“Some Common Sense Ideas, Regardless of What President Obama, His Czars (Such as Recently Resigned Green Jobs Advisor, Van Jones), & Other Supporters (Referred to as a Group as the “Nazis Without Brains” or “NWB”) Say. This article covers these topics: 1) Items that should NOT be part of Health Care Reform; & 2) Items that SHOULD be part of Health Care Reform. 3) Health Care, 'Death Book' for Veterans, & Other Information 4) The President’s Proposed 9/8/09 Speech to Students 1) Items that should NOT be part of Health Care Reform: a) A “government option” (which is contained in the Democrats’ proposals) that can drive private insurers out of business, either by cutting reimbursements or peeling away subscribers currently enrolled in private insurance plans, can’t be part of healthcare reform. A government option would not encourage competition, but would destroy it. Supporters of the government option argue that required preventive services would help offset the huge cost increases associated with the government option. However, in his 8/7/09 letter (to U.S. Congressman Nathan Deal) Douglas Elmendorf, Director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) states, “Although different types of preventive care have different effects on spending, the evidence suggests that for most preventive services, expanded utilization leads to higher, not lower, medical spending overall.” b) Health Care Reform must not include a “government option” which necessarily includes rationing (death panels are part of rationing). Section 1233 of HR 3200, the Democrat’s main healthcare reform measure under consideration, mandates “Advance Care Planning Consultation”, & even suggests possible ways to allow a person to die. For example, “antibiotics”…”artificially administered nutrition and hydration” [water] can be withheld “among other items” [HR 3200 page 430]. The preceding would “open the door” to the Federal Government issuing regulations authorizing specified individuals to make life or death decisions about people in the health care system. c) We should not, as taxpayers, pay for the health insurance of the 12 Million illegal aliens in the U.S. HR 3200 provides for that, & we definitely cannot afford it. b) Health Care Reform must not include a “trigger”, which would install a “government option” if certain standards are not met within a certain time period. This basically ensures a “government option”, & the destruction of all choice. 2) Items that SHOULD be part of Health Care Reform: a) Tort Reform. As a very first step we must have meaningful liability & lawsuit reform. There should be reasonable limits on the amounts of damages people can sue for (for example $500,000), keeping in mind that a trial attorney may retain a portion of what the patient recovers. A big chunk of the cost of health care is costly and exhaustive testing doctors resort to because their lawyers advise them to “cover their backsides” and a surgeon may pay $200,000 or more per year for malpractice insurance. Without Tort Reform, Health Care Reform is not really reform at all, but is Health Care Fraud, & a way of funneling tax money to trial attorneys. b) We need to adopt the Republican proposals to further improve the existing health care system in the U.S by providing people with tax benefits to offset their costs, medical savings accounts, & maintain the private (with absolutely no government) health care delivery system, with a private “pool” (so patients & small businesses may unite with the purchasing power of millions) and health-care cooperatives w/coverage for everyone, including those w/ pre-existing conditions, & those who lose their jobs & their health insurance with it. For those who truly cannot pay the premiums, the Federal Government should pay. [Another excellent alternative: "A patient-centered health-care reform begins with individual ownership of insurance policies and leverages Health Savings Accounts, a low-premium, high-deductible alternative to traditional insurance that includes a tax-advantaged savings account. It allows people to purchase insurance policies across state lines and reduces the number of mandated benefits insurers are required to cover. It reallocates the majority of Medicaid spending into a simple voucher for low-income individuals to purchase their own insurance. And it reduces the cost of medical procedures by reforming tort liability laws." ["How to Fix the Health-Care 'Wedge'" by Arthur B. Laffer, WSJ.com 8/5/09] Low-income individuals would need additional governmental monetary assistance for deductibles. Lower premiums would enable most individuals to pay deductibles, & there would be no exclusions for pre-existing conditions. There are other possibilities, such as pools and/or non-profit insurers, provided they do not include a government option. A government option would eventually destroy all other (private) options, & the government option wou