Heart Cancer Center

Question: Is it standard for heart doctors to ask if you have a will on your first visit? I figure it is. But the way it was done yesterday was rather upsetting now that i think about it more. I went to the Nuclear heart Center yesterday because my General practioner sent me there because for the last two months I have had chest pain. During the exam he was very fast with questions. Some were hard to answer. That seemed to upset him he was in a hurryHe was behind schedule I knew... He was listening to my heart from different angles and then asked me if I had a living will. I said no. He marked it down. Then said I want to do some test next week. It did not dawn on me what he had asked till 8pm last night. So now I am wondering if I have more to fear. There testing for a blood clot, lung cancer, and doing a stress test proceeding a EKG. My question is is it standard to ask about a Living will? And if so why has my general doctor not asked? Thanx in advance confused and scared.

Answer: A living will is a special will that makes your desires known about resuscitation efforts, etc in the event that any of these things ever need to be employed. If this doctor did not ask and at some unforeseen point in the future, he/she had to perform these procedures - and you DID have strong desires in one way or another - it sure would nice to have had it posted in your medical chart. I can imagine how this might have alarmed you, but I suspect this is completely routine with this physician in his effort to be complete. Every first time patient is asked this question, every time, that way it becomes routine and you don't forget to ask. Most physicians do not speak is such veiled language...if he/she thought your condition was grave, then he/she would have said so. So try to relax and chalk it up to the doc being busy and trying to be thorough too. Good luck.

Question: I NEED TO FIND THE CENTER ADVERTISED ON TV FOR CANCER RESEARCH, ALSO THE BEST DOCTOR IN PHILADELPHIA? LYMPHOMA OF THE BONE. CAN there be a bone marrow transplant done with a heart-valve placement

Answer: The advertising you see on television is . . well . .just advertising . . it's a business that treats cancer patients for profit. If you want to find the best cancer centers than you can locate the list at the National Cancer Institute. They have identified designated comprehensive cancer centers within the US that offer the newest treatments and research for cancer. You can locate the best cancer centers by state. They include Dana Farber in Massachesetts, MD Anderson in Texas, and Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York: http://cancercenters.cancer.gov/cancer_centers/cancer-centers-list.html

Question: I fear I may have Testicular cancer, and have no insurance to cover the cost, how long do I have to live? I felt a lump on my nads, I think It might be cancer, I did an inter net search, all the results were the same, Testicular cancer. I thought I might be able to cut it out myself, If I numb it real good, or i can just let it go and see if it hurts, or if it spreads. If it does spread then I can take other action( you know). I really like to get it taken care of, but I have no insurace to cover the cost, which I believe to be anywhere from $50,000 to $200,000. I don't have that kind of money. that's the way the dice roll I guess. I even called cancer treatment centers of america, I told them I have no insurance and they hung up on me, hmmm. power of the dollar. what should I do, and is dying of this to painful, I have no insurance, so that means no pain killers, and I don't think I be able to go that far into it all. the worst thing that breaks my heart is the fact that I never became anything useful

Answer: Just because you did an internet search does not prove that you have cancer. Calm down. All internet searches bring that up as a result. I have learned to never EVER research any health issue on the web. Whatever the complaint is, the answer will always be the worst thing because the boring, simple things aren't interesting enough to get on the internet. A lump does not necessarily mean cancer. It could be a number of different things also. But you DO need to see a doctor, just to put your mind at ease if nothing else. And even if it is (which I'll really bet it ISN'T) the cure rate for this disease is nearly 100% if a person gets it checked out quickly, so get on the phone or go to the local emergency room. Good luck

Question: Do you have a good heart? We have a family friend who is dying of leukemia. We have set up a website but they require 100 votes of approval to certify it to accept donations.Costs you nothing but a few minutes. go to www.givemeaning.com, go to "Browze", then "proposals", then click on "British columbia" and then "Vancouver". Anyone in the world can vote for this proposal!! Once you are in the "Vancouver "proposals area, look for "Help Save Jerose" and hit "Vote" on upper left icon. We already have people wishing to donate but we need another 60 "votes" to be able to register for collecting donations. You can help from anywhere in the world. If we raise $30,000 this month, she will have her bone marrow transplant in first week of September in Maryland cancer center. You will know that you had a part in saving someone's life!! Will you follow your heart and vote? You can be 12 or 14 or 75 and participate in this. Someone asked what a 14 year old could do? Well, a 14 year old could vote, then watch the webiste and once it is approved could phone or txt or email everyone she/he knows and ask them to donate $5.00. $30,000 sounds like a lot of money but that is just 1500 people donating $20. ( 4 lattes) 3 hours ago - 4 days left to answer. Additional Details I feel so sorry for people who have cruel hearts! How do you know you aren't being scammed? Because if you go to the givemeaning.com website you will easily see that it is a legitimate "secured" donation charitable website that has been operating for years. They raise money for cancer, diabetes and, yes, individuals who are having a terrible time through no fault of their own. This isn't to raise money for me. It is to help a person LIVE! Personally we are donating money as well as holding a garage sale with the neighbourhood. I am just hoping and praying that others will participate to make it go FASTER! Plus - to vote doesn't cost a dime!!

Answer: Yes i do have a good heart and im kind to kids.

Question: I have a question about cell phones and headaches/cancer? Alright, I'm 14 years old, and I was born with Neuroblastoma. I was diagnosed with it at 9 months old. My surgery was successful, and I no longer have any problems with that. I still go to the cancer center in Atlanta for a check-up every two years or so to make sure nothing s abnormal or anything. Well, understandably, I am paranoid about my health. I recently tore a muscle in my chest and was SURE that it was a heart attack. I am a really terrible hypochondriac. I use my cell phone often. Mostly for texting, but I talk on it about an hour every night, and even longer on the weekends. I've been experiencing these pretty bad headaches during and after I got off the phone, and they lasted for about 20 minutes. Also, today I was really really tired, and I slept from the time I got home from school until 8:45 that night. Do I have a brain tumor? I'm really scared that there's something really bad wrong with me.

Answer: You are not being being paranoid about your headache. As this is certainly a real and most serious concern and we'll be seeing more and more reports as time goes on, as the true effects start to materialise, from exposure to mobile phone radiation. The thing to remember is that mobile phones have only started being used extensively in the last 8 or so years. It will take time for any definitive effects to become apparent. (typically 10 - 20 years), therefore anyone who says that they are not harmfull is doing so without any real knowledge or understanding! As you may be aware, radio frequency (RF) transmissions are DANGEROUS. As to how dangerous, well that all depends on the intensity and duration of exposure. No one really knows and those that say it is not a problem, have no evidence to substantiate that it is not, infact there is more evidence coming to light to say that it is a potentially real serious problem! Any possible adverse effects that these devices have on human tissue, should not be taken lightly! It is still early days and time will tell as it did for smoking, asbestos related products and countless of chemicals and herbacides, in the past. The simple fact is that everyone should be aware that the longer you use the phone the greater the adverse affects are likely to be. There is no doubt whatsoever, and it is well documented that high levels of RF are DANGEROUS! Cell phones transmit at much lower energy levels, but their consistant and prolonged use may well have a cumalitive effect. High levels of RFRs can cause health effects through heating the human body (thermal effects), resulting in headaches and possibly other symptoms. Whilst it cannot be shown at this point in time that the thermal effects from mobile phones are a health hazard there is a considerable body of scientific literature which describes the effects of RFR in biological systems that cannot be directly attributed to heating. These effects are referred to as non-thermal and have been demonstrated to cause alteration in animal behaviour, or changes in the functioning of cell membranes. With respect to your concern of being over exposed, don't worry! The dangers and associated damage is likely to result after years of constant exposure and not from short term usage. Having said that, being on the phone for an hour or more, particularly at your young age when your skull and brain is still developing, is not a good idea. You should limit your phone use to only a few minuts at a time or use the phone on "handsfree speaker", anything less you are flirting with danger. Using a wired headset can be even more dangerous as the lead acts as an antenna, channeling the radiation directly into your ear. Try limiting your use for several weeks and if your headaches do not disapear, go see your doctor.

Question: I have been having chest pains in my left pectoral area. Not in the center where it would be heart related...? I am a smoker since 16, and am 29 now. I used to have chronic bronchitis because of it. I had not been sick in almost 5 years, but recently go something with flu like symptoms. Started in my throat, then to my nose, then to my ears, and then to my lungs. I was on anti biotics and was still sick. Finally everything else went away, but my bronchitis was still there and so were the chest pains. I took another 10 days of anti biotics and the bronchitis is gone which I thought was the cause of the chest pains. And they are still there. Just above my left nipple by about 2 inches. It's not muscular because I lift weights every week and feel no pain when lifting. So it must be internal. I wanted a chest xray but the doctor said I needed to wait til my bronchitis clears up. Any ideas or thought? Should I just go back to the doctor and get the chest xray now that the bronchitis is gone? Could lung cancer cause pain like that? Or is it just left over from the bronchitis? Any thoughts would be great....

Answer: hard to answer without a longer history and a physical exam, but bronchitis doesn't cause chest pain unless you were coughing enough to pull a intercostal muscle (muscle between the ribs). Pneumonia can cause chest pain by causing inflammation of the pleural lining of the lung (sometimes this pain is called "pleurisy") - this pain would hurt more with a deep breath, and sometimes can linger for a while after the pneumonia goes away. Lung cancer is almost always painless (which is why it gets diagnosed too late -- because people don't realize they have it until it spreads). Lastly, a pulmonary embolism (blod clot to the lung) can cause chest pain worse with a deep breath, but is usually associated with shortness of breath. Bottom line is, you can't really tell until you see your doctor again and tell him/her you have this residual chest pain. And I can't sign off without saying, you HAVE to quit smoking. It's my job!

Question: What kinds of things do you do as a Muslim to help your community? Here are a few thoughts! Please add your own! 1-Go to Hospice to work talk to those who are sick,old or dying. 2- Give to those in need 3-Help with can drive / food drives in your area 4-Donate Blood 5- Host funraisers to buy things for children in need 6- Donate to your library 7-Talk to your neighbors to work together and volunteer 8- Volunteer for a community center 9- Become a big brother/sister 10- Give Zadakat and Zakat. 11- Donate Food and medicines 12- Do cancer/diabetes/premature children/heart disease walks (THEY ARE FUN GUYS) 13-Open a support group on the internet for people struggling with a particular problem 14-Be there for whomever needs your help! 15- Make gift baskets for children/older folks and take it to them in the hospital old folks homes and orphan houses 16- Assist a family that has recently experienced a crisis and is resettling into a new apartment or house (i.e. Kitchen: dishes, flatware, pots and pans, basic cooking utensils, towels and cleansers). 26-For parents in Need Assemble a new parent's kit for the arrival of a newborn. 27-Alter and repair clothes for the needy, elderly and homeless. 28-Gather clothing from your neighbor and donate it to a local shelter. 29-Donate art supplies to kids in a homeless shelter. 30-Organize a neighborhood group to plant, tend and harvest a vegetable garden. 31-Make first aid kits for homeless shelters. 32-Take homeless children on outings. 33-Teach what you know!Volunteer to teach classes on a sport you enjoy and know a lot about. In my case I am a computer engineer and a Mathematician so I could teach computer literacy for example. 34-Organize a newcomers group in your neighborhood to welcome new families. 35-Volunteer to help with Quran School. 36-Organize a local blood drive with the American Red Cross. 37-Organize a campaign to raise money to buy and install new playground equipment for a park. 38-Read aloud to a person who is visually impaired. 39-Organize a car pooling campaign in your neighborhood to cut down on air pollution. 40-Grow fresh flowers and deliver them to someone to brighten their day. 41-Help everyone in your family conserve water. 42-Elect a family "energy captain" to shut off lights, radios, and TV's when not in use. 43-Host a recycling fair. 44-Plant trees. 45-Start a compost pile and encourage your family to use it! 46-During bad weather, visit seniors to make sure they have everything they need. 47-Volunteer at an animal shelter. Help clean up, play with the animals, or do whatever's needed to make the shelter a nicer "temporary" home for the animals. 48-Form a "we love animals" club and volunteer to care for animals at a children's zoo. 49- Deliver meals and encouragement to HIV+ or AIDS symptomatic patients 50-Tutor at a local school Any creative thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated! Thanks, M

Answer: edit: Thanks M: Some great ideas there and several things which I might not have considered. You have given us all much food for thought. I think you have it well covered. There is also: sponsorships of overseas family members/orphans and sending letters of support, campaign letters to those in positions of authority via AI plus other orgs, etc. Support of Palestinian medical charities. Not throwing away any unwanted or even old item but donating it to some charity or someone in need. Charity in the home/extended family re: family care and support. Speaking truth even if it be against yourself -- Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Sometimes a person may feels isolated or not part of a wider community which might affect their personal contribution. Jazak allah khair.

Question: Breast cancer and dairy????????? Snuff smoking is bad, but some comes lung cancer and others do not want to say that smoking is okay?

Answer: This isn't a question it's a rant. From its title, it's clearly a rant from someone lucky enough not to have had breast cancer, since it's always those who haven't had cancer (and lately usually teenagers for some reason) who come on here preaching to the rest of us about how we got it. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I had been vegan (ie no dairy, so no milk at all) for 8 years.Avoiding dairy didn't stop me getting breast cancer, it didn't cure me and I'm sure as hell not relying on it to stop recurrences or metastases. Learn some facts about cancer before you come on the cancer forum shouting to people who have had cancer about how they got it. If dairy was the cause of breast cancer I'd still have two breasts.

Question: What does a benign breast cyst look like? I went for an MRI, was called back for additional views, (the tech said this new Dr. always sends my patients back), & then immediately after 2nd mamo, I had Sonogram. While laying there, I asked the tech what does cancer look like on the screen, she said that cancer sometimes takes on different shapes & maybe a rugged edge. So I see a perfect circle on the screen, white outline black in center, & I ask what is that? She said it looks like a fluid sac that you know swells up when you get your period & goes down afterwards. OK I get the results in the mail; abnormal needs further testing. I call my Dr. & have to go to a surgeon now. I explained to everyone that I don't have breast cancer in the family only heart disease. I find out this cyst is 3-4 cm & has some shadowing & lesions & it's at 9:00; this was from the sono.; the Mamo detected nothing. I don't even feel this cyst, so I guess your would it's soft. After the 1st mamo I got the period the next day. The 2nd mamo was 2wks later. Correction: In the first sentence I wrote MRI, but it was a mamo. I got the results of the mamo & sono, & there was nothing on the mamo report but it was on the sono. Before I let the Dr. go in with a needle, do you think it wise I go for a breast MRI? Has anyone had that before?

Answer: The important word is "shadowing". A simple cyst on U/S should be round uniformly black with white area outside of the circle and deep to it. If your cyst has shadowing, it may suggest calcification or a solid component. Since it is not a simple cyst your doctor is recommending a biopsy which is reasonable. It is not uncommon you are not feeling anything. My guess is that it is NOT 3-4cm in size but 3-4cm from the nipple. Also note that this may be a complex cyst(bloody or other products) but your doctor can not exclude a cancer without a biopsy. MRI is not indicated in this case and would not add additional information. Good Luck

Question: really scared... cancer?? 13 yrs. old rib cage? Okay, so it is on my right top side of my rib cage. It is the first bone below my neck on my right side. It is centered near the middle or heart and the bone keeps throbbing with pain. It is a pinpointed location and when I rub it a little it starts to have pain. I am really scared. There are no bumps or anything, just the pain. Is it cancer? My grandfather and my grandmother had cancer... It's been hurting for a week now.

Answer: Do you play sports? Did it start hurting after lifting something? It could be a bruised rib or a pulled muscle. If you are truly concerned you should see a doctor of course.

Question: bone cancer? pls... i'm scared... 13yrs old? Okay, so it is on my right top side of my rib cage. It is the first bone below my neck on my right side. It is centered near the middle or heart and the bone keeps throbbing with pain. It is a pinpointed location and when I rub it a little it starts to have pain. I am really scared. There are no bumps or anything, just the pain. Is it cancer? My grandfather and my grandmother had cancer... It's been hurting for a week now.

Answer: it is 99.9999% NOT cancer. I have a scary family history too, so I understand why you are worried. Bone cancer rarely first manifests as bone pain, believe it or not. But you should go to a doctor anyway so see what it may be - it is likely very very minor and will be cleared up in no time. With your family history, it is important that you take extra good care of yourself - avoid as many risk factors for cancer as you can. That means no smoking, eat healthy, exercise well, and (when you are grown) don't drink alcohol in excess.

Question: Stomach Cancer? My mother is 38 years of age, she works and she seems healthy, she's a bit over weight and is seriously trying to go on a slim fast Diet. Her health lately hasn't been good and it's been going on for quite a while, center of her chest feels sore and she has shorten of breathe when she inhales, she describes that when she inhaled to the throat it seems to stop. She points to a lower center area which is quite where the stomach is and say its aching a bit lately. We've been through many tests, blood test, breathing test, x-rays , blood pressure test and heart pressure test, result still shows nothing is wrong with her but she's seriously scared of having cancer or of any sort. She doesn't drink, neither eat unhealthy things or smoke, could she be diagnosed with anything serious? We've been to many doctors and yet nothing seems to be right or least right medication to cure her, I fear for my mother's live. I'd appreciate it a lot if anyone would know what or least an idea whats wrong

Answer: I would ask this, has she ask to be checked for Hepatitis C. The Dr's do not test for this unless you ASK to be tested for it. It takes about 7 days where we live to get the results as they must send the test to another city to be tested. I facilitate for a Hep C group, and most of the people in my group are your mothers age and up. This may not be her problem and I hope it is not, but be checked. 1 in 4 adults have Hep C that's 4 to 5 million Americans, its called the silent killer because most don't know they have it until its too late Either way I hope for the best in your mothers medical travels I know they can be frustrating and depressing.

Question: My 35-year-old fiance has just been diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer...? Where can I find the absolute best treatment centers in America using cutting edge technology? Resources? She was diagnosed and treated via chemotherapy and radiation treatment last year and was declared to be in "remission" last November, but it's back again. I love her with all my heart and want nothing less than the absolute best. Can anyone please help me? Thank you very kindly.

Answer: She should listen to her oncologist's advice. Here is a link to clinical trials. Click on the map tab for local trials. http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=gastrointestinal+cancer You could try Cancer Treatment Centers of America, which uses traditional therapies mixed with alternative therapies. You could try fasting and praying. Fasting is like a magnifying glass for prayer. If you can get several of her friends/family to form a prayer circle around her that is good too. You can google "Dr. Max Gerson" and/or "Gerson Therapy". It is mostly an organic vegetarian diet with fruit and vegetable juices. I don't see how that could hurt, but ask the oncologist first. I don't agree with the use of coffee enemas, though. She should not try going with the weakest chemo that might save her hair, unless it is what the oncologist recommends. Hair will grow back, but you can't get your life back.... When I was on chemo, I ate mild high protein foods, like Arby's/Rax's roast beef sandwiches, cold hard boiled eggs, White castles, etc. to keep my blood levels up so that the treatment would not be delayed by low red blood cells. The idea of vegetarianism is that it is eating lower on the food chain with supposedly less bad stuff/free radicals/chemicals, etc. Just some ideas...take what you think will work for you...

Question: Question about lung cancer? My grandma was diagnosed yesterday with stage 3 lung cancer. The dr. told me its in her left lung and a lymph node in the center of her chest. They are doing an MRI next week but we are fairly sure it is in her brain as well. A scan a while back showed a small tumor there as well. If it has spread she will be stage 4. They can not do surgery or chemo because of her heart problems. Radiation is our only option but we will find out more after the MRI. My question is for anyone who has gone through this how much time approx. do I have left with her? She lives with me and I love her to death. I just need to know a little of what to expect because I am the strong one of the family and I need to be more prepared to deal with this. I am sorry for writing so much. I am just at a loss and I dont know who else to ask. Thanks everyone They said they will do radiation if it is in her brain to keep her from being in pain. They most likely will not do it to her chest because of heart issues. Thanks guys. Just knowing people are out there that have been through the same thing makes me feel better.

Answer: In my case, my mother was diagnosed on Monday. We got the MRI & biopsy on Thursday. We scheduled chemo for the following Monday. She was gone Sunday morning - a day before we were to start chemo. It all depends on how aggresive the cancer is. Here is some unsolicited advice... say all the things that you need to. Cry alot. Be prepared for the grieving process to last at least a year. You will never get over it - don't expect to. And plan ahead... here are some suggestions... On the really bad day- you will be running on autopilot. It is best if she passes in the hospital. Make sure that the nurses know you want her medicated for pain even if she is unconscious. Who knows what she is feeling after all. The last few minutes are really awful. Her eyes will be open and she will have trouble breathing. As it happens, you will see all of her muscles tense. It is awful. I am sorry. If you are religious, I would swear it is like something is pulling away. For what it's worth, as we got close I called my aunts and uncles and told them to come over. My aunt told me that she had awakened in the middle of the night and her mother was at the foot of her bed. My grandmother had checked in on all of her kids then came for my mother. My aunt didn't know that while mom was sleeping she had called for her mother... Anyway, after it happens, the hospital will call the funeral home of your choice. Have a funeral home lined up. Just pick one. Later that very day you have to go to the funeral home to choose a casket and a liner if required. No one ever sees the liner, so choose the cheap one. They will help you plan the funeral. You will need to decide who will speak etc. They will place the obit. The next day, you pick the flowers. You will need to find something for her to wear. You will be given the option of dressing her. I declined. Before you leave the hospital, ask the attending physician for something to steady you if you need it. I did. He gave me Xanex that made the next week possible. That's about it for the arrangements. Find her will before she passes. People think that they can avoid probate. You can't. The executor of the will needs to go to the county and fill out some paper work and get a probate attorney. Then you will FINALLY have access to the funds to start paying bills. Call the credit cards and tell that there isn't much money. Try to get them to settle for 50 cents on the dollar. They usually will. So, in addition to spending all of the time you can with her, over the next couple of days: 1- find a mortuary 2- talk to her about the program if you want. Or plan it without her. 3- figure out what she will wear 4- find her will 5- get the stuff ready for the obit Hopefully, you won't have to use any of these arrangements and she will be in the lucky 5%. Sorry this is so wordy. Good luck and God bless. I hope SOMETHING in here was useful.

Question: What kind of aid are other countries providing? It is nice to see that ordinary or rich(hard working)people give donations to much needed causes like this. But why do we have to give? Our governments have the money to provide, they have plenty of food surplus available. Just look at the statistics. We are definitely being over taxed and that over taxation needs to go to the people in those countries in poverty. The world pays billions and billions to kill people and to provide for their interests, why dont they spend it on saving lives? Sadaam killed a few hundred or a few thousand but in Africa I saw 600,000 bodies floating in the river and we did little to help that. I am also sick and tired of getting stuff in the mail from organizations that continue to need donations for this and that, especially for cancer. I had cancer in 1980 and the physicians said a cure would be available 10 years from that date. Everything is about trying to get money from the people actually need the money to make a good living, and to get additional media attention to the people that have the money to travel all around the country. Money money money...what happened to our real hearts. By the way I thank Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the VA Hospital at Loma Linda(doctors, nurses, all staff) for curing my cancer(like Lance Armstrong's) when I was stationed in Germany in 1979. To this date I still do not have an answer on how I got this cancer but a doctor in Germany said it was common over there....WHAT!? Finally, security is a very good thing and we should do all means posssible to support this as long as our freedom and our own privacy is not violated (the Constitution). Keep up the good work, and I thank you so much CHER for getting better helments for the troops(god bless them).

Answer: When aid goes to a country like Kenya (since you asked in the Kenyan section), very few benefit from it. There's so much going on out there (In Africa) and very few out here care. (That's the truth) I lost all hope on those save this save that organizations when I saw a documentary on how some American Doctor working with Cancer research went to India and got the doctors there to tell the sufferers that they had a new drug and it was free all they had to do was sign a document. (These people were illiterate) Turns out that they were actually doing experiments with these drugs and many continue to die needlessly due to this. It's good that they exposed this thing in India but nobody exposes what happens in Africa. Richer countries dump their waste (unfit for human use) in these countries and since the people there are so loving and accommodating, so gullible they don't really get to know what hit them until it does. One time they showed how Benson and Hedges was aiming their free cigarette try outs at the youth (from 12 year olds) in Gabon. What is unacceptable in their country they take to the African Nations. I personally feel bitter about the situation in Africa. Nothing is stopping Africa but Africa itself. The day we all realize this as Africans, stop relying on what others dictate to us and really care about our own, we will have a new dawn.

Question: What’s at the heart of the SCHIP debate.? What’s at the heart of the SCHIP debate. Congress faces a critical question this week: Will U.S. health care be government-run, or will Americans be given the freedom to obtain their insurance plans and medical care from private firms? The next U.S. president will likely answer this question, but the resolution to the current debate about SCHIP — the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, a state and federal government partnership for insuring poor children — that is roiling Washington, D.C., will preview the answer. Although health care is a crucial issue for the electorate; traditionally, presidential candidates have avoided any but the blandest generalities. Health care is the third rail of politics. Its complexity, size, and multiple, committed stakeholders scare away most would-be saviors. Yet, the underlying debate is simple: It is all about who will manage and control the health-care sector that comprises one-seventh of our economy. Will individual Americans have the freedom to make their own choices? Or, will we trust government bureaucrats, lawyers, and politicians to make those decisions for them? Our future health-care system will be shaped by how we answer these simple questions. Let’s be clear: The SCHIP battle is not about whether to insure poor children. The debate is about how to insure them: Via the government or private insurers? This debate has not only pitted Democrats against Republicans but has also sundered the Republican coalition. Some Democrats wanted SCHIP expanded by $50 billion dollars so that even families earning about $81,000 a year who have eligible children were included. (The 2005 U.S. median household income was $46,000.) A resolution with the Republicans who hold minority leadership roles led to a compromise, costing only $35 billion, which allowed coverage for those earning up to $60,000. A fundamental problem with this compromise is that the same amount of coverage for children within SCHIP costs $1,000 more per child than under private insurance. A group of forward-thinking Republicans led by U.S. Senator Richard Burr (R., N.C.) and others has an entirely different idea of how to provide insurance: they want to cash out eligible people and enable them to use this money to buy health insurance from private insurers in a tax-protected way. Count the president in too. He has pledged to veto legislation that permits expansion of the present program. None of the combatants’ are supported by an unblemished array of evidence. The Democrats support the expansion of SCHIP by lauding the universal coverage and substantially lower costs of single-payer, government-run systems, like the U.K.’s and Canada’s. Yes; but costs are controlled by rationing health care to the sick. More than 20,000 Brits would not have died from cancer in the U.S. Onerous waiting lists have caused illegal, for-profit health-service centers to proliferate in Canada. These rogue establishments are so well-accepted that the head of one became the president of the Canadian Medical Association. Nor do single-payer systems achieve equality of access or health status — the powerful, assertive, litigious, and connected go to the head of the line. In the U.S., the government-controlled Medicaid program has achieved its low costs per person by stringent limits on provider prices. As many as 40 percent of doctors refuse to see Medicaid enrollees, leading to reduced health care quality. Physicians who accept Medicaid often shift their un-reimbursed costs to the privately insured. A system totally paid by the government would shut down this escape hatch, exacerbating the current shortage of primary care doctors. But the group of Republicans who support private insurance acknowledge that they cannot laud health insurance as a model industry. The massive bureaucracies patients all-too-often encounter when they attempt to obtain the medical services they paid for are not merely frustrating, they sometimes kill. Free-market Republicans claim that the problem with the U.S. insurance firms arises from their lack of accountability. Agents, such as governments and employers, use our money to buy health plans. The agents’ incentives — simplicity and cost control — are not well aligned with our needs for responsiveness. Senators Richard Burr (R., N.C.), Bob Corker (R., Tenn.) and others want to refigure the tax code so that we could buy health insurance with tax-sheltered money, a right currently reserved solely for our employers. If we purchased our own health insurance with tax-protected funds, we could keep these arrogant behemoths in check, just as we do in the other sectors of the American economy. The Swiss universal-coverage, consumer-driven system requires people, not employers or governments, to buy health insurance. (The poor primarily receive funds to purchase insurance just like everybody else.) This consumer control enables the Swiss to enjoy an excellent quality of care without the social inequality of single-payer countries at costs that are a third lower than ours. SCHIP is not merely a debate about yet another mystifying government program. It is all about free-market principles versus government mandates. Giving taxpayers the freedom to choose and buy their own health care would unleash powerful market forces that have been subdued by third-party bureaucracies for the last 60 years. In every area of our economy, market forces have transformed rare, costly products and services like cars and computers into common products and services. We can make health care cheaper, better, and more widely available, if Congress can muster the vision and courage to act.

Answer: That is the longest question ever...lol The debate is about : 1. whos responsibility is it to provide for an individual? (personal accountability) 2. Who is poor? (who is deserving/who is undeserving) 3. Who is a child? (>18,>24...what is it?) Why does Congress continue to want to tweek things that are not broken?