Give us a summary that’s easy to understand
The question I have on health care reform is, why are President Obama, Nancy Pelosi and others in such a rush to speed something through Congress in a few weeks? Taxpaying citizens have every right to be skeptical and demand accountability on this issue, after witnessing the way the stimulus plan was rushed into existence. Even the president cannot articulate what his health care plan is. Unidentified personnel in Washington cobbled together a bill over 1,000 pages long, that no one is capable of deciphering — not even those we elected. Ramming this bloated bill through is sheer insanity, and an insult to every citizen.
Let our lawmakers write, and publish for citizen review, a simple summary of their bill and what it will do, so anyone with a high school education can read and understand the contents. No double-speak or sophisticated legalese, and code wording to confuse people. Anything else constitutes committing fraud on the people of this great country.
There are 545 elected officials in Washington who, for the most part, care only about themselves, while trying to convince us they have our best interests at heart. Sorry, but we know better — and we demand much better results.
Ted Paquette, Big Canoe
Some healthy uninsured aren’t thinking ahead
In “On medical coverage, many agree to disagree” (News, Aug. 23), many of those interviewed regarding their views on health care spoke out against government reform, yet do not possess health insurance themselves. One uninsured Lawrenceville resident argued her lack of coverage is “not the government’s concern.” One wonders, though, who she expects to pay for her health care should she find herself, God forbid, seriously ill. She or her family would be saddled with crushing debt for the rest of their lives, much like today’s hospitals that are laboring under the cost of catastrophic care for uninsured patients. Too many of those interviewed only considered the issue from the fortunate and all-too-immediate perspective of the healthy.
Holly Chesser, Atlanta
Reform would help insurers, not taxpayers
Current health care reform will be a financial bonanza for the insurance companies. As the baby boomers are reaching the age of eligibility for Medicare, the insurance companies will lose the major health coverage of thousands of clients. Government demanding private insurance for everyone will maintain and increase profits of the insurance companies.
Real reform would be to put everyone on Medicare or Medicaid from birth to death. Payment could begin at $10 a month from birth to age 10, and increase each decade by $10 a month. Actuaries would work out a practical plan. In my 80s, I pay close to $100 a month for Medicare and at my option an additional $145 to a private insurance company. Medicare takes care of people. My insurance company profits.
Today, we are a dollar democracy, and less and less, a people’s democracy.
Barbara Hudson, Atlanta
Give us the same health plan Congress has
There seems to be a push to pass a health care plan in honor of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy. Why doesn’t Congress just give all Americans the same health care plan they have at the same price they pay? If our elected senators, congressmen and congresswomen are unwilling to do that, they should bow out of the plan they are under, and get in the same health care boat they want the rest of the nation to climb into.
President Obama made a big deal about how transparent his administration would be. The majority of legislation he has promoted has been so transparent as to be invisible. The government is a bloated bureaucracy which, unfortunately, gets many things wrong. It would be silly to urgently pass such sweeping health care legislation that no one, including Congress, clearly understands. But if we must, let’s campaign for Congress to give the people the same health care plan they enjoy.
John C. Dunn, Jonesboro