Letters to the Editor, Cont’d: Dems Were Elected to Bring Health Care
Dems Were Elected To Bring Health Care
Editor, Times-Dispatch: Enough already! The mislabeled health care debate is in substance the insurance company security debate.
Insurance has never treated even a hangnail. It exists to make a profit for the shareholders and obscenely overpaid executives and to pump money into politicians' coffers. It does not provide health care for a flea. In fact, it stands between patients and medical care.
Americans did not toss out Republicans and put in Democrats to have the Democrats worry about Republican support. Democrats control both houses of Congress and the White House. So some Republicans in the Senate might filibuster. Boo-hoo. Let those filibustering come up at the polls after they have stood between a child, a mother, or any one of us and needed medical care.
Without a single-payer, universal system such as the rest of the civilized world has, the only health care reform will be to funnel money to the private insurance companies from our tax money. We can afford trillions of our tax dollars to bail out incompetent failures (corporate socialism), but when it comes to paying for the health of all our citizens with our own money, we can't afford it? Are we really that stupid?
The framework already exists: Medicare and Medicaid. Simply eliminate the eligibility requirements. The Democrats weren't elected to please the Republicans and the lobbyists. They were elected to represent and protect us. We're waiting -- and watching.
I won't be holding my breath.
Tex Wood.
Woolwine.
Was Opposing Clinton Racist, Too?
Editor, Times-Dispatch: When President Bill Clinton proposed massive, government-led health care reform in the early days of his first adminstration, I strongly opposed his plan. The Obama adminstration is proposing a similarly onerous and heavy-handed health care reform. I strongly oppose the Obama plan as well.
Former President Jimmy Carter believes my position is racist. I would submit, however, that my position is consistent.
A health care reform plan that has the potential to insert the federal govenment as the central admistrator, arbitrator, or deliverer of service is a bad plan, whether proposed by a black president or a white president. It would be constructive to be able to make that point without the finger of racism pointed in my direction by a failed former president trying desperately to remain relevant.
David Rayner.
Richmond.
Protest Rally Was A Peaceful Success
Editor, Times-Dispatch: After attending the 9/12 protest rally in Washington, I was blown away by the number of people who showed up from across the country for this event. I commented to another person taking Amtrak home afterward that I'd bet the people were the nicest and best-behaved protesters Washington has ever seen. I thought after being there and seeing the huge crowd, I couldn't wait to see the coverage in the paper and on TV.
I found that The Times-Dispatch did have a small part of a larger article posted on the front page. It was an article off the national wire service that showed up in every single paper I looked up online. Taking up most of the front page was a lovely picture and spread for the new opening of the Carpenter Center (which I am excited about) that was given a lot of time and attention from a reporter and photographer from the paper.
I just wonder: How many paying subscribers were in Washington at the rally versus how many attended the opening of the Carpenter Center? You dropped the ball on not fully reporting this historic rally.
Colleen Owens.
Midlothian.
Reader Reactions
I am beginning to think that segments of the American population think that Insurance Companies are charity organizations.
Enough already.
No, they do not treat a flea and neither will the government.
Anybody who thinks that Americans would be satisfied with the kind of care that Medicaid and Medicare delivers is worst than niave.
The fox watching the hen house every step of the way.
Watch out Mr. Wood, if you get your wish you may be required to “hold your breath” for a veryyyyyyyy long time.
I heard there was like 8-12 million people at the 9/12 rally.
“I believe the midterm elections will change the political landscape and this is what the far left fears the most and that is why that always resort to the race card.“
Maybe I’m missing something, but who’s throwing the (meta-) race card here? Two examples on this page, and neither of them is coming from the left.
“If insurers are part problem”?….Seems some are not aware added costs imposed by Anthem BCBS and others among the Family of Five largest insurers who have increased their share of the $2.4 billion pie from 5% 15 years ago to 20%+ today. They operated on a 5% medical cost ratio then (5% of premiums paid for all overhead and reasonable net profit), but left to their greed now operate on an 80% to 70% ratio, while still simply acting as money-changers, same type of crooks as Jesus chased from a temple. Today average employer cost for medical insurance for one worker with a family is $13,375 per year, shared 73% by employer and 27% by worker, meaning employer average cost is $814/month and employee premium copay is $301/month, plus deductibles and copays. Before calculating any possible merit raise for YOU, employer must subtract his share of rising premiums that have increased 138% in past ten years. $1,115/month premium. That is more than average mortgage payment and certainly more than average monthly retirement savings. At least with a 30-yr mortgage one’s monthly payment is fixed. Current health premiums tracking to hit total of $30,000+ in year 2019 . That is $2,500 per month and certain to grow more each year after 2019. Remember local Anthem BCBS and protestors of their 14% premium increase of July 1?
Insurers have but one goal; ever-increasing profits. Will you be ready in ten years for your family premium to exceed $30,000, your deductible to be perhaps $10,000 or more, and your copays be 30-40% of medical and drug bills?
“trusting the government to fix what it broke is madness.”?….Government did not break our delivery system. It simply allowed total freedom of capitalism to lead us into financial madness, still embarrassed by many of you, as though politics is more important than financial well-being of you, your children, and their children. YOU allow it to continue, and continue it appears to be. So, rejoice in the madness YOU support.
Too bad some people don’t show same dismay at greedy insurers as they do at greedy Wall Street financiers, Bernie Madoff, and other such crooks who still from our economy, meaning your family’s income.
Mr. Wood, ‘doing something’ does not mean throwing the baby out with the bathwater. The system is broken. It is broken because of meddling by special interests who have legislators in their pocket. If insurers are part problem, then who has allowed them to become so? The very same people you now want to turn the whole system over to! Throwing one’s hands up in surrender and trusting the government to fix what it broke is madness.
Mr. Wood says that the Democrats were elected to pass healthcare reform and that is why the Republicans were thrown out. With all due respect Mr Wood, a vast number of Democrats were elected to office by very very slim margins. Pelosi and Company do not have a strong mandate to trash the healthcare system in the United States and ram rod Barrack Obamas socialist policies down our throats.
I believe the midterm elections will change the political landscape and this is what the far left fears the most and that is why that always resort to the race card.
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