Here is the text of a letter I sent to flag@whitehouse.gov. The White House has set up a special e-mail address for Americans to turn in other Americans who disagree with the President's health care plans. But since they asked us to report anything we hear that seems fishy, I thought I'd do my patriotic duty and express my 1st Amendment right to dissent.
"Fishy roomers on health care reform that I’ve heard recently:
1. Myth: There are 50 million uninsured Americans. My opinion: Most of those “50 million Americans” are illegal aliens and those who opt out of health insurance of their own choice. The actual number of uninsured Americans who cannot get health insurance is closer to four or five million.
2. Myth: If you like your insurance, you’ll be able to keep it. My opinion: True to a point, but once the legislation passes, no new insurance policies will be able to be issued by private insurance carriers.
3. Myth: Gov’t health care is necessary so insurance companies are forced to compete. My opinion: Health insurance companies are forced to compete against each other, existing gov’t programs, risks/costs, alternative health care options, foreign health care options, and gov’t regulation.
4. Myth: Reform must be passed now. My opinion: Reform is necessary, however, rushing to a decision is unacceptable.
5. Myth: If Republicans stand in the way, reform will be passed without them. My opinion: If we are going to pass sweeping reform, it must be bipartisan and have overwhelming support from the American people!
6. Myth: There will be no restriction to access. My opinion: You cannot cover an additional 50 million people without adding any health care professionals and not expect extended waits and restrictions. Additionally, when comparative analysis is implemented, options will be restricted and essentially we will be faced with rationing.
7. Myth: We will increase public spending on health care without a middle class tax cut or massive new debt. My opinion: The money has to come from somewhere and the supposed expense cuts won’t cover it all.
8. Myth: Gov’t can reduce the cost of health care. My opinion: This is simply cost shifting. There is no reduction in spending.
9. Myth: Illegal aliens will not be covered. My opinion: There is no way to enforce this.
10. Myth: People with pre-extisting conditions cannot get health care. My opinion: Everyone qualifies for health care as part of a group policy and every state has programs to cover people who cannot get private health insurance.
11. Myth: Washington, D.C. has the American people’s best interest at heart. My opinion: At the very least, Washington sold itself to lobbyists of the drug industry. If their 10s of millions of dollars in lobbying contributions weren’t effective, we would have seen reductions in trademark protections, additional subsidies for R&D, and negotiated drug prices (similar to Oregon’s prescription drug program).
12. Myth: A majority of Americans favor the plan coming out of Washington. My opinion: A majority of Americans agree we need heath care reform. A majority of Americans do not agree what that means or how it should be implemented.
Do we need health care reform? Absolutely! But Washington’s plan is not the reform we need. Appropriate reform should include HSAs coupled with comprehensive major medical/catastrophic care policies, reduction in state mandates on private health insurance providers, reduction in the cost of doing business so private employers can provide health insurance options for their employees, subsides to off-set medical education to promote people going into the health care field, subsides to encourage health care professionals to practice general medicine, subsides to build/expand health training schools/facilities, access to alternative health care options, expansion of Medicaid/Medicare to the uninsured who absolutely cannot get/afford the coverage they need, modernization of the food pyramid to better educate people on better nutrition, and promoting reparative medicine rather than symptom-management medicine."
Burn Out
15 years ago