right on Deepak! You had a very clear & specific message. I wish the democrats were so clear. Like John Stewart said the other night, “the Republicans sold us a war we didn’t need under false pretenses and democrats can’t sell what is actually needed.

90% of illness is preventable. We could reduce our $2.4 trillion / yr national expense by at least a trillion dollars. We could focus on health increase rather than sickness. Funny just before you segment the said the CBO said prevention didn’t save money. BUT, the CBO was only looking at expensive testing procedure (i.e. screening) not prevention. So people will think prevention doesn’t save money. LOL Are we just so ignorant about the English language?

You also pointed out that much of the drugs prescribed do little. I ran across a review of the anti-depressant studies submitted to the FDA. Turns out on the surface they are only 17% more effective than a sugar pill. But when adjusted correctly for placebo effect, they are only 2% more effective. it’s a massive industry, profits everywhere, even more losses, while the public has a low co-pay and things they work because they saw a 30-second ad on TV.

My mother was prescribed a $2000/month cancer medication that was 30% more effective than nothing. But the sugar pill was 20% more effective. Worse, it was for a different form of lung cancer and her’s was listed in the test and not affected by the medicine. What was the doctor doing? People should read the tests and realize the drugs are barely better than sugar pills!

We’re a nation hooked on expensive placebos. We take a pill or pray to a God that we are told will save us. A few at the top are profiting from the ignorance and hopes of an ignorant population. Rich conservatives are frightened of real health. If people aren’t stressed out, obese, & smoking, then maybe they won’t get so sick and Wall Street and doctors will lose money.

Keep going Deepak! Let’s keep this simple. Americans need simple single words. democrats are too wordy and terrible sales people.

I heard also that preventative is more expensive than treating the illness. I wondered about that, but wouldn’t we rather spend the money and be healthy anyway?

BTW, IMHO, praying to God can help, taking a pill probably won’t… God hears all….

Deepak, you are right on target. I do think it’s more strategic to point out that end of life sustaining procedures are part of the bill (deathpanels being a complete lie) and then move on to say that in any case preventitive medicine and wellness would often make such procedures obsolete by keeping us healthier.