U.S. Representative Mike Turner issued the following statement in response to the House of Representatives passage of Speaker Pelosi’s health care bill:
“It is unfortunate the Majority in Congress, led by Speaker Pelosi, has decided to support a government takeover of our nation’s health care system. They have decided to ignore the wishes of the American people and push forward with their vision of reform which will only further impair our economic recovery.
“Ohioans continue to ask why Congress feels compelled to implement an absolute health care overhaul when common sense measures such as prohibiting insurance companies from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions, allowing small businesses to pool coverage, offering the ability to deduct the full cost of their health insurance premiums, and tort reform, should first be considered. I remain committed to supporting Ohioans call for common sense health care reforms.”
U.S. Representative Mike Turner issued the following statement in response to the House of Representatives passage of Speaker Pelosi’s health care bill:
“It is unfortunate the Majority in Congress, led by Speaker Pelosi, has decided to support a government takeover of our nation’s health care system. They have decided to ignore the wishes of the American people and push forward with their vision of reform which will only further impair our economic recovery.
“Ohioans continue to ask why Congress feels compelled to implement an absolute health care overhaul when common sense measures such as prohibiting insurance companies from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions, allowing small businesses to pool coverage, offering the ability to deduct the full cost of their health insurance premiums, and tort reform, should first be considered. I remain committed to supporting Ohioans call for common sense health care reforms.”
Thank you for opposing the Health Care Reform bill. As it stands, it does not appear to address the most pressing health care problem: that of out-of-control rising costs. I do not understand how my premium is going to do anything but increase (and increase significantly) under the new rules. Insurance premiums are predicated on loss experience and forced covering of more people and covering people who are ill will negatively impact that loss experience, requiring an increase in premiums. I have an HSA (to which I can longer afford to contribute) and a $5000 deductible insurance policy which provides only a minimal level of coverage. I understand the new law requires insurance companies to spend 85% of premium money on health care (but this doesn’t take effect until 2011); hopefully the state insurance departments (if they are still in the business of approving premium rate increase requests) will stop rubber-stamping these rate increases and require actual proof of need on the part of the insurance companies. I would like to see everyone be able to get insurance, but until the costs of care are reduced, doing this only hurts those of us providing our own insurance.
We need to address wellness-care, too. It costs less to keep a person healthy than to treat him when ill. Insurance companies and large drug companies have no incentive in keeping people well and will fight this, but the USA needs to take lessons from other countries, where the health care system is less expensive because they address wellness care, alternative and complementary health care, etc.
I am single, self-supporting and get by on a widow’s social security benefit and part-time work, when and where I can find it. Since I am under my full retirement age, social security limits the amount of money I can earn without sacrificing part of my social security benefits. With no COLA this year; with rising gas, food, utility, etc prices; and with the 30% increase in my health insurance premium last year, things are getting tough.
We also need to address the social security earnings limit imposed on people under full retirement age; it needs to be removed. The people who are dealing with this issue right now have been impacted by the market of the last couple of years, are being impacted by all these rising prices and need relief. We don’t need a government hand-out or bail out, we just need to be allowed to do what we can to help ourselves!
I have always lived within my means, but saw my savings greatly depleted the last couple of years. I see irresponsible people who run up large credit card debt, blame the credit card companies for this, and go to credit repair companies who then negotiate a 50% reduction in their debt — in effect, giving these individuals a bail-out so they can go right back to doing the same thing. And credit card companies respond to the reduction in their income by imposing more fees on all the rest of us. When you come to financial reform, perhaps this situation could be addressed, too.
This is the best country in the world but I am concerned with the direction we seem to be taking.
Thank you for listening,
E Jardieu