*A majority of Americans polled would like to see health care insurance for all citizens similar to Medicare.

*The White House and House leaders on Tuesday pronounced the government-run health program dead even as some Democratic senators continued their effort to resurrect it.

*Thursday Feb 25, at 7 am Pacific/10 am Eastern, you can watch the health care summit hosted by President Obama live on Senator Patty Murray's website.

HOPEFULLY, WE CAN SEE WHO IS HELPFUL AND WHO IS SIMPLY A POLITICIAN TRYING TO KEEP THEIR JOB.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE KEY POINTS IN THE PRESIDENT'S PROPOSAL:

• If you have decent coverage now through your job, you keep it. But if your employer suddenly drops your health coverage, or makes you pay more than 8% of your salary on your premium, you could get credits or vouchers to help buy your own affordable policy in an insurance shopping mall, or ‘exchange.’
• Help to buy insurance should you hit a rough financial patch. If you’re laid off from your job, or suddenly have a lot less income coming in, you can buy your own policy through the exchange with the help of tax credits. The less money you have coming in, the cheaper the policy.
• Your kids can stay on your policy until they turn 26 if they have trouble finding a job – and they don’t have to be full-time students.
• Small businesses will get help to cover their workers through tax credits that help cut their share of employees’ coverage by up to 50%. They also can also buy policies for their workers in the exchange, giving their employees a wide range of quality options.
• Seniors will get more benefits and a more stable Medicare program.
  Medicare, which is facing bankruptcy in seven years, will be fully funded until at least 2026. And seniors will get all their preventive care covered at 100%, more of their prescription drug costs covered by shrinking the infamous ‘donut hole’ coverage gap, and more programs to keep them in their own homes and out of nursing homes.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   PERSONALLY, I AM DISGUSTED AND DISAPPOINTED IN THE LACK OF LEADERSHIP AND INNOVATION FROM THE WHITE HOUSE.  OBAMA SEEMS TO BE AFRAID OF THE REPUBLICANS AND THEY JUST THRIVE ON THAT.  I WILL WATCH THIS 'SUMMIT' AND SEE WHAT I SEE, BUT AM NOT OVERLY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT ANY MEANINGFUL HEALTH CARE INSURANCE REFORMS COMING OUT OF THIS STRIPPED DOWN, GUTTED, SHIT PILE OF LEGISLATION.  TO LEAD, ONE MUST GAUGE WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT AND MAKE IT HAPPEN.  THAT IS NOT THE CASE HERE.