Is it good enough?
by Joe Wilson on August 4, 2009Dear Friends-
“If a government-run health plan is good enough for the American people, it is good enough for Congress.”
Now you may be wondering what I meant when I spoke those words on the House floor last week.
Many people feel that President Obama is trying to enact a government takeover of our health care system and that this plan will limit choices for patients and doctors, will increase costs, and decrease the quality of medicine.
During consideration of the over 1,000 page bill in the Education and Labor Committee, I successfully got an amendment passed that provides for senior administration officials and Members of Congress who vote in favor of government-run health care to enroll in that plan themselves. Members of Congress shouldn’t have access to one standard of health care, while Americans are subjected to a lesser form of health care and loss of freedom. Americans must monitor that this amendment is kept in the bill.
I will continue to be a strong voice for health care reform because we cannot let our health care system fall by the wayside. It’s one of the most important issues impacting all American families.
So what do you think? Is the government- run health care system good enough for you? Leave your comment below!
I am fighting as hard as I can for a conservative plan to give Americans quality and affordable health care and to promote real health reforms. If you missed out on my video about health reform, check it out by clicking here.
Thank you,
Joe Wilson
30 Responses to “Is it good enough?”
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Medicare and Medicaid are fraught with government red tape. Under these plans, the service providers usually break even with their expenses. They will cut quality and services to patients, if they think they will lose money. This means you get the cheapest generic drugs, limited testing and procedures, etc., as they “cost” the organization money they will never recover. Hospitals have to survive, doctors have to live etc. Health Care reform proposed by Obama is nothing short of a socialistic setup. I work with people from Canada and Denmark, who are happy to tell you what is wrong with their healthcare system. I am sick of people saying they can’t afford healthcare. For many, it is a choice to not carry insurance, to avoid the hefty premiums. They want to buy new cars, beer, cigarettes, party, eat out, etc……all is well until they get sick. Then it is my problem to correct their irresponsible behavior. Provide basic care with reasonable co-pays. How about developing a list of medications that are affordable for people on fixed incomes. Sell the meds. to Medicaire patients for less than you do me. The drug companies are making money hand over fist. Perhaps a little control on what they can charge might help. Pass a few changes like insurance companies cannot cancel your policy if you get cancer, change jobs, have a pre-existing condition etc. Basic care should always be possible, provided you pay reasonable co-pays for it. I am not in favor of giving anyone anything. Hold the people accountable for their decisions.
Way to go, Joe!
Let’s have Congress be subject to the Health Care bill for at least 10 years before considering it for the public at large. That length of time will be adequate for analyzing any flaws in the system and will let our esteemed public servants decide if they want their children and elderly parents on this program.
WAY TO GO, JOE!
What is good enough for me and my family, especially as I have reached my sixties, is that we have control of our own health care!!!!
Government healthcare is not the answer. I think we need control on what
these companies can charge for medicine, it seems out of control. It seems
this government plan doesn’t take care of the elderly period, that’s just wrong.
Please help us kill this Healthcare Reform Bill. Because I work in healthcare I have been trying to keep up with what it covers or really what it doesn’t cover. If we pass this bill you are signing a death warrant for our senior citizens and the extremely ill. People need to read the bill before they decide that they want this for their families or themselves. I am not sure America is really aware what this means. When we have a problem we run to the emergency room or the doctor- we are a people that has everything we want when we want it. If this bill passes we will not get the healthcare on demand. Are you really ready for euthanasia or limits to what care you can get for your parents , yourselves and your children. I am ready to help with the fight. Joe you can help us stop this!
Congressman Wilson,
Thank you for continuing to advance the conservative message in Washington. I am proud to know that I have a leader as my congressman. Please continue to keep the Obama administration held accountable for their egrigious ideas.
I hope that you will be able to speak to my College Republicans chapter about fiscal spending and the need to have reform in DC. Thanks again.
-Daniel Brennan
USC College Republicans Chairman
I agree with you that Congress should be part of the plan. I agree that the plans being proposed will not solve the problem. HR 3200 and the H E L P bill do nothing to make the plans competitive with the insurance industry, They are, in fact, skewed in the favor of the insurance industry. I understand the H E L P Committee bargained with PhARMA to prevent generics from coming to market for 11-12 years, rather than the 5 years it now takes for some drugs. How will that reduce the cost? We already have a Trillion dollar (or more) PhARMA bill in Medicare Part D that does not allow for negotiating with the industry to reduce costs.
The American College of Physicians issued a white paper in 2004, “The Cost of the Uninsured” http://www.acponline.org/pressroom/lack_ins.htm. This report reflects what the underlying costs we are already paying for the uninsured. It’s time everyone have some skin in the game.
By transferring premium dollars to tax dollars, everyone would have some skin in the game. Those that are receiving government support now, could have that support reduced by the taxed percent. Medicaid, SCHIP, Medicare could all be rolled into a single payer program. Premium on workers comp could be reduced by the medical portion of the premium. Auto and homeowner policies could be reduced by the cost of PIP/MedPay premiums. Liability subrogation for any medical payments made would be required.
Economists reviewing HR676 have reported a family of 4 could reduce their health care premiums to $2700 from $7600 annually.
Why are we allowing the bought and paid for politicians to sell our futures to the health care and insurance industry.
And it’s past time for the health care providers to clean up their act – http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/06/01/090601fa_fact_gawande?currentPage=all
As a retired health care insurance fraud investigator, I’ve seen both sides of this issue. Wake up folks – don[‘t be lead down the path by a bunch of pols whose only goal is to pad their campaign bank accounts.
NO, IT IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR US. THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO DEMAND THAT WE JUST STAND HERE AND TAKE IT. THEY ARE NOT GOD AND I WILL NOT STAND DOWN. THE USA WAS BORN INTO FREEDOM AND SHOULD NOT BE PUT IN SOME PEOPLES HANDS. I LIKE TO KNOW MY DOCTORS AND I TRUST THEM TO PRESCRIBE CORRECTLY FOR OUR HEALTH. PLEASE, PLEASE DON’T LET THIS HEALTH SITUATION “GET OUT OF HAND”.
THANKS FOR FIGHTING FOR US FOR FREEDOM.
I really think the …….. just say NO!
Thanks for standing in the “gap” for us. I agree with you
Understand I do not want “the plan” passed
Thank you so much for common sense!! Tell all government officials – senators/congress/president – to stay out of my health care.
My husband and I are extremely upset over this whole health care plan. We are hoping and praying that some intelligent thinking person will put politics aside, and work in the best interest of all of the American people, instead of a select few. I hope you are that voice, Mr. Wilson. We feel very afraid and frightened right now. We are senior citizens and feel we deserve the same treatment as the rest of the United States, including the Congress.
Joe, In a word “COST”. Can we afford a government run plan? While there are things that could be done to improve upon our system, having the govenrment run it is NOT an option. Do you really believe that your bill could sustain its self all the way through the system?
NO, IT IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR US! MANY OF THOSE WHO SUPPORT THIS MOVEMENT ARE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING FOR NOTHING. THIS DOSE NOT HAPPEN. OUR GOVERNMENT IS NOT CAPABLE OF SUCESSFULLY RUNNING A PROGRAM OF THIS MAGNITUDE. LOOK AT HOW IT HAS MISHANDLED THE STIMULUS PACKAGE AND THE CASH FOR CLUNKERS PROGRAM. WE ARE RAPIDLY SINKING AS A FREE, DEMOCRATIC NATION. JOE, PLEASE USE EVERY MEANS AT HAND TO DEFEAT THIS BILL. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING THESE COMMENTS.
Judging from the comments on this site, it appears you all get your information from Fox News and Rush Limbaugh. Do yourselves a favor and read information about these bills from reliable sources.
How many of you are one step away from being laid off? How high have your insurance premiums increased over the last few years? It will continue to increase unless something is done and then it will be YOU who can no longer afford it.
Or is it that you all are just so afraid because a black man is President and, therefore, anything he or his party does is unacceptable? Where was your outrage when Bush gave the rich a Trillion dollar tax break and then sold the country out in a war of choice rather than a war of necessity, costing another trillion, along with the lives of brave soldiers who should never have died? Where was your outrage when the GOP signed Medicare Part D into law creating a Trillion dollar Medicare debt with no way for Medicare to negotiate with PhARMA for those drugs?
Where was your outrage when the Bush administration sent $900 million dollars to Iraq to set up a universal health care plan for Iraqis?
But, hey, have it your way, but when you find you can’t pay your premiums any longer, maybe your Congressmen and Senators will pay the bill for you out of their bloated campaign coffers filled by the insurance & pharma industry!
Be sure to let the rest of us know how that works out will you?
No, it isn’t good enough. It will lead to higher taxes, poorer quality of care and rationing. Please continue to fight against it.
Any thing the government runs is a failure so why does anyone think they can run healthcare. The cost are triple what they say. If the system is so broken fix medicaid and medicare first and let’s see the success. Everyone should have to pay. Medicaid could start with making people pay a sliding scale based on income. Let’s face it those who don’t pay the IRS at the end of the are all for it and those special interest groups.
Socialism does not work
I agree with your proposal and I would go one more step and include SOCIAL SECURITY FOR ALL SENIORS IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE [ we are not getting any social security increase in year 2010 why not when all the house and senate received AUTOMATIC INCREASES TO $ 173000/YEAR how can they do this while making big errors DONT LIE OR TAKE MONEY though the back door [Dodd's Franks and Pelosi and others== I will accept the Presidents Health care if he include as he said FOR ALL THE PEOPLE INCLUDING HIM AND HIS FAMILY == AND NO NO illegal [ship them back ]
I am going on 76 years of age.
In that 75+ years I have have seen no change except for higher taxes, less freedoms and more scumbag politicians telling bigger and bigger lies.
You don’t seriously think I am going to believe you now, do you?
If you do then you are a bigger fool than I already think you are!!!
ALL of Washington needs to be cleaned out and flushed down the sewer.
As far as you stopping or effecting the vote!!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!
I have learned to trust none of you in Government, Business or Religion.
Robert, I’m almost 70 and I agree with who can you trust.
And I sure don’t trust the insurance companies. My insurance, United Health Care, cut me off mid-chemo. By the time my treatment was done, I was $350,000 in debt. We lost everything. My daughter can’t even GET insurance because she had a thyroid problem when she was 33.
Luckily, I now have medicare; I’m getting all the treatment I need, when I need it, from the same doctors I had under UHC. I agree that they should be paid more fairly for their work, but that can be fixed. I’ve never had the government come between me and my doctor; but UHC sure did. They have denied certain medications and treatments.
Say “NO” to the plan. Develop a plan that solely directs its benifits to the un-insured or those that desired insurance and are un-able to obtain it. Leave what we have uneffected so that we can maintain our choice to plan our own health care needs.
The thing that bothers me is that the talk appears to ignore the fact that the best health insurance is given by self-insured companies. They are not in the health business; therefore the first chance that they get to get out of the health care business, they will use this advantage. The people that have this stable and good insurance are unsure as to what we will end up with.
The outrage is not a mob; it is truly a large majority of people like myself that are sure that Washington based on recent actions has virtually no chance in hell of coming up with a successful program.
The recent example that the stimulus bill did not meet the original criteria, was not read and has not been effectively spent has finally awakened the public as to just how bad that the government can screw things up left unchecked. We Republicans have now confirmed just what a poor leader the President is.
I have been responsible and successful all my life and do not respect the fact that the US is heading down the path to distruction that will affect me so much. We give the appearance of selling our future like a person would have at a rummage sale to pay their debts; the Chinese, unlike Cold War Communism, will own us without firing a shot. You can name a list of issues as long as your arm that effect everyone negatively.
The majority that are representatives are below average leaders in the Country and have totally lost the respect of the responsible public. Any responsible group of INDEPENDENT, not affected by lobbyist, could do a better job of fixing the problems. Everyone knows that small business will get us out of this recession and are not being helped. The money is not being placed in the right places and people see that the majority of the stimulus is being wasted. Also the wealthier people, which I am not one of them, that will help us get out of this problem are being abused. Also, we see additional taxes being added to everyone.
Lastly, the way that the governemt is getting us out of the problem is by trying to get the middle class to buy more goods and houses and going into debt, which is what started the problem in the first place. Again, proving that our representatives in general are idiots. I do think that the group of SC representatives are one of the best groups in Washington and are not spotlighted in the other issues pleging the coutries representatives.
I feel so much better now; thanks for asking. If you send me a reply email I will know someone actually read this. If not you are one also that are just trying to appease the public.
Since you asked my opinion, I will provide input to help you solve one of the nations problems. I can’t take credit for it because I heard it on the Jim Cramer Mad Money show, but here it is. The government should have a 5% T-Bill that could be used as input and matching to the nations 401K programs. Then the stock market volatility could be taken out of the retirement programs. People could then know exactly what they needed to do for their retirements and could save accordingly. This could also be used in saving programs, encouraging people to save and send the money to the government. Eventually, this may help solve other program problems. The general public has good ideas if you would just ask more often and listen.
Thank you again for letting me vent.
Thank you Joe for keeping us South Carolinians in mind when you advocate a health care plan with which the members of Congress would be satisfied. It is far too easy for Congress to vote for policies that don’t include them….i.e. Social Security and Health Care. What they mandate for their constituents should be acceptable to them and their families. Keep up the fight and try to get the liberal press to at least mention this position.l Thanks!
Thanks for standing up for your people. We also think that what is passed should be for all the people, not just a few of us. Thank you for doing a good job for the people in your district.
You’re right! If it is good enough for non-politicians, it should be good for all.
I WONDER IF “…PROVIDES FOR SENIOR ADMIN. OFFICERS AND MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO ENROLL IN THAT PLAN THEMSELVES….” MEANS THEY ARE REQUIRED TO ENROLL IN THAT PLAN? Language must be specific and non-ambiguous!
It doesn’t work in Europe or in Canada, what makes Obama think it will work here. If he is so good at speed reading (as shown by his abilities with a teleprompter), maybe he should read the entire bill himself and see if that is what he started out to do, or if many of his bought and paid for friends have inserted their own private agenda into it.
Canadian citizens are selling and/or refinancing their homes, or spending their life savings so they can come to US Hospitals for timely treatment of life threating illnesses that will not be delivered in a timely fashion at home. Is that the type of system our President wants for us
It should be mandatory that any member of Congress that votes for the plan be willing to have it as their family plan, including the President and Vice President. If it is so good, they should be first to join!
I am in favor of the public health plan. I believe every American deserves health care.