for sure, pain management should be upgraded,,,

Less physically damaging and addictive pain medicines should be changed from the Poppy plants that are illegally grown and/or harvested in our war zones i.e. Afghanistan and Myanmar. These locations are known as part of the Golden Triangle for Myanmar and the Golden Shelf, I believe, for Afghan. The highly addictive Oxycontin and Heroin are both products of these plants. I once read the CIA admitted to using Heroin as a weapon to remove the Russian soldiers that temporarily ended the growth of Poppy in Afghanistan. Osama Bin Laden, which I read was trained by the CIA, publicly thanked the CIA for their help of removing what they called the Russians terrorists. I'm not comfortable with the terrorist label for the Russians and I doubt they were, especially if they removed the Poppy crops.

Also, I read that crack cocaine financed war efforts in Nicaragua when Congress couldn't be approached. But, I also read the war efforts to fight the guerrilla warfare in that country was a hoax or smoke screen for the real task, which may have been introducing crack to the inner cities. There are more imprisoned residents from the inner cities, specifically African Americans, than any other population in the country. I am just mentioning this since it was something I may have remembered reading about that supports the heroin chemical warfare effort.

Anyway, better pain management techniques are available from the Chiropractic community and more research could be done in the pharmaceutical's industry so that biological weapons aren't used to treat severe and chronic pain.

I heard something about taxing the rich to pay for the new Health Care plan. I'm not sure that is the best way to pay for universal health care, unless of course, it can be proved that they stole their riches from the economy through legal loopholes and government bailouts, which are products of the Sabotage Oxley Act that permitted new secretive or nontransparent accounting procedures. The companies that received bailouts due to new accounting procedures should be fined for this blatant ripoff from the struggling economy. After converting accounting books back to GAPP, by law, those with the biggest monetary conflicts should be fined the most.

Legalizing marijuana may increase its use but its safer than alcohol which is nearly universally accepted. Driving on pot is much less dangerous than drinking and driving and legalization may actually reduce alcohol related domestic abuse, as well as, fatal car accidents. I don't believe its really a gateway drug to lead to heroin or something. What about alcohol?

As far as penalizing insurance companies for a new Health Care plan, whether universal coverage or a choice, is just a sign of the times or industry evolution like that which occurred from Napster and the decline of profits for musicians. Evolution for the best way to live as a nation - survival.