HEALTHCARE

Now don't get me wrong, we need to fix some things with healthcare. I feel a 1000 page bill, adding a bunch of Federal Agencies is not what we need. I have been voicing my concerns to our Senators and Congressman, I have not heard back from our new Senator, he is probably pretty busy trying to get settled in. Honorable Mica is very much on board with my views about what needs to change. Honorable Nelson on the other hand seems to want to tow the Democrats line and add to our debt, and create a huge mess. Below you will see my original email to him, his response and my response back. The Democrats do not want us reading the bill, they voted not to give the public and members of the Senate 72 hours to view it before voting. There can be major reform to our healthcare system without creating a huge government bureaucracy that will end up costing more than they say and mess up our level of care. The Honorable Nelson is ours in Florida, I encourage you readers from other states, write your Senators and Congressmen and give them your concerns and get their intentions, hold them to the fire. We elect them, they work for us!!! Medicare and Medicaid are a mess, the way the bureaucrats want to fix fraud is just cut payments, this cuts care to the patients! If we let them do this so fast right now, do you really think it will do any better? Remember the words of President Regan, the scariest words to hear are, “ I am from the government, I am here to help”.
Randy

Dear Honorable Nelson,
Below you will find my email to you and your response to my email. With all due respect sir, you did address some of my concerns but left out some important ones, like TORT reform, Texas has done that, lowered costs about 30%. You did not address keeping earmarks out of the bill. If this is so good, you do not need to buy votes! You did not address illegal aliens and amnesty, this is a large number of people that will add tremendous costs and as important they are breaking the law being here. All you are doing is repeating the general vague aspects of this terrible bill. Yes you are partially right, the current bill will not make those with their own health insurance change, but with a "public option" or whatever the new name this week is to fool us, there is a very good chance that down the road private insurance will go away because of lower cost and incentives to move to the government policy. Even President Obama says in his own words he really wants a one payer health system and many congressmen and senators say it also. This is the camel’s nose under the tent! You and your staff will be seeing several tens if not hundreds of thousands pink slips delivered to your office shortly, one of those is from me, I am watching your votes. I do not feel I see you representing the will of the Floridians.
Respectfully,
Randall Mitchell

Dear Honorable Nelson,
I am writing in regards to the Healthcare Proposals. We do not need a 1000 page bill. There are several things that could revolutionize our healthcare in our country, they are:
Real TORT Reform
No pre-existing conditions
No cap on coverage
Country wide policies, not state only
Negotiate drug prices on all Federal and State Healthcare policies esp Medicare/Medicaid
NO coverage for illegal aliens and NO amnesty for them
These changes will make a tremendous difference, and lower costs! It will not take 1000 pages to do this. IF THE BILL DOES NOT CONTAIN THESE ITEMS AND HAS ANY PORK, EARMARKS, DO NOT VOTE FOR IT. We do not need and cannot afford to expand government with more agencies and employees! Stop the out of control spending. AGAIN, DO NOT VOTE FOR THE BILL IF IT DOES NOT CONTAIN THE ABOVE ITEMS AND IF IT CONTAINS PORK/EARMARKS OR ADDS AGENCIES TO OUR ALREADY BLOATED GOVERNMENT.

Dear Mr. Mitchell:
Thank you for contacting me about health care reform. In his recent speech to Congress, President Obama also provided us with a clearer view of his desires for health care reform.
What the President described is pretty close to the draft of a bill I'm helping prepare as a member of the Senate Finance Committee. This legislation will let folks who are happy with their insurance keep what they’ve got, including veterans and seniors on Medicare. It will also create State-based exchanges – a nationwide marketplace – where those without coverage, or those who are unhappy with what they have, can get it at an affordable price.
The bill will hold insurers' feet to the fire, requiring them to cover everyone and preventing them from dropping someone who gets sick. Additionally, it contains several measures aimed at reducing overall medical and prescription drug costs and eliminating waste and fraud in the system.
I plan on improving the bill through amendments that will, among other things, help pay for reform of our health care system. One of my amendments would require drugmakers to provide rebates to Medicare, just like they do for Medicaid. This would save Medicare a ton of money and help reduce out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for many seniors.
Regardless of where anyone stands on the specifics, I think we all can agree that the system we have can be unfair and too costly, and needs to be fixed. I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue. Please don't hesitate to contact me in the future.
Sincerely,
Senator Bill Nelson