Why don't the insurance companies start over? (Team Ryan Letter, 3/17/2010)
Monday, March 29, 2010
"Why don't the insurance companies
start over?"
-Congressman Tim Ryan
As America rages on with going health care debate, it seems that many American's have forgotten what is at the heart of this bill: over thirty million people that currently do not have health insurance will have the opportunity to provide themselves with affordable, quality coverage.
Some legislators and citizens are asking that the health care debate start over. If that's the case, then the insurance companies should start over: they should eliminate over 10 consecutive years of increases in insurance rates among hard-working Americans.
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Health care status-quo:
- Humans are treated as numbers, not individuals with livelihoods, families and a slice of bad luck.
- Insurance companies deny people coverage left and right because of pre-existing conditions.
- Ten-percent of America's population cannot afford health insurance.
- Insurance rates have increased at an average rate of 20% a year (wages and income have actually declined).
- It's a shame this takes place in the greatest country in the world.
"It is the moral obligation of the government to step in..."
The government should play a pivotal role in the lives of it's citizens when corporations are taking advantage of individuals. Just like the government protects citizens from criminals and fires, the government should also protect citizens from unethical corporate practices. It is the moral obligation of the government to step in and protect it's citizens when someone gets denied coverage for having a heart attack 17 years ago, or pays a higher insurance rate because they have recently been diagnosed with cancer.
Who else will step in and protect these individuals? Congressman Ryan realizes the government's role in this dilemma and is proud to support the health care reform bill. Remember, Obama ran his campaign on change, and Democrats are optimistic that a change in the status-quo is upon us as Washington D.C. wraps up the debate.
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Come November, all eyes will be on the elections. The Democrats stepped up to the moral baseball plate and hit a home-run with this bill. And the self-serving interests of the individuals that oppose the bill will run a campaign based on repealing the following portions of health care reform:
- Republicans will want to repeal the part of the bill that prohibits corporations from denying coverage to children with pre-existing conditions.
- Republicans will want to repeal closing the Medicare Part-D donut hole and perhaps even expand the Medicare Part-D donut hole. The "donut hole" basically jacks the price of prescription medicine for senior citizens and only offers them prescription medicine at certain times during the year. Yes, that is unfortunately the status-quo.
- Republicans will want to repeal the portion of the bill that allows an individual that is 27 years old or younger to stay on their parents' insurance plan.
- Republicans will want to repeal the tax cuts given to small-businesses in order to assist them in affording health care.
- And most importantly, Republicans will want to repeal portions of the bill that will strip the 30,000,000 newly insured individuals of health insurance.
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There are two mentalities concerning the health-care debate...
The first is the mentality of "I got mine, forget you and yours," and the other is about fairness, equality and mankind. Let your voice be heard, my friend.
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