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Wednesday, August 26, 2009 8:19 PM CDT
LETTER: Conservatives lie about health care reform
CONNIE MANES, Mattoon
As usual, conservatives are spewing distortions of the truth about the health care reform that is being discussed by Congress. It’s time for a bit of truth.
Whether you want a public option or not to be available for competition, it is not true that the private sector will be eliminated leaving the government as the “only game in the country.” The proof is in the pudding.
Medicare, a government controlled (single payer) system has been in existence for almost 45 years. Guess what, private insurance is still thriving.
Some believe if it were not for Medicare being around, our health care costs would be even worse than they are today.
I for one believe expanding the Medicare rules to include those unable to pay for more costly private care, but may be able to donate a small percentage of their income, should be allowed into the Medicare system. These folks tend to be younger therefore less health care is needed, bringing more money into the system.
It could help Medicare, which is currently going bankrupt, if the fees for those members using it were to be increased, with the stipulation that more is covered, such as deductibles.
Currently seniors, if they can afford it, pay an additional $1,500 per year for supplemental insurance to cover what Medicare won’t. Instead of giving more profits to private insurers, put that money into the Medicare system where it is needed.
They should also get rid of the confusing rule for seniors, where the government will pay only 80 percent of what they consider a procedure should cost. I would also get rid of the Part A and B division of care. Medicare should be treated just like private sector policies are. It should be one plan that pays 80-90 percent of all health care that is covered.
As for the “end of life” option where government pays for you to talk to your doctor about a living will (death panels?) and the so-called new death book for veterans, they too are distortions.
What they fail to tell Americans is that the same option was offered by the Republican controlled Congress and the book was first created by the Bush administration. It contains the same advance-care planning required of all health care organizations under federal law, it has been in use since 1997.
Get the facts folks before swallowing these gun toting conservative lies.
CONNIE MANES
Mattoon
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even steven wrote on Aug 27, 2009 10:00 AM: