American Health Care Stories Require American Solutions, by Chet Edwards

http://edwards.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=16&Itemid=28 ^ | 8/19/2009 | Chet Edwards

[native texan]

I received this in an email this morning. Sounds like Chet wants to ride the fence as long as he can.

American Health Care Stories Require American Solutions A column by Congressman Chet Edwards

[McLynnan]

Pffft! We all know he’s waiting for Madame Pelosi to give him his talking points and marching orders. When he addressed the physician assembly he was asked how he planned to vote. He said his mind is still wide open and he couldn’t make a decision until he hears what his constituents have to say. Firmly on the fence. Baloney.

[ziravan]

Absolutely correct. If Chet Edwards hasn’t “made up his mind” about how bad this attempt at gov’t control will hurt his constituents, then that is a firing offense, in and of itself.

[McLynnan]

You will not believe. I prepared four questions in case somebody ahead of me asked the same thing, got my phone call from Chet, pressed *3 to get in line for a question, opened up a word document to make notes for all of you and lost the connection twenty minutes into it. Native Texan, hope you have better luck. Would love to hear what he says.

[native texan]

I didn’t get the call.

[erman]

lost the connection twenty minutes into it. Native Texan, hope you have better luck. Would love to hear what he says.

[erman]

lost the connection twenty minutes into it. Native Texan, hope you have better luck. Would love to hear what he says.

you were NEVER going to ask him a question... he has already picked "randomly" who was going to ask him questions... Its all a SCAM. He's part of the democrat punk machine that lies to us at home and goes out and votes like Pelosi's long lost uncle from San Francisco's Castro distict.

Chet is the biggest fake in congress and we need to get rid of him... he's been saving the "VA in Waco" forever. As if the Republicans are going to throw them under the bridge on I-35.

His FIRST vote after getting elected last cycle was AGAINST funding the war in Iraq. Yeah.. that's right.. AGAINST funding cause his queen wanted the "conservatives" to screw Bush also.

[LA Woman3]

Did you call and complain to Chet's office regarding his vote? A guy I work with did so three times and he was supposed to get a “call” tonight as well. I'm sure this is all just smoke and mirrors and that no real Republican will get to ask a question. BTW....Chet is supposed to be on News 10 tonight talking about his tele conference tonight.

[McLynnan]

But you got the call yesterday saying you’d get the call, right? My call came about 5 minutes late.

[McLynnan]

Hard to complain about his vote when he won’t tell us what it will be, you know? I was pretty skeptical going in, but didn’t expect to get disconnected. I figured I would never move to the front of the question queue, but wanted to listen to the whole thing. I’ll watch News 10 later, thanks.

[McLynnan]

I agree his “I singlehandedly saved the Waco VA” is getting old. All of our concern at the time stemmed from the fact Chet is a Democrat and we felt a Republican would fight harder to keep it. I notice Chet has posted a blurb on his website about the 224 new jobs at the new VA National Pharmacy Center. These jobs are here because he saved the VA he says.

[LA Woman3]

These seem to be good honest Questions for all of us to think about...

Proposed Healthcare Reform Legislation...

10 Questions for Supporters of 'Obama's Health Care'
By Dennis Prager

1. President Obama repeatedly tells us that one reason national health care is needed is that we can no longer afford to pay for Medicare and Medicaid. But if Medicare and Medicaid are fiscally insolvent and gradually bankrupting our society, why is a government takeover of medical care for the rest of society a good idea? What large-scale government program has not eventually spiraled out of control, let alone stayed within its projected budget? Why should anyone believe that nationalizing health care would create the first major government program to "pay for itself," let alone get smaller rather than larger over time? Why not simply see how the Democrats can reform Medicare and Medicaid before nationalizing much of the rest of health care?

2. President Obama reiterated this past week that "no insurance company will be allowed to deny you coverage because of a pre-existing medical condition." This is an oft-repeated goal of the president's and the Democrats' health care plan. But if any individual can buy health insurance at any time, why would anyone buy health insurance while healthy? Why would I not simply wait until I got sick or injured to buy the insurance? If auto insurance were purchasable once one got into an accident, why would anyone purchase auto insurance before an accident? Will the Democrats next demand that life insurance companies sell life insurance to the terminally ill? The whole point of insurance is that the healthy buy it and thereby provide the funds to pay for the sick. Demanding that insurance companies provide insurance to everyone at any time spells the end of the concept of insurance. And if the answer is that the government will now make it illegal not to buy insurance, how will that be enforced? How will the government check on 300 million people?

3. Why do supporters of nationalized medicine so often substitute the word "care" for the word "insurance?" It is patently untrue that millions of Americans do not receive health care. Millions of Americans do not have health insurance but virtually every American (and non-American on American soil) receives health care.

4. No one denies that in order to come close to staying within its budget health care will be rationed. But what is the moral justification of having the state decide what medical care to ration?

5. According to Dr. David Gratzer, health care specialist at the Manhattan Institute, "While 20 years ago pharmaceuticals were largely developed in Europe, European price controls made drug development an American enterprise. Fifteen of the 20 top-selling drugs worldwide this year were birthed in the United States." Given how many lives -- in America and throughout the world – American pharmaceutical companies save, and given how expensive it is to develop any new drug, will the price controls on drugs envisaged in the Democrats' bill improve or impair Americans' health?

6. Do you really believe that private insurance could survive a "public option"? Or is this really a cover for the ideal of single-payer medical care? How could a private insurance company survive a "public option" given that private companies have to show a profit and government agencies do not have to – and given that a private enterprise must raise its own money to be solvent and a government option has access to others' money -- i.e., taxes?

7. Why will hospitals, doctors, and pharmaceutical companies do nearly as superb a job as they now do if their reimbursement from the government will be severely cut? Haven't the laws of human behavior and common sense been repealed here in arguing that while doctors, hospitals and drug companies will make significantly less money they will continue to provide the same level of uniquely excellent care?

8. Given how many needless procedures are ordered to avoid medical lawsuits and how much money doctors spend on medical malpractice insurance, shouldn't any meaningful "reform" of health care provide some remedy for frivolous malpractice lawsuits?

9. Given how weak the U.S. economy is, given how weak the U.S. dollar is, and given how much in debt the U.S. is in, why would anyone seek to have the U.S. spend another trillion dollars? Even if all the other questions here had legitimate answers, wouldn't the state of the U.S. economy alone argue against national health care at this time?

10. Contrary to the assertion of President Obama -- "we spend much more on health care than any other nation but aren't any healthier for it" -- but we are healthier!! We wait far less time for procedures and surgeries. Our life expectancy with virtually any major disease is longer. And if you do not count deaths from violent crime and automobile accidents, we also have the longest life expectancy. Do you think a government takeover of American medicine will enable this medical excellence to continue?

Link

[LA Woman3]

How can he not have made up his mind on the issue?? It is a no brainer!

[McLynnan]

He says he can’t make up his mind until he sees the final bill. Okay, fine. Then he could at least tell us what he would favor and what he would oppose. His finger is to the wind!

[native texan]

I got called yesterday but not today. I had my question ready.