HEALTH CARE DEBATE

The Health Care Bills should still be a concern to our members regardless of their political preferences. Shortly after the passage of the Senate bill I asked for comments in regard to the bill. I received the first four comments listed below. Comments five thru eleven arrived at a dates after December 22.

Two observations are apparent concerning both set of comments. As members, we have varying views and in some cases opposing views. (This fact by itself is not bad.) The latter comments in several cases are not only comments on the Senate bill, but responses to other comments. The whole activity pleased me very much; because of the member’s versatility and involvement in both the comments and the exchanges. Members felt free to express themselves which indicates the strength of our Chapter.

All eleven comments are listed below for your review.

COMMENTS ON HEALTH CARE

#1

Thanks Bob,

I oppose any bill that adds to the national debt. This one is supposed to reduce the debt, but I remain skeptical and the devil is in the details. Not a detail and evidently un addressed is the need to reduce the proportion of our health care dollars (I've read 90%) spent on keeping old people like me alive when it is time to go. There should also be a cap on the amount spent on any individual because medical advances and technology are making some treatments horribly expensive. We are on the road to fiscal disaster unless we control health care spending.

#2

A major achievement for Obama and the Democrats. I am still hoping that a public option will be included in the final bill to keep insurance companies under control.

#3

I hope you are right. I still don't understand all the secrecy behind

closed doors when promised open door with CSPAN. Also, I can't

understand their math even though it won't kick in for 4 years or the

mad rush.

#4

How about passing on all the facts and not just this pack of lies.

#5

Dec.23

Bob, I didn't comment because I am not familiar enough with the bill. And, of course, it is still to be consolidated before it becomes effective. Selfishly, I hope we do not lose benefits, but I am not sure how that can be avoided unless people are willing to pay more taxes as they do in countries with good public health care systems. I really don't think it is a "pack of lies". Trying to get people who are thinking only of the next election to agree on anything or think of the common good is impossible.

#6

I am hoping for the reinsertion of the public option into the bill. I say pass the bill and then work on improving it.

#7

For those who want the facts, they are on the Internet and have been available for anyone who wants to read them. Don't believe the Republican rhetoric. Healthcare in this country is a disgrace and should have been corrected decades ago. Unfortunately, the Republicans are more interested in opposing the Democrats than in doing what is good for the country.

#8

Obama's mistake was in wasting time reaching out to the Republicans for a bipartisan plan. He should have recognized a long time ago that their only goal was to make him fail. All one has to know is that the insurance companies are spending millions of dollars to fight the public option. Why would they do that? Because they think we are better off without it? Fat chance. Regarding cost, the non partisan Congressional Budget Office's report was favorable. Furthermore, we've squandered hundreds of billions of dollars fighting a useless war in Iraq, why complain now about advancing money to correct our horrendous healthcare system.

#9

Thanks for the up-date, but I would have preferred that this new health care plan be handled by a totally different department of the federal government, and NOT the OPM department.

I still see this as a window in the future of OPM combining the programs and we would be stuck with the results.

Someone once said, don’t look at what they are doing today, look at what they are planning for the future.

#10

I was watching MSNBC (strong democrat station) this morning and was so disgusted in the Dems & Reps. I could scream. The bottom line was we would have to get an honest billionaire (that had enough money to not be bought) to be president to clean up the corruption in Washington. How about the Nebraska representative voting with them after he was promised his state would never have to pay taxes for the Medicare but the others will? I think that 1st change might do us in.

• Premiums of FEHBP and the proposed OPM-administered multi-state plans would be calculated in separate risk pools.

#11

So, here is my reply, after the fact, to your replies..... Why are some people so focused on the National Debt when we pay every year for all the uninsured Americans that run into the ER every night to get medical attention. Don't they realize that cost comes out of local, state and federal taxes or do they think it's a free service? This was a great accomplishment for not only the administration, but for all Americans, young and old, sick or healthy, rich or poor. Sure, it needs work, but the Civil Rights Bill took years to perfect, and JFK was criticized for passing that, as well. Shame on the person who responded that there should be a lifetime medical spending cap on individuals. Not everyone is old when they get a terrible disease. Maybe it's a young person who could be cured and grow up only to find a cure for cancer or initiate world peace.