\n\nIMHO, he sacrificed too much not just in time, money and capital wasted but what he gave away by not stepping up early to take ownership and bending over backwards for bi-partisanship when he didn\'t have to.\n\nThe Public Option in itself was a steep price to pay. And I hold him personaly responsible for losing it.\n\nCongress must take up the Public Option on their own now - otherwise this just benefits the insurance companies more than the people.","pt":"Apr 14, 2010 01:18"},{"nm":"Jason W.","rs":"0","ms":"Heather, Frontline had a few specials addressing the problems in our healthcare system. This is a great one to watch:\n\<a href=&quot;http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundtheworld/view/&quot;\>http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundtheworld/view/\<\/a\>","pt":"Apr 14, 2010 00:32"},{"nm":"Mike Jones","rs":"0","ms":"I am still amazed that President Obama and the Democratic Congress had the courage and the determination to prevail in getting universal health care reform passed. Against the concerted efforts of the insurance industry that spent over a $1. million a day to spread misinformation, past the obstructionist tactics of the Republican Party of &quot;NO&quot; and &quot;YOU LIE,&quot; and over the pessimistic lobby of the &quot;take it slow&quot; detractors, a decent accomplishment was enacted into law that will serve Americans well. Thank You,\nMr. President.   s: Mike Jones","pt":"Apr 13, 2010 23:21"},{"nm":"Heather Mallory","rs":"0","ms":"Interesting program, however I wish it had examined the underlying problems with our healthcare system and then segwayed into the proposed changes that this administration is trying to tackle.  The political drama gets all of the airtime.  From what I have heard in my own corner of the country, everyone has an opinion about healthcare reform but they almost universally lack the facts required to have an informed opinion.  It\'s quite troubling.","pt":"Apr 13, 2010 21:46"}]}); });