Health Care Summit

Lots of posts today, but Thursday Feb. 25th is the big Health Care Summit. I just received another boiler-plate response from Senator Boxer informing me with impeccable logic that we can not afford to "do nothing."

I am going to take this opportunity to pester my "representatives" with my opinions. I am under no illusion that even my irrefutable eloquence will alter their opinions, but I want them to hear my disagreement. (Or at least have their legislative aids register one more tally to the NO column.)

Dear [elected official],

Tomorrow President Obama holds his Health Care Summit during which he hopes to negotiate a bipartisan agreement.

Bipartisanship currently means “I’ll agree to favors for your special interests if you agree to favors for my special interests.”

We do not need a bipartisan agreement for larger, more expensive, more intrusive government. We need real reform.

Free markets are being blamed for the current mess,--or at best are deemed inadequate. But, a free market in medical care does not exist. For over sixty years, medical care has been increasingly strangled by burdensome regulations and “command and control” directives emanating from state and federal governments.

Real reform consists of greater freedom and choice for individuals, both as providers of medical care and as patients desiring medical goods and services.

Real reform involves the following:

• removal of legal barriers to competition in a national market in health care
  

• tax equality for health insurance regardless of where it is purchased

• elimination of costly benefit mandates

• eradication of cost-shifting to private pay patients caused by the grossly inadequate reimbursement schedule of public programs such as Medicare and Medicaid

• elimination of all legislated incentives for third party payment of medical care

• allow full freedom to contract, then fully protect and enforce those contracts

Do not continue or expand the failed policies which have made medical care unaffordable for millions of Americans.

Do not saddle us with the failing collectivist policies of Europe.

Lasting, effective solutions can only occur when individual rights are respected. Within the security of individual rights, responsibility is a natural requirement and generosity for the unfortunate will flourish.

Do not compromise our freedom.

Oppose coercion in health care.

.