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Monday, July 27, 2009

DENNIS PATRICK: RUSHING HEALTH CARE

July 24, 2009

Health care legislation, the biggest story in months, gets scant critical examination in the mainstream media. One outlet after another offers the same unremarkable spin in favor of Obama’s health care initiative.

For example, there’s not one peep about tort reform from the MSM. Frivolous law suits with enormous payouts that drive the high cost of doctor’s malpractice insurance is one of the biggest contributors to the high cost of health care.

The rush toward health care reform proceeds unchecked at a dizzying pace. President Bush was criticized for rushing to war with Iraq, but there is no media criticism about Obama’s rush to pass health care legislation.

For all its warts and pimples, we already have the best health care system in the world. WHO ranks the United State 1 out of 191 countries. Americans don’t flock to Canada, Britain or Cuba for health care. But, people do flock to the United States for care.

Frustrated, more people seek information about health care legislation from alternative media. Public objection and outrage grow over H.R. 3200 (America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009). People are learning that the provisions are neither affordable nor offer choices.

Although Obama has praised the Mayo Clinic repeatedly as a model for health care reform, Mayo Clinic has not returned the favor. It’s adamantly opposed to H.R. 3200. Last week clinic officials said “...the proposed legislation misses the opportunity to help create higher quality, more affordable care for patients. In fact, it will do the opposite” because the proposals aren’t “patient-focused or results oriented. The real losers will be the citizens of the United States.”

Easily found on the internet, H.R. 3200 contains the following examples. If anything changes in your current health contract, you will be required to move into a “qualified plan,” one that the government considers in your best interest (pp. 16-17).

Offensive language such as “mentally retarded” is used (p 389).

Seniors will be compelled to submit to end-of-life care counseling once every five years, or more often if ill or in a nursing home (pp. 425-430).

When filing taxes, if you cannot prove you are in a “qualified plan” you will be fined thousands of dollars (pp. 167-168).

July 24, Democrats, rejecting Republican input, pushed through a partisan amendment to H.R. 3200 allowing 12 million illegal aliens free health care. The House Ways and Means Committee passed H.R. 3200 23-18. An amendment offered by Republicans to strip the illegal alien provision was defeated along straight partisan lines 26-15.

Taxpayers’ dollars flow like water. If congress had used $30 billion of the $1 trillion stimulus package (which isn’t working) to insure people without health insurance, the forty million “uninsured” would be covered -- including the illegal aliens.

Chairing his Senate Budget Committee hearing on Thursday, July 16, Kent Conrad asked a pointed question of Congressional Budget Director Doug Elmendorf. “I’m going to really put you on the spot....[D]o you see a successful effort being mounted to bend the long-term cost curve?” Elmendorf answered, “No Mr. Chairman. On the contrary, the legislation (H.R. 3200) significantly expands the federal responsibility for health care costs.” And again, “Over time, accumulating debt would cause substantial harm to the economy.” Elmendorf’s comments earned him an invitation to a personal meeting with President Obama. Separation of powers anyone?

On Saturday, July 25, in a letter to House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Elmendorf reiterated that “In CBO’s judgment, the probability is high that no savings would be realized [over the 10-year budget window]....”

Peggy Noonan, a Ronald Reagan speech writer and Obama campaign supporter, recently discussed the unspoken public fear with the health care bill. With comprehensive public funding of the same health care for everyone, the overseers in government feel obligated to tell folks how to live and which simple joys in life are allowed and disallowed. As Americans go about their daily routines more and more are feeling less and less free. H.R. 3200 will only intensify that feeling.

Are you listening, Congressman Pomeroy?

With rising public concern, shouldn’t congress take its time and get it right? Shouldn’t Obama at least take as long revising health care as he took to select his puppy for the White House -- six months?

Dennis M. Patrick can be contacted at P. O. Box 337, Stanley, ND 58784 or (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

 

Click here to email your elected representatives.

Comments

Avatar for Chatcath

If we can’t afford to provide for the elderly, who have paid taxes and been productive citizens, why would we give health benefits to illegal aliens?

Chatcath on July 28, 2009 at 01:11 am
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