Heritage Foundation has an alternative to health care plan being pursued in Congress

EDITOR:

In last Sunday’s Vindicator, Congressman Charlie Wilson wrote a compelling column in favor of national health reform. In it, he gives many good reasons why we need “reform,” and it sounds terrific.

I have opposite thoughts, which I would like to share.

Congressman Wilson stated that “we spend 50 percent more per person on health care than the next nation and we are no healthier for it”. First of all, in the United States, if you are a 75-year-old and need a hip or knee replaced, you get one. We don’t say “sorry Charlie, but you’re too old”. If you lived in a country with socialized health care, health care is allocated or rationed to individuals based on cost and life expectancy. Also, we are a healthier nation. When a national leader has cancer, where does he or she go? To China, Kenya or Canada? No. They come to America, a country with the best health care in the world. Not because of government bureaucracy, but because of individual freedom of doctors and researchers in a capitalistic environment.

Charlie also says that 46 million Americans are uninsured. Please define for me those 46 million Americans. Counted in those 46 millions are illegal aliens. So let’s have a debate to see if we can afford to pay health care to those who are here illegally. Has anyone ever heard of California? Also part of those 46 million are people who are changing insurance companies. So if you don’t have insurance for a day, you are part of the 46 million.

Charlie also stated that “this plan is budget-neutral.” Since when has any government bureaucracy stayed budget neutral? One only has to look at how Congress oversees Social Security.

If government isn’t the solution, what is? Well, since I’m not a health-care expert (although I’m a health care provider) I researched alternative solutions from the Heritage Foundation. Here is what they say:

“Instead of a putting Washington in control over personal health-care decisions, individuals and families should be the key decision makers in their health care.

“Proposals that give fair and equal tax treatment for those who buy health coverage on their own, encourage states to develop solutions that will give individuals direct control of the flow of health-care dollars, and finance reform by restructuring existing spending, not more spending, are key steps to solving America’s health-care problems.

“Such a system would promote personal ownership; give Americans more health choices, and force health plans and providers to compete directly for their dollars. The end result would lower costs and guarantee better quality.”

Whether you’re conservative, liberal, Democrat or Republican, one needs to ask their representatives who vote in favor of any form of health-care reform, this very important question: “Will you opt out of your golden health care plan that the people pay for, and voluntarily join the plan that you impose on us” After all, if its good enough for the peons that you impose this on, it should be good enough for the representatives who vote it in.

CARMEN AMADIO

Boardman