Okay, I normally try not to get political here, but this is such an important issue to me that I have to spread the word. As we all know, President Obama is trying to rush legislation through for a national health care program. Regardless or your party standings, I think this is something that should not be rushed, and needs a lot of investigation. Here's a link to an article that addresses the health care issue much more eloquently than I can http://www.onenewsnow.com/Perspectives/Default.aspx?id=612238.
A few issues that have me concerened with a national plan are:
1) The increased cost. I calculated that currently, I pay about 20% of my income to taxes and health care. It seems to me that countries with national health care coverage average in the 30-40% tax range. I personally can't afford to cover health care for those who have chosen to spend their money on other things like bigger houses, etc....because remember, we do already have health care for the poor. Those without health care are maybe not rich, but they have chosen to sacrifice health care for other things. I also don't want to provide health care for people who get paid "under the table." If they aren't reporting it as income, they aren't paying their share of taxes. Yes, I do know that Obama is trying to not have people making under $250000 annually have an increased cost, but 1-is that really going to happen, and 2-is it fair to ask people who have worked hard to get where they've gotten to pay for my health care?
2) Lack of incentive for pharmaceutical companies to develop new drugs. The majority of all new drugs are researched and developed in America. There is no financial benefit to develop new drugs in other countries. This has not been addressed as far as I can see in Obama's plan
3) Shortage of doctors. This is extremely important to me. I have my vision today because a doctor was able to get me in for next day surgery. Would that happen under a national health care program or would treatment be caught up in beurocratic paperwork. I also was treated quickly for my Grave's Disease. Under a national health care, I would have been forced to take a thyroid reducing drug until it stopped working. While this was already an option for me, I didn't feel right about treating my thyroid with the reducing drug, because it generally does stop working. What if it stopped working in the middle of a pregnancy? I want to be able to make my own health care choices, not a committee in Washington. Obama has addressed this by giving funds to train more doctors, but if there is no money to be made in medicine, are people really going to pursue such a gruelling carreer?
Please understand, I do think our health care system is broken. However, I don't think the solution is to rush a national health care program. Let's take time to explore other options and persue more freedom instead of less.
A friend of mine posted a list of democratic congressmen who have the power to stop them so I'm copying it over here too. If this issue is important to you, please contact these representatives and ask them to vote against the national health care plan.
Mike Ross (Arkansas) http://www.ross4congress.com/index.asp?Type=B_LOC&SEC=%7BCBD50D70-DC7E-433C-A0A4-F4C4F914A391%7D
John Barrow (Georgia) https://forms.house.gov/barrow/webforms/issue_subscribe.htm
Baron Hill (Indiana) http://baronhill.house.gov/contact.shtml
Charlie Melancon (Louisiana) http://www.melancon.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=191&Itemid=52
Zachary Space (Ohio) http://space.house.gov/?sectionid=3§iontree=3
Bart Gordon (Tennessee) http://gordon.house.gov/contact/index.shtml
Jim Matheson (Utah) http://matheson.house.gov/contact.shtml
2 comments:
Well noted. I agree!
Thanks for the hyperlink. It's so much easier to get involved and write your congressmen when people make it easy!
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