That would be great if that's what they were doing. But in reality they are having the government take over (and ruin) our health care system.

The Republicans have been trying to enact the simple changes that you are suggesting, plus many others, and they are not even allowed to bring up the topics for debate. The only thing the Democrats will accept is complete control of everyone's health care, and that is un-American. It will wreck our economy and ration health care for seniors. If you think health care is bad now, just wait until the government controls it.

They are not helping health care, they are HURTING it. That's why the vast majority of Americans strongly oppose their horrendous health care bill. People have seen what they are pushing, and they are disgusted by it.

The bill is very long and has a bunch of nasty things buried down in it relating to forced costs and loss of privacy, among other things.

The gov't has been running healthcare called VA for years and no one complained especially the Vets

I don't think the issues against it have to do with what the health care bill is about - it's about who is implementing it and who is in control of congress. It's pure politics with a vengeance to gain control again.   

HMOs hurt health care long time ago when insurance companies got too much power over what they will pay for and how much. It went bad when care was taken out of the hands of doctors and chemists (you should hear what chemists had to say when it first happened) and moved into the hands of drug and insurance companies who don't even do proper testing of drugs before they are put on the market for profit. Our health care system now is about profit.

Affordable health care should not be just profit for the insurance and drug companies and affordable only for rich people.   It will get worst if the bill is not passed.