Please go to the following links! To quote a blog by Cheryl Bowman on Patriotic Resistance: "This is about the White House seeking to transfer authority over Social Security/Medicare from Congress to Executive Branch..." and "The deliberate setup for the White House power grab is built into the each of the health care bills and, if they fail, little-known twin bills called “MedPAC Reform of 2009” are waiting in the wings. The bills, S.B. 1110 and H.R. 2718, craftily amend the Social Security Act and transfer the Medicare guideline and rule setting processes, from the legislative branch to the executive branch. "
http://www.resistnet.com/group/watchdogforthehealthcarebill?commentId=2600775%3AComment%3A1837141&xg_source=msg_com_group
http://biggovernment.com/2009/12/08/a-white-house-power-grab-that-congress-and-america-doesnt-see/
Oh my God! and I do mean that as a prayer!
There is a world wide power grab coming to fruition after at least 40 years of planning. The players are billionaire financial types and most are in the shadows, with the exception of George Soros. The goal is World domination, not just the U.S.
It is an attack on all fronts, and much of it has been put in place while most of us were busy getting on with our lives and trusting our elected officials to protect us. Half the country is still in that mode. How do we get through to them?
I don't think we have time. Most of us are exhausted trying to read the gargantuan bills, and trying to fight on so many fronts at once. I fear that we cannot get enough people in place fast enough, beginning from the bottom up in local government. With the FCC working, as we speak (blog?), on control of the internet, and taking away the licenses of all Conservative Media; how will we communicate?
The whole thing sounds like a comic book scenario; "the evil rich villain and his minions scheming to take over the world". How do we cut through the placid faith of most Americans that our Government will always be "of the people and for the people", and our freedoms are inviolate no matter how much power we give to our Government? How do we do that without sounding like crazy conspiracy theorists?
Showing posts with label TAGS: HEALTH CARE REFORM. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TAGS: HEALTH CARE REFORM. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
LETTER SENT TO SENATORS REF. HR 3590
Dear Senator,
We are in a vicious cycle; Congress creates a huge, government takeover, boondoggle, Health Care Reform Bill that will cost trillions. The people speak, and the bill is defeated. Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid go back to the drawing board, behind closed doors. In the process, they completely shut out the loyal opposition
They labor mightily and bring forth a new bill which is basically a regurgitation of the bill that was already defeated, only worse. Oh, to be sure, there will be slight changes to convince holdouts to vote “yea” this time; changes that they will reverse in reconciliation. There will also be some bribes, a whole lot of strong arm tactics for the more recalcitrant, as well as some obvious financial accounting tricks to make the bill seem “deficit neutral”. These tricks would be laughable if the bill weren’t so dangerous.
All of the proposed bills will increase the cost of health insurance, and none of them will cover all of the uninsured so why would you vote for them? Any number of free market solutions have been proposed, which will lower the costs of Health care. Free market solutions which do exist, such as direct primary care and Health Savings Accounts, will be wiped out. In addition, we can cover those who cannot afford health insurance without spending trillions.
Given the above, the American people know that the only reasons for all these colossal bills are to move yet more control to the Executive Branch, to take away more of our personal liberties, and to further bankrupt the United States. All of them will necessitate crushing taxes on the middle class, especially the health care bills.
It does not matter what is in the Senate bill, it is merely a Trojan horse for the same old agenda. If passed, it will be combined with the House bill, all objectionable measures will be back, and the Government will have taken over the entire Health Care Industry. If the vote is allowed to proceed, this takeover will be passed with only 51 votes. That would be unforgivable!
We will either actively support, or actively campaign against every elected official, wherever they are, who facilitates the current bill in any way.
Vote against the motion to proceed; vote against cloture. The Nation is watching. Your constituents are watching.
We are in a vicious cycle; Congress creates a huge, government takeover, boondoggle, Health Care Reform Bill that will cost trillions. The people speak, and the bill is defeated. Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid go back to the drawing board, behind closed doors. In the process, they completely shut out the loyal opposition
They labor mightily and bring forth a new bill which is basically a regurgitation of the bill that was already defeated, only worse. Oh, to be sure, there will be slight changes to convince holdouts to vote “yea” this time; changes that they will reverse in reconciliation. There will also be some bribes, a whole lot of strong arm tactics for the more recalcitrant, as well as some obvious financial accounting tricks to make the bill seem “deficit neutral”. These tricks would be laughable if the bill weren’t so dangerous.
All of the proposed bills will increase the cost of health insurance, and none of them will cover all of the uninsured so why would you vote for them? Any number of free market solutions have been proposed, which will lower the costs of Health care. Free market solutions which do exist, such as direct primary care and Health Savings Accounts, will be wiped out. In addition, we can cover those who cannot afford health insurance without spending trillions.
Given the above, the American people know that the only reasons for all these colossal bills are to move yet more control to the Executive Branch, to take away more of our personal liberties, and to further bankrupt the United States. All of them will necessitate crushing taxes on the middle class, especially the health care bills.
It does not matter what is in the Senate bill, it is merely a Trojan horse for the same old agenda. If passed, it will be combined with the House bill, all objectionable measures will be back, and the Government will have taken over the entire Health Care Industry. If the vote is allowed to proceed, this takeover will be passed with only 51 votes. That would be unforgivable!
We will either actively support, or actively campaign against every elected official, wherever they are, who facilitates the current bill in any way.
Vote against the motion to proceed; vote against cloture. The Nation is watching. Your constituents are watching.
Monday, October 12, 2009
HEALTHCARE COSTS & SOLUTIONS; GOVERNMENT & HEALTH INSURANCE ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM.
Following is yet another letter I have written to my Senators and Representative:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear
All of the health care bills that are being considered create multiple bureaucracies, greatly increase reporting requirements, and generally increase administrative costs to all providers. Congress is basically trying to reduce what providers can charge while, at every level, greatly increasing their operational costs.
I read a 1998 CBO study that named the three largest contributors to increasing health care cost as: technology, administrative costs, and malpractice insurance. We don’t want to stifle new technologies, which leaves tort reform, and reducing reporting and administrative burdens as the best ways to reduce costs.
A large part of the admin burden comes from health care being tied to employers. As health care costs increase, companies begin changing plans every year, trying to find the cheapest one. As every plan has different negotiated terms with providers; doctors, hospitals and other providers have to hire multiple employees (and pay their benefits) to figure out and process all the claims.
Another part of the admin burden is created by the maze of government programs. Providers need to hire trained personnel to interpret and process the myriad rules, regulations and reporting requirements.
I know that our legislators and government officials live in a bureaucratic sea, which they probably don’t think about, any more than fish in the ocean think about the water in which they swim. However, those in private industry don’t have a bevy of clerks, paid for by the taxpayers, to interpret, manage and create all the paperwork mandated for us. They have to do it themselves, at a great loss of productive time, or they have to pay someone to do it.
The massive increase in new programs, rules and regulations, layered over old programs will do to the Health Care System what “No Child Left Behind” did to education. That is, it will so burden the health care providers that many will retire early, or otherwise leave the profession, just as many teachers have. We don’t want our doctors and teachers spending all their time grappling with red tape; we want them doctoring and teaching.
Please do everything you can to block "one size fits all" mandates for health insurance that will nullify free market solutions that are working.
Consider Direct Primary Care Practices, such as Qliance in Seattle, that operate outside of health insurance(See link below.) Imagine; they can offer complete primary care much cheaper than the cost of health insurance plans alone; no co-pays, no maximums etc., just a flat, all inclusive, monthly fee, often less than $80.00!
They can do this because they do not have the administrative costs of dealing with health insurance plans.
Their patients can use health savings accounts for such things as an MRI or a colonoscopy. They can also buy a catastrophic health policy, and they will still pay less than those with employer subsidized complete health insurance.
Patients who are uninsured can, at least, get basic care at a reasonable rate.
For these reasons, Direct Primary Care Practices are spreading across the country. In South Carolina we have Access Health Care.
Mandates that require all health insurance plans to cover everything, and that require everyone to have health insurance will put these practices out of business.
Please do not create laws that destroy these solutions. Please preserve HSAs and the ability to purchase catastrophic care only. Please preserve choice.
Please consider the fact that the government and health insurance providers themselves are a huge part of the problem. Please look to Mississippi, Missouri, Texas and California for tort reform solutions. Please, if there are billions of dollars of fraud and waste in Medicare and Medicaid, solve those problems first. This is the true responsibility of government.
As for the 10 to 17 million American citizens who are uninsured for lack of money, we can figure out how to give them excellent care without spending trillions. $170 billion would give each one $10,000.
Not sinking the economy with hundreds of new taxes and fees, not to mention unsustainable debt, would allow the creation of millions of new jobs as the recession ends. This is the best solution for the uninsured.
Please do not create a huge, government takeover, boondoggle plan that will destroy our country while it rewards special interests at the expense of the elderly, minorities and disadvantaged it purports to help.
*http://www.xconomy.com/seattle/2008/12/22/seattle-docs-via-qliance-aim-to-revolutionize-health-care-by-freezing-out-insurance
On behalf of your Constituents:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear
All of the health care bills that are being considered create multiple bureaucracies, greatly increase reporting requirements, and generally increase administrative costs to all providers. Congress is basically trying to reduce what providers can charge while, at every level, greatly increasing their operational costs.
I read a 1998 CBO study that named the three largest contributors to increasing health care cost as: technology, administrative costs, and malpractice insurance. We don’t want to stifle new technologies, which leaves tort reform, and reducing reporting and administrative burdens as the best ways to reduce costs.
A large part of the admin burden comes from health care being tied to employers. As health care costs increase, companies begin changing plans every year, trying to find the cheapest one. As every plan has different negotiated terms with providers; doctors, hospitals and other providers have to hire multiple employees (and pay their benefits) to figure out and process all the claims.
Another part of the admin burden is created by the maze of government programs. Providers need to hire trained personnel to interpret and process the myriad rules, regulations and reporting requirements.
I know that our legislators and government officials live in a bureaucratic sea, which they probably don’t think about, any more than fish in the ocean think about the water in which they swim. However, those in private industry don’t have a bevy of clerks, paid for by the taxpayers, to interpret, manage and create all the paperwork mandated for us. They have to do it themselves, at a great loss of productive time, or they have to pay someone to do it.
The massive increase in new programs, rules and regulations, layered over old programs will do to the Health Care System what “No Child Left Behind” did to education. That is, it will so burden the health care providers that many will retire early, or otherwise leave the profession, just as many teachers have. We don’t want our doctors and teachers spending all their time grappling with red tape; we want them doctoring and teaching.
Please do everything you can to block "one size fits all" mandates for health insurance that will nullify free market solutions that are working.
Consider Direct Primary Care Practices, such as Qliance in Seattle, that operate outside of health insurance(See link below.) Imagine; they can offer complete primary care much cheaper than the cost of health insurance plans alone; no co-pays, no maximums etc., just a flat, all inclusive, monthly fee, often less than $80.00!
They can do this because they do not have the administrative costs of dealing with health insurance plans.
Their patients can use health savings accounts for such things as an MRI or a colonoscopy. They can also buy a catastrophic health policy, and they will still pay less than those with employer subsidized complete health insurance.
Patients who are uninsured can, at least, get basic care at a reasonable rate.
For these reasons, Direct Primary Care Practices are spreading across the country. In South Carolina we have Access Health Care.
Mandates that require all health insurance plans to cover everything, and that require everyone to have health insurance will put these practices out of business.
Please do not create laws that destroy these solutions. Please preserve HSAs and the ability to purchase catastrophic care only. Please preserve choice.
Please consider the fact that the government and health insurance providers themselves are a huge part of the problem. Please look to Mississippi, Missouri, Texas and California for tort reform solutions. Please, if there are billions of dollars of fraud and waste in Medicare and Medicaid, solve those problems first. This is the true responsibility of government.
As for the 10 to 17 million American citizens who are uninsured for lack of money, we can figure out how to give them excellent care without spending trillions. $170 billion would give each one $10,000.
Not sinking the economy with hundreds of new taxes and fees, not to mention unsustainable debt, would allow the creation of millions of new jobs as the recession ends. This is the best solution for the uninsured.
Please do not create a huge, government takeover, boondoggle plan that will destroy our country while it rewards special interests at the expense of the elderly, minorities and disadvantaged it purports to help.
*http://www.xconomy.com/seattle/2008/12/22/seattle-docs-via-qliance-aim-to-revolutionize-health-care-by-freezing-out-insurance
On behalf of your Constituents:
Monday, September 7, 2009
WHAT I DO AND DO'T WANT TO SEE IN A HEALTH CARE REFORM BILL
The following ideas have all been discussed by so many sources, I do not know who originated them, and therefore to whom to credit them. However, they seem good to me.
1. Language to the effect that any “Comparative Effectiveness” Information will be advisory only. No rationing.
2. Allow Health Insurance companies to compete Nationwide.
3. No mandates to Health Insurance companies, without changing restrictions that limit their ability to be competitive.
4. No price fixing.
5. Language that excludes illegal immigrants from free health insurance. (Immigration reform is a whole other issue that we have to solve.)
6. Tort reform – Just cap punitive damages!
7. Make sure the bill is “revenue neutral” for the States as well as the Federal budget.
8. Allow the insurance to be separated from employers while, at the same time, allowing individuals, small businesses and other self insurers to take part in large pools in order to lower their costs.
9. No extra audits on self insurers.
10. No employer mandate.
11. Encourage groups of providers, like Qliance in Seattle, who will provide basic care at much lower prices, in exchange for not filing for payment through health insurance. Perhaps with tax breaks. Remove laws that prohibit them setting their prices lower than a preset minimum.
12. Allow insurance companies to provide policies that cover major medical or catastrophic care only, not basic care.
13. Expand HSA’s, and allow them to remain active indefinitely, with no penalties. Perhaps even allow them to move unused funds from an HSA to an IRA after age 65. This way, families could use HSA savings for basic care, and purchase catastrophic insurance as described in number 10. This would also cut down on elective and unessential procedures, since people will think twice when they have to pay. This could also be an option for Medicare recipients, for their supplemental policies, or Medicare Advantage plans.
14. No Gateway or Exchange with Government strings attached. I would rather trust The Better Business Bureau, Insurance agents, recommendations from customers and health care providers or even the Internet to find insurance.
15. For those with pre-existing conditions, allow high risk pools.
16. For those who still cannot afford health care insurance, expand Medicaid, perhaps on a sliding scale. Right now, there are 10 to 17 million legal residents, who want coverage, but can’t afford it. In 2008 Congress spent 17.2 billion on earmarks, defending the practice by saying that this amount is miniscule compared to the overall budget, only a very small percentage. With this “miniscule” amount, they could have given $1,000 to each of the above toward insurance. With 170 billion, they could have each been given $10,000. Clearly, we can take care of these people without a new multi- trillion dollar entitlement!
17. If people choose to accept an Employer Group Plan and then leave their job, make sure they have the option to keep their insurance with the plan’s provider, at an individual rate, with no increases for “preconditions”.
18. Give doctors and Hospitals tax incentives to maintain free clinics for the poor.
19. Give wealthy taxpayers back the charitable contributions tax deduction for donations to these clinics and other providers giving free care.
20. Give persons who purchase individual health insurance a tax deduction similar to that given to employers who offer group health insurance to their employees.
21. NO FEDERAL HEALTH BOARD!
22. NO PUBLIC OPTION! NO TRIGGER!
Like most Americans, I believe that, if we put our heads together, we can solve most of the health care problems without further bankrupting the country, or trampling on the people’s rights.
1. Language to the effect that any “Comparative Effectiveness” Information will be advisory only. No rationing.
2. Allow Health Insurance companies to compete Nationwide.
3. No mandates to Health Insurance companies, without changing restrictions that limit their ability to be competitive.
4. No price fixing.
5. Language that excludes illegal immigrants from free health insurance. (Immigration reform is a whole other issue that we have to solve.)
6. Tort reform – Just cap punitive damages!
7. Make sure the bill is “revenue neutral” for the States as well as the Federal budget.
8. Allow the insurance to be separated from employers while, at the same time, allowing individuals, small businesses and other self insurers to take part in large pools in order to lower their costs.
9. No extra audits on self insurers.
10. No employer mandate.
11. Encourage groups of providers, like Qliance in Seattle, who will provide basic care at much lower prices, in exchange for not filing for payment through health insurance. Perhaps with tax breaks. Remove laws that prohibit them setting their prices lower than a preset minimum.
12. Allow insurance companies to provide policies that cover major medical or catastrophic care only, not basic care.
13. Expand HSA’s, and allow them to remain active indefinitely, with no penalties. Perhaps even allow them to move unused funds from an HSA to an IRA after age 65. This way, families could use HSA savings for basic care, and purchase catastrophic insurance as described in number 10. This would also cut down on elective and unessential procedures, since people will think twice when they have to pay. This could also be an option for Medicare recipients, for their supplemental policies, or Medicare Advantage plans.
14. No Gateway or Exchange with Government strings attached. I would rather trust The Better Business Bureau, Insurance agents, recommendations from customers and health care providers or even the Internet to find insurance.
15. For those with pre-existing conditions, allow high risk pools.
16. For those who still cannot afford health care insurance, expand Medicaid, perhaps on a sliding scale. Right now, there are 10 to 17 million legal residents, who want coverage, but can’t afford it. In 2008 Congress spent 17.2 billion on earmarks, defending the practice by saying that this amount is miniscule compared to the overall budget, only a very small percentage. With this “miniscule” amount, they could have given $1,000 to each of the above toward insurance. With 170 billion, they could have each been given $10,000. Clearly, we can take care of these people without a new multi- trillion dollar entitlement!
17. If people choose to accept an Employer Group Plan and then leave their job, make sure they have the option to keep their insurance with the plan’s provider, at an individual rate, with no increases for “preconditions”.
18. Give doctors and Hospitals tax incentives to maintain free clinics for the poor.
19. Give wealthy taxpayers back the charitable contributions tax deduction for donations to these clinics and other providers giving free care.
20. Give persons who purchase individual health insurance a tax deduction similar to that given to employers who offer group health insurance to their employees.
21. NO FEDERAL HEALTH BOARD!
22. NO PUBLIC OPTION! NO TRIGGER!
Like most Americans, I believe that, if we put our heads together, we can solve most of the health care problems without further bankrupting the country, or trampling on the people’s rights.
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