The American people have spoken loud and clear at rallies across the country and in Washington , D.C. Their message calls for fiscal responsiblity and smaller government. They believe that both parties are responsible for the problems this country is facing. It is not a Republican or Democratic problem; it is an American problem.
President Obama released his new health care reform prior to the summit with Republicans. There isn’t much different in his proposal than the very unpopular Senate bill that has been rejected by the American people. His bill does not stop health care costs from rising; it forces Americans to purchase health care insurance whether they want it or not, it is a rollback of women’s right to choose due to the language relative to abortion. Cuts in Medicare will ration care to the elderly to provide resources for younger patients.
Americans do not want the government interfering between the patient and the doctor relationship. Americans want to keep the doctor they have now and the insurance they have now.
Reform does not have to cost trillions of dollars. Tort reform, which is being totally ignored, could cut medical costs drastically. Americans want affordability, portability and choices. Allowing the purchase of insurance across state lines would result in competition and lower cost. Get government out of the health care business and let the free market solutions fix the problems.
If the government was really interested in health care reform, why haven’t they cleaned up the fraud in Medicare and Medicaid in this past year instead of just talking about it? The money saved by cleaning up the fraud in these two programs alone could go a long way in helping to pay for insurance for those who are not covered currently.
Cathy Tyler, Fenton
Flint Journal Staff
