When you call Congress to voice your opposition to the Heath Care Reform bill, be armed with solid information. The opposition is characterizing us as "loons," unable to muster a single cogent argument against the debacle other than "government-funded abortions," or "death panels."
When you call Congress to voice your opposition to the Heath Care Reform bill, be armed with solid information. The opposition is characterizing us as "loons," unable to muster a single cogent argument against the debacle other than "government-funded abortions," or "death panels."
Call Congress as often as you like, and I encourage you to call everyday if you can until this monstrosity goes down.
Below is a list of talking points, as a suggestion to use when you call. Use no more than one or two points in any single phone call.
- None of the proposed plans in Congress do enough to reduce costs. Instead, with added taxes, fees, and regulations, these proposed plans will increase health care costs.
- The plan does not attempt to stop ambulance-chasing lawyers from filing predatory and egregious lawsuits. These lawsuits add costs to our health care.
- By trying to provide "something for everybody," The government plan artificially increases demand for health care services. This obviously results in higher costs for everyone.
- The plan does nothing to increase supply of health care services and labor. In the past 20 years, our nation has grown by more than 40 million people. Yet during that period we have seen a net gain of only four medical schools to fill our growing demand for doctors. This bill does nothing to address this severe shortage, nor does it address our critical nursing shortage. (How many people out of work right now would want one of those jobs?)
- The plan imposes disincentives to health care equipment companies from developing new products, and levies a hefty $6 billion annual fee on the entire industry.
- The plan will increase insurance premiums by imposing an annual $4 billion fee on the entire insurance industry.
- The plan does nothing to reduce the cost of pharmaceuticals. While it does impose an annual $750 million fee the drug manufacturing sector, it does nothing to streamline the arduous process these companies must undertake to get a drug approved. The Food and Drug Administration requires companies to test a product for an average of 15 years, and must spend 750 million dollars on trials before the FDA will approve it for the market. (Are we killing people by denying a life-saving drug during that 15 year period?)
- The plan does nothing to protect me to keep the insurance plan that I have now. Under the proposed plan, there are several ways that I might lose my health insurance or lose my primary physician whom I have grown accustomed:
- I could lose my job. Currently, if I lose my job, I may elect to keep my current coverage under COBRA as long as I pay the full premium. This plan eliminates COBRA.
- b. My employer could decide it is cheaper to transfer all employees to a government option, co-op, risk pool, or any other list of government alternatives. My employer can do this with impunity regardless of any objection I raise.
- c. My union could make the same decision, and force me to the government option without my say-so.
- d. Even if I am fortunate enough to keep my health plan and doctor that I currently enjoy, the government will rip them from my hands in 2018 when the grandfather clause expires. At that time I will be forced to enroll in a "qualified" health plan that might not satisfy my needs.
- The proposed plan attempts to migrate people away from their private insurance plans toward the government option. If I choose to keep my current plan, my employer will be denied the same tax benefits he would receive if he accepts the government option.
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