Health Care Reform - Open Letter to President & Congress

Dear President Obama, Senators and Representatives:

Yes, the U.S. needs health care reform BUT NOT AT ANY COST. I have reviewed various snippets from the 850+ page draft bills that have been circulating in the House and Senate. I am very disappointed in both House and Senate versions, and both represent a step backward regarding health care reform.

Massive bills ( any Bill over 50 pages, let alone the gargantuan 850+ pages health care versions ) have the probability that not less then 33% will be subject to Fraud amounting to billions of dollars of waste. IT IS TIME FOR THE PRESIDENT, SENATE AND HOUSE TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD, and craft a health care reform package and bill, consisting of not more then 35-50 pages, readable ( and is read and singed off by every Senator and Representative ) and comprehensible by the average U.S. Citizen.

Current versions of health care reform, essentially rob senior Medicare recipients of current benefits in order to pay for the health care of virtually everyone who is in, or makes it to the U.S. Acceptable health care reform must be limited to U.S. citizens who have continuously resided in the U.S. for seven(7)consecutive years. Existing Medicare benefits should be left in place, and a form of basic coverage for eligible U.S. citizens with initial premiums of $96.40 per month per individual, and $250.00 per month for a qualifying family of four should be provided. All health care premiums should remain fully deductible and employer benefits should not be taxed.

A National Health Care Trust should be established, and Congress should be prohibited from dipping into or "borrowing" from the NHC Trust for any purpose or reason. The NHC Trust Account would be held at and by the Federal Reserve, and contributions to such an account could be made through any FDIC insured Federal Reserve Bank. Contributions to the account would be voluntary and fully deductible by any individual, person, trust, association, corporation or entity making the same.Proceeds of the fund would be used to defer the costs of basic health care coverage for qualifying U.S. citizens who are unable to make the premium payments for basic coverage.

A majority of citizens are in favor of health care reform, but opposed to the proposed versions in the form of bills now circulating in the Senate and House of Representatives. It is unnecessary to "break to bank" to have meaningful health care reform, but there is much more work that needs to be done by the Administration, Senate and House of Representatives before a coherent, readable and financially feasible health care reform package is formulated.

Respectfully,
D. Citizen