"Have no fear, Health Care is here!"

So.....how did my meeting go you ask?

Well, as it turns out, ALL of my fears were unfounded! Yes, that's what I said. It appears that everything I spent hours researching, checking, and writing that I was able to ask about or mention in our meeting was "UNTRUE!"

Below is a copy of the notes I made for the meeting, (to which I knew would not all be addressed due to the fact that there were two of us in the meeting with him and we were allowed 15 minutes to express and have our concerns addressed.) So, along with my notes are the Congressman's replies in RED, as brief as they may be! My comments in blue.

Notes for mtg. with Sander Levin – Re: HR 3200 aka “The Health Care Bill

“Public Option” or “Co-op” – a Trojan Horse?

• Insurance Companies can’t compete with government health care – they will eventually be put out of business. - "NOT TRUE!"
  
• Competition will be driven out.
• No incentive for employers to pay for private insurance.- "NOT TRUE!"
• Instead of a 1018 pg. Bill that has half the country up in arms, maybe government should narrow the focus to:
• Tort Reform – put limits on the liability claims and a cap on the rewards for damages."We had Tort Reform" - no further explanation given.
• Portability – protect coverage when workers change or lose theirs jobs (this will take care of the problem with ‘Pre-existing conditions’). - no answer - this came last and time ran out on the meeting!
  
• Allow it to cross State lines to force competition among private insurance companies. (Give us more control & more choices – forcing private plans to create better products, improve service and lower prices).

The problem goes much deeper than health care. It goes to the roots of our fundamental rights as Americans. It destroys our human rights (life & liberty). This health care plan is so far from reason – it’s not even manageable – it could even collapse our health care system altogether. When the government runs something, the price doesn't just increase – it multiplies!

Contrary to the position of many in government – There is no “right to health care”. We have a right to appeal to others when we are in need, but we have no right to demand that they help us. Charity is voluntary, and is not to be compelled by the State. Forced charity takes from one & gives to another. The giving of charitable help is to be done by individuals (and the organizations they may form).

The health care system isn't broken – the government is! It is already bankrupt - "NOT TRUE! ". Everyone agrees that health care needs reform, but it is still run a whole lot more efficiently than the government.- "NOT TRUE!" (i.e. “Cash for Clunkers” – it’s absurd that they are destroying capital -Governments consume wealth, they don’t produce it.)

A government run health care system would give the State greater authority as it would necessarily assume the power of life & death. Though it is true the Bill does not mention euthanasia - health care would be rationed- "NOT TRUE!! There is nothing about euthanasia in the Bill." (I did not mention euthanasia - see my notes above) There is no way around rationing. (see Dr. Ezekiel Emmanual's article (90)60137 that explores the ethical challenges of valuing an individual’s life in the context of allocating medical resources that are very scarce.)

Where are the Public Servants? Government is supposed to represent us, not rule over us! Their primary responsibility lies in protecting life, liberty, and property.

We want no further encroachments on our individual liberties and freedoms!

We do not want Socialism or Socialized medicine!

We want the continuation of our free enterprise system - "WE HAD FREE ENTERPRISE" - no further explanation given!

Well, that is where it ended.......................for now. I will follow up with these and the unaddressed items in a written letter to Mr. Levin, and carbon copies will go to Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin. Where it goes from there.......................God knows.

(I must say, my Boss, Chuck, had some very good questions, and some very REAL concerns related to being a Business Owner and the burdens being created by the government, but you will have to ask him if he was satisfied with any of the answers he received.)