What Health Care Question Would You Ask?

With all due respect to Sens. Wyden and Bennett, there are two visions of how to expand access to health care while changing the behavior of the for-profit insurance industry that are likely to get the most attention both on this blog and in the media.  All next week, we’ll have two guest bloggers debating the pros and cons of each of these models for bringing quality, affordable health care to every American – and I’d love to know what questions you want to ask of our guests!

HR 676, the “Medicare for All” bill which proposes to replace the private insurance industry with a single-payer system where the government covers everyone and pays for health care with dedicated tax revenue is the preferred option of groups like Healthcare-Now! (who have their own section on Change.org), Physicians for a National Health Program, the California Nurses’ Association and many others.  A public competitor which would give individuals the choice of choosing public or private coverage and compete directly with the private insurance industry is the preferred option of groups like Health Care for America Now!, the Commonwealth Fund and others.  Both plans have strong Congressional support – HR 676 had 93 co-sponsors in the House in the last Congress, and 64 in this one.  Health Care for America Now! has 185 representatives and senators who have agreed to its Statement of Common Purpose, including the President and Vice President.

Joining us next week and defending their organization’s preferred approach will be Dr. Don McCanne, a retired family physician now serving as Senior Health Policy Fellow for Physicians for a National Health Program, and Jason Rosenbaum, a writer and activist and the Deputy Director of Online Campaigns for Health Care for America Now! Moderating the blog debate will be your friendly neighborhood Change.org health care blogger.

So let’s open it up – what questions would you ask of our blog debaters about their visions for universal health care?  I’d like to use at least one question from the community, so use the comments field below, or message me privately.  What do YOU want to know?

(Photo credit:  Fine Rain on Flickr.)