This Response is from Congressmen Jim Gerlach
http://www.gerlach.house.gov
My comments are in Blue and I have emphasized some of his statements through bold
Dear Mr. Mattis:
Thank you for contacting me with your views on health care reform. I wanted to take the opportunity to respond to your comments on this very important issue.
I believe that the time has come for us to take on the challenge of reforming the health care system in this country. There is no doubt that health care costs are rising and many Americans of all ages are struggling with these increased costs. During these tough economic times, the need to address health care reform is vital.
“struggling”
18,000 deaths blamed on lack of insurance
By Steve Sternberg, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — More than 18,000 adults in the USA die each year because they are uninsured and can't get proper health care, researchers report in a landmark study released Tuesday.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/healthcare/2002-05-22-insurance-deaths.htm
Institute of Medicine: http://www.iom.edu/?id=17632
500 Fifth Street NW
Washington DC 20001
iomwww@nas.edu
tel: 202.334.2352
fax: 202.334.1412
“Lack of health insurance causes roughly 18,000 unnecessary deaths every year in the United States. Although America leads the world in spending on health care, it is the only wealthy, industrialized nation that does not ensure that all citizens have coverage.”
Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE58G6W520090917
Study links 45,000 U.S. deaths to lack of insurance
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Nearly 45,000 people die in the United States each year -- one every 12 minutes -- in large part because they lack health insurance and cannot get good care, Harvard Medical School researchers found in an analysis released on Thursday.
That’s what you call struggling?
As you may know, there are numerous Members of Congress, as well as President Obama and his Administration that have been working on various proposals. I have been very involved in drafting one of these proposals with fellow moderate Republicans and we believe it will lower costs and expand access without compromising the doctor-patient relationship,
None of the others plans, including the public option would “compromise” the doctor patient relationship. This argument is just more fear mongering designed to scare under informed Americans into opposing the needed changes. The ones that would hurt your campaign contributions.
Why do you state you “believe” it will achieve your goals if, as you said, this issue is “Vital”, shouldn’t you KNOW??
…jeopardizing the quality of American medicine or raising taxes on the American people.
More fear mongering and distortion of reality:
According to the WHO:
The US ranks behind 23 industrialized nations in “Healthy Life Expectancy”
The US ranks 32 in “Overall Health System Performance”
Taking into account the argument that there exists some bias in the study, let’s say it’s only half as bad as that. With the wealth of this nation anything less than number 1 (and by a large margin) should be considered unacceptable
The proposed Medical Rights and Reform Act will make health insurance more affordable and give all Americans more options and control over their health care decisions.
…providing greater incentives to small businesses to cover their employees;
But in no way mandate that they actually do.
encouraging state-centered insurance markets reforms;
But in no way mandate that they actually do.
giving low-income families the option to use public funds to purchase private health insurance plans;
But in no way mandate that they actually do, so they continue to use the emergency room for issues that could have been handles at 1/100th the price had they gone to a doctor for regular visits.
Those that do, will be using OUR MONEY to line the pocket of YOUR WEALTHIEST CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTORS.
enhancing Health Savings Accounts;
For those that have the extra cash to put into a Savings Account.
allowing young adults to remain dependents on their parent’s plan; and expanding rural health care programs.
Allowing young people to choose to be on their parents unaffordable as it is plan
Additionally, our proposal will improve the quality of care by focusing on prevention and wellness,
That is the focus of all of the plans
employing technologies that reduce medical errors,
AKA using Taxpayer money to purchase ridiculously expensive and likely unproven technology from the same technology companies that give you the money you need to remain in office.
and promoting medical breakthroughs. I have attached a summary of this proposal for your information.
I am very happy that this proposal incorporates bipartisan legislation that I have introduced with my colleague, Democrat Representative Ron Kind from Wisconsin,
The same Ron Kind whose top 5 Campaign contributors for the 08 election were
|
Health Professionals |
$144,800 |
$14,300 |
$130,500 |
|
Insurance |
$130,816 |
$17,050 |
$113,766 |
|
Pharmaceuticals/Health Products |
$69,466 |
$750 |
$68,716 |
|
Securities & Investment |
$69,400 |
$17,400 |
$52,000 |
|
Lawyers/Law Firms |
$50,199 |
$29,449 |
$20,750 |
H.R. 2350, the proposed Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) Act. This legislation would make health insurance more affordable, predictable, and accessible for our small businesses and the self-employed. The SHOP Act would offer tax incentives to encourage states to reform poorly functioning small group insurance markets and would encourage the development of state purchasing pools backstopped by a voluntary, nationwide pool.
We need to focus on ways to make health care more affordable and accessible for our small business owners and entrepreneurs and I believe that the SHOP Act will accomplish this.
Where were you from 2000 to 2008? When Republicans controlled everything?
The Democratic Leadership in the House of Representatives has put forth a health care reform proposal in the form of a 1,107-page bill, H.R. 3200. I do not support this bill as it is currently written. We cannot afford its massive tax and spending increases in this time of recession.
We could if we hadn’t squandered all the surplus from the Clinton years.
This bill also contains a "public option plan," in other words, a health care plan that is controlled and run by the government.
Like Medicare:
Survey: Medicare Beneficiaries Report Greater Satisfaction With Insurance, Better Access To Care Than Enrollees In Employer-Sponsored Plans
http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Content/News/News-Releases/2002/Oct/Survey--Medicare-Beneficiaries-Report-Greater-Satisfaction-With-Insurance--Better-Access-To-Care-Tha.aspx
“Medicare out-performs private sector plans in terms of patients' satisfaction with quality of care, access to care, and overall insurance ratings. The survey found that elderly Medicare beneficiaries are 2.7 times more likely than enrollees in employer-sponsored plans to rate their health insurance as excellent and less likely to report negative experiences with their insurance plans. Medicare beneficiaries are also one-third as likely to say they couldn't get health care because of cost than are those covered by employer private insurance plans.
I do not believe that bureaucrats should be making health care decisions for our citizens,
But you chose to abstain from voting against your Party in the Schiavo case where they did just that.
or controlling the medical decision-making process in a way that will delay or deny services for you or your family.
Even if it means, as you voted in Vote 23: H R 4: you were keeping the government from lowering prescription drug costs for individuals using medicare
It is not the proper role for the government to be telling Americans what doctors they can see, how many x-rays they can get in a year, or what prescriptions they can take.
More fear mongering the public option would not do those things.
I believe it's imperative to preserve the sacred doctor-patient relationship and prevent the government from interfering in those decisions.
I don’t believe you.
I believe that, as Congress pursues changes to our health care system, we should work together in a bipartisan way to produce health care legislation that will provide high quality, affordable and accessible care for all Americans.
No. You really don’t, nor do any of your colleagues.
Again, thank you for contacting me about health care reform. If I can be of any assistance to you or your family in the future, please do not hesitate to contact me.
You can be sure you will hear from me again.
With kind regards, I am
Sincerely,
Jim Gerlach
Member of Congress
P.S. Please visit me on the internet at http://www.gerlach.house.gov.
Response from Senator Casey
|
From: |
Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr. (senator@casey.senate.gov) |
|
Sent: |
Mon 3/23/09 8:11 PM |
