You should write actual physical letters to our senators and representatives. It is easy to brush off an email, but a letter needs to be thrown away. How often do you want them to take out the trash. I'd say daily.

Health Care Reform Rally
10 a.m., Saturday, September 19
March begins at City Center Park Tower and Belknap, Superior to Douglas County Courthouse, 1313 Belknap Street, Superior
Speakers will begin at 11:00 a.m.
Contact: Nick Milroy, 218-393-0220

Or, if you're that concerned about having health insurance.....buy it.  A young adult can get good health insurance for less than $150 month.  Of course, you're probably looking for free healthcare, which would make sense considering the options people are throwing out there.  Otherwise, there's always MinnesotaCare.....unless you're one of millions of the uninsured that choose to not enroll in a state program or pay for it yourself.  A novel idea, I know.....

TonkaTown:

Just to let you know I know of more than one 20 something individuals that cannot buy healthcare on the open market.  Why?  In one case a Dx of asthma when they were young that the child grew out of.  Another was family history of Heart disease.  Another was an engineer who lost his job was completely healthy with wife that was pregnant...Ooops ..Prior Existing.  This just doesn't cut it to "Buy it!"  That is if you can get it and then afford it.

A cell phone is a luxury.  Health insurance is a necessity.  You seem to be making poor choices with your money if you choose texting over health care.  And if you are that "super-under employed", perhaps you should look into getting another job.  Like I said in another posting: The AT&T Call Center is always hiring, and they have good benefits.  Of course, many people believe that working in a call center is below themselves.

Also Amy: You're complaining about the bureaucracy at the state level, and you want the FEDERAL government to start regulating/administering/selling health insurance?!?!?  ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FRIGGIN' MIND?  Do you have any idea what dealing with Washington DC is like?  And have you even looked into purchasing private insurance?  BCBS?  Medica?  Probably not, because coverage isn't unattainable unless you're spending your money on non-essentials.

And Schuy: Please let me know how many people have ZERO income.  Anyone is eligible for SOME federal or state money.  I know this for a fact, as they storm the bank every 1st & 3rd of the month to clean out their accounts and head directly to the bar/liquor store/casino/local dealer.

TonkaTown:

If health insurance is a necessity why cannot everyone get it?  Denied Coverage..Lost Job...Lower on the Income Scale You don't qualify for MNCare...List goes on and on.  If it is a necessity in these times why isn't it a benefit for all?  You seem to be looking at individual responses without looking at the bigger picture.  I have tried looking into BCBS, Medica, and other insurance plans for people.  Do you think $800.00 a month is affordable to the mass popualtion?  That is if you qualify.  I think it is great the ATT call center is hiring at the tech center can they provide a couple of million jobs to get this started?

Hey TonkaTown, as long as you seem to know what's best for everyone else, what kind of job do you recommend for me? My current family medical plan runs about $2200 a month (I get to pay half!). Oh, there's a $10,000 annual deductible for the four of us. This is a BCBS plan and is considered "good" by the assholes that set up our private insurance system. Yeah, who needs reform when the US ranks 37 out of 38.

Good luck, Amy!