here to break it down is dr. healy, the health editor of the u.s. news and world report. welcome, doctor, great to see you today. >> nice to see you. >> i want to start with the dollars and cents of the plans. we've heard a lot of estimates about what they might cost. i want to know is if the plans go into effect, what will it cost me? will my costs go up or down? >> you're asking the question that every american is asking. when a tax bill is passed and they say i'll have to pay an extra percent, they understand what that means. but here, it's very, very hard to give that answer. we have the cbo looking for for the government to see how much the government is going to have to pay. but we don't have the code for what individuals will have to pay. we know young people are going to have to pay more. >> okay, so young people will have to pay more. >> it's almost 1/3 of the money to pay is coming out of medicare. that means the elderly are making a huge donation to cover everyone else. there are also more subtle things on restrictions to elderly care that we won't see play out

dr. healy, thanks for your time today. >> thank you, gerri. >>> everyone wants the best insurance and care when they step in their doctor's office, but that isn't always the case. so, how do you know when it's time to fire your doctor? that's right. you can fire your doctor. our guest is a neurologist and medical adviser for "consumer reports." doctor, yours is an amazing story. you fired not one doctor but two and in the space of a year so you really know how to do this. i think people have doctor problems. they have long wait times. they get frustrated. but when does that really rise to the level of i've got to get this doctor out of here? >> right. i think it is unfortunate, but it's important for every patient to know that they have a choice, and so if things are not going well in the office, if your doctor has a poor bedside manner or the staff is rude or you don't get telephone calls answered or you're kept waiting a very long period of time, it's just time for you to kind of take a look

dr. bernadine healy, we did the famous hormone replacement study that resulted in breast cancer declining 15%. so he was a real champion. and he was my friend. he helped me get started in the senate with paul sarbanes. he got me on the right committees. and i've been up there at hyannis. and we, again, we often joked that we both had chunky jeans. we were always on diets. we always wanted to know the greatest diet that oprah was on, would it match up for us. and we both liked sailing and snacks. >> those sound like good hobbies. you mentioned health care. and obviously health care reform was one of his personal crusades. how do you think his pass willing affect the fight for health care reform? >> i would hope that it would galvanize the senate and nation on how we need to really advance covering the uninsured without -- with the principle of doing no harm to those that have it. most of all, i hope that his death would help create a better climate and a better tone. when ted kennedy debated, he could be the lion that reported, but deep down he wanted civility. he wanted intellectual rigge

dr. ernadine healy,ormer head of the nationalnstitutes of health, says there coulbe very smalumber chilen ffected by vacces tha th largetudies might be issing >> i don't think it'terrly humble to say we haveall t answers, stop, sh dow the resrch,don't as any qustio. all the questions have by means enawere >and in thenited states, dr wakefield's populri wit some rent seeo be owing. >> thnk y very muc i'll ner quite get used to amrins. >> today is the last y of the autism search instite's biannu conference, and dr. wakefild delers h much-anticite keyte addrs to an adience ofarts children with autism. >> i enormsly grateful to you,nd i encourage yo be ronger dti tother and unite. >> after s seech -- > i'm uriggest n. >>-- tere e queion augraphs, pics, and than. >> than you s much. so, geto emotional. >>hat's okay. >> dr. wakefild is a heo. don't know where would b wihout him bause one would listen to us fore him. >> whe dr. wakieldays he on ggeed spadinguthe vaccine' schede, mny paren heard sethingdifferent -- vaccines cause autism. th belief has gaaned t movement among parents childn withau

dr. bernadine healy says there could be a very small number of children affected by vaccines, that the large studies might be missing. >> i don't think it's terribly humble to say we have all the answers, stop, shut down the research. don't ask any questions. all the questions have, by no means, been answered. >> as for dr. wakefield, the controversy continues. >> i've heard people call you everything from a charlottan and a fraud. i wasn't sure if i was going to see a halo above your head or horns coming out of your head. how do you feel about the controversy you've generated over this last decade? >> well, i think if you make an observation, which challenges policy or prophet, then there is going to be a reaction. i don't know whether vaccines cause autism. i know it's a legitimate question that needs to be answered. i'm not going to walk away from it. >> has he solved a medical mystery or has the debate about vaccines and autism sent people searching for answers in all the wrong directions? lester, this has been going on for a long time. although the medical community is strongly on one s

dr. healy, who i am sure has testified many times, and does not have any financial interest, has noted that there is a dearth of research in truly looking at the vaccine-odd to some connection. there are some very good steadies' that have yet to be done -- the vaccine-autism connection. i know this committee does not like to tell the nih how to spend those research dollars, but on behalf of parents across america, i ask that you look at this when you are confirming a new nih director. i want to give you some optimism. in this classroom, five of those children have been blessed to be able to receive intensive behavioral therapy. their families have in one situation taken to jobs to be able to afford this intensive behavioral therapy. that is not often the case in mississippi, and is a rarity. the average annual income in mississippi is less than $35,000 a year, and yet this private therapy runs most of us around $50,000 a year. it is impossible for many of the constituents back home to a for the

but i agree with dr. healy. an a for effort, i think the commitment to what those principles are, this is a hard job tackling it early is smart and i think we all know where -- where the president stands. in terms of the execution and how this is going, it's such a wide spectrum of opinion. such a hot topic. for everybody that with polarizing opinions and views. i think that an average score of -- i don't know if he could do any better. certainly could be doing worse. about average. >> all right, thank you so much for coming in. and we'll have the second 100 days of the obama administration. how they've been doing. have they been days of change or days of frustration? let your voice be heard. cast your vote at cnn.com/report card. get the results from cnn's national report card tonight at 8:00 eastern. >> it's a matter of time before they start asking this question after the big high-profile rescue that took place of the two journalists, laura ling and euna lee all at the hands of our president. is he upstaging

dr. bernadine healy.maybe the health- care debate does not affect you if you are young and healthy. >> that is correct. one of the reasons the 20-year- old right out of college, starting out in the workplace, who does not health insurance, it is because of the high cost. in many states they can only get a very comprehensive policy. but many policies throughout the country are only catastrophic, focusing on events that could bankrupt people who are normally otherwise very healthy. those individuals would be forced to buy a policy that is many times more expensive and probably not affordable. the person who makes $35,000 a year, just making it, could handle $500,000, but not a $5,000.10. jon: you say that is where this is headed. the coverage to cost $500 a year now for help the americans is headed towards 4000 a year? >> yes. the deductible can vary, but it could be low as five or six, were in the range of 1000 or 1500. i think there are a few lines in the 1000-page bill in the house of representatives. th

dr. healy, who i am sure has testified many times, and does not have any financial interest, has noted that there is a dearth of research in truly looking at the vaccine-odd to some connection. there are some very good steadies' that have yet to be done -- the vaccine-autism connection. i know this committee does not like to tell the nih how to spend those research dollars, but on behalf of parents across america, i ask that you look at this when you are confirming a new nih director. i want to give you some optimism. in this classroom, five of those children have been blessed to be able to receive intensive behavioral therapy. their families have in one situation taken to jobs to be able to afford this intensive behavioral therapy. that is not often the case in mississippi, and is a rarity. the average annual income in mississippi is less than $35,000 a year, and yet this private therapy runs most of us around $50,000 a year. it is impossible for many of the constituents back home to a for the

dr. healye testified before this committee anytime, he does not have any financial interest, has noted there is a dearth of research and looking at the vaccine-autism connection. there are good studies that have yet to be done. i know this committee and the senate does not like to tell the n.i.h. how to spend the dollars. on behalf of parents across america, ask that you look at this, particularly when you are confirming a new nih director. i want to give you autism. -- i want to give you optimism. in this classroom, five of these children have been blessed to receive intensive behavioral therapy. their families -- one of the situation is they have taken to jobs to afford this therapy. that is not often the case in mississippi, and that is a rarity. with recipients, the average annual income is less than $35,000 a year, and yet this private therapy runs over $50,000 a year. it is impossible for many of the constituents back home to afford the therapy that they know will make fairchild better. o

dr. healy, who i am sure has testified many times, and does not have any financial interest, has noted that there is a dearth of research in truly looking at the vaccine-odd to some connection. there are some very good steadies' that have yet to be done -- the vaccine-autism connection. i know this committee does not like to tell the nih how to spend those research dollars, but on behalf of parents across america, i ask that you look at this when you are confirming a new nih director. i want to give you some optimism. in this classroom, five of those children have been blessed to be able to receive intensive behavioral therapy. their families have in one situation taken to jobs to be able to afford this intensive behavioral therapy. that is not often the case in mississippi, and is a rarity. the average annual income in mississippi is less than $35,000 a year, and yet this private therapy runs most of us around $50,000 a year. it is impossible for many of the constituents back home to a for the