COMMON AND FISCAL SENSE TO HEALTH CARE

*REFORM NOT CONTROL*

FACTS:
What does the bill, HR 3200, short-titled ‘‘America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009,” actually say about
major health care issues?

THE BILL RATIONS MEDICAL CARE pages 284-288, SEC. 1151.

This is government rationing, pure, simple, and straight up.

There can be no judicial review of decisions made here. The Secretary is above the courts.

The plan also allows the government to prohibit hospitals from expanding without federal permission: page
317-318.

THE BILL PUNISHES AMERICANS WHO OPT OUT pages 167-168, section 401

Anyone caught without acceptable coverage and not in the government plan will pay a special tax.

The IRS will be a major enforcement mechanism for the plan.

THE BILL ALLOW THE GOVERNMENT TO SET FEES FOR SERVICES page 124, Sec. 223, PA

The government’s authority to set payments is basically unlimited.

The official will decide what constitutes “excessive,” “deficient,” and “efficient” payments and services.

THE BILL WILL PAY FOR ABORTIONS (AMENDMENT) at the end of section 122

Capps Amendment leaves it to the secretary of Health and Human Services to decide whether or not they
will be covered. It says, "Nothing in this Act shall be construed as preventing the public health insurance
option from providing" abortion services that would not be legal for Medicaid coverage.

The Capps Amendment MANDATES that the public plan cover any Medicaid-fundable abortions, and
AUTHORIZES the secretary to cover all other abortions.

THE COST TO TAXPAYERS

Congressional Budget Office (CBO), projects that H.R. 3200,

Will cost taxpayers well over $1 trillion, is set to increase the national debt by $239 billion
over the next ten years.

Public option will undercut private insurers and pass the tab to taxpayers and health providers just as it does
in existing government-run programs. For example, Medicare pays hospitals 71% and doctors 81% of what
private insurers pay.

Who covers the rest? Government passes the bill for the outstanding balance to providers and families not
covered by government programs. This cost-shifting amounts to a forced subsidy. Families pay about
$1,800 more a year for someone else's health care as a result, according to a recent study by Milliman Inc.

America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009 or Baucus Bill now being proposed has middle-class American
families expected to pay up to 13 % of family income for health care insurance that meets a minimum
standard of care.

Our national debt is over 9 Trillion and growing BOTTOM LINE: We can’t afford it

HOW MANY AMERICANS ARE REALLY UNINSURED?

Roughly one-quarter of those counted as uninsured, or 12 million people, are eligible for but have not
enrolled in Medicaid or the State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP). This includes 64 percent
of all uninsured children and 29 percent of uninsured parents.

An additional 10 million uninsured Americans are not American citizens. Approximately 5.6 million of
them are illegal immigrants. An additional 4.4 million are legal immigrants who have not been naturalized.

8.4 million uninsured Americans are making $50,000 to $74,999 and 9.1 million more are making more
than $75,000. Health insurance is just incompatible with their lifestyles, I guess.

A study by former Congressional Budget Office director June O'Neill found that 43 percent of the
uninsured have incomes above 250 percent of the poverty level, making at least $55,125 for a family of
 four. Slightly more than a third have incomes above $66,000.Another study, by Mark Pauly of the
University of Pennsylvania and Kate Bundorf of Stanford University, concluded that nearly three-quarters
of the uninsured could afford coverage but have chosen not to purchase it.

Most of the uninsured are young and in good health. According to the CBO, roughly 60 percent are under
the age of 35, and fully 86 percent report that they are in good or excellent health.

The moral thing to do here would be to ask this question: What’s preventing that 3-18% from getting their own
health insurance? In lots of cases they do not want it: the freedom of choice

COMMON AND FISCAL SENSE SOLUTIONS TO GOVERNMENT CONTROL:

1. TORT REFORM
Lawsuits have caused the cost of medical services to sky rocket. Doctors perform test they know are not
necessary in order to avoid potential lawsuits.

2. MEDICAL SAVINGS ACCOUNTS

MSAs are tax-deferred accounts that allow you to save money for medical expenses. They are available
however at present they are limited to who can purchase them

3. BUYING MEDICAL INSURANCE ACROSS STATE LINES

Each one of the fifty states prohibits their citizens from purchasing insurance outside of their state of
residence. We shop for homes, cars why shouldn’t we be able to shop for health insurance? Competition makes
prices competitive

Americans want choice not government control of their health care decisions. American taxpayers should not
be forced into a costly government controlled program that we simply cannot afford when there are Common
and Fiscal Sense alternatives that address issues of reform WITHOUT losing our liberties and wallets!

WHAT CAN YOU DO? CALL OR FAX YOUR REPS!!

My name is____ I am calling from Michigan, my zip code is_____I am calling to tell Rep or Senator ______ that
HR3200 needs to be killed. With or without amendments it is massive government control. We need to start fresh
with a no more then a 10 page Bill that includes tort reform, medical savings account, tax breaks, and buying
insurance across state lines. We want choice NOT control. If the Congressman votes for HR3200, the Baucus Bill
in any form, I will do whatever I can to see they do not return to office. The very future of our country is at
stake. Thank you

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm

PHONE: (517) 373-3400 PHONE: (517) 335-7858 - Constituent Services FAX:(517) 335-6863
The Governor and State Reps should be called as this Bill affects every Michigan citizen and they need to SPEAK
OUT against it!

Find and contact your Federal, State, and Local officials.

http://www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/officials/

I
t does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in
people's minds. Samuel Adams

© Joan Fabiano Grassroots in Michigan http://mitcot.ning.com/