Monday, March 15, 2010

Obamcare Unleashed

This letter was written by Dr. Stephen Fraser, an anesthesiologist practicing in Indiana.
He sent it to his Senator, Evan Bayh.
He has read the entire healthcare bill put forth by President Obama and the Democrats in congress and this is how he encapsulates it:

"As a practicing physician, I have major concerns with the health care bill before Congress. I actually have read the bill & am shocked by the brazenness of the government’s proposed involvement in the patient-physician relationship. The very idea that the government will dictate & ration patient care is dangerous & certainly not helpful in designing a health care system that works for all. Every physician I work with agrees that we need to fix our health care system, but the proposed bills currently making their way through congress will be a disaster if passed. I ask you respectfully & as a patriotic American to look at the following troubling lines that I have read in the bill. You cannot possibly believe that these proposals are in the best interests of the country & our fellow citizens."


Below are just FEW of the pages summarized by Dr. Fraser. To Read the entire thing, including many of the taxes and penalties inserted into this bill, go here:
http://lucianne.com/article/?pageid=obamacare_rules

...and try not to scream.

Page 30 Sec 123 of HC bill: THERE WILL BE A GOV'T COMMITTEE deciding what treatments &benefits you get.

Page 42 of HC Bill: The Health Choices Commissioner will choose your HC benefits for you. You have no choice!

Page 58 HC Bill: Gov't will have real-time access to individuals' finances & a ‘National ID Health card' will be issued!

Page 239 Line 14-24 HC Bill: Gov't will reduce physician services for Medicaid Seniors. (Low-income & the poor are affected.)

Page 317 L 13-20: PROHIBITION on ownership/investment. (The Gov't tells doctors what & how much they can own!)

Page 354 Sec 1177: The Gov't will RESTRICT enrollment of 'special needs people!' Unbelievable!

Page 427 Lines 15-24: The Gov't mandates a program for orders on "end-of-life." (The Gov't has a say in how your life ends!)

Page 429 Lines 10-12: An "advanced care consultation" may include an ORDER for end-of-life plans... (AN ORDER TO DIE FROM THE GOVERNMENT?)

Page 494-498: Gov't will cover Mental Health Services including defining, creating, & rationing those services.

"Senator, I guarantee that I personally will do everything possible to inform patients & my fellow physicians about the dangers of the proposed bills you & your colleagues are debating. Furthermore, if you vote for a bill that enforces socialized medicine on the country & destroys the doctor-patient relationship, I will do everything in my power to make sure each one of you loses his or her job in the next election. Respectfully, Stephen E. Fraser, MD"


I understand Dr. Fraser sees this bill through the eyes of someone who distrust a government-run healthcare system. I distrust it also.
If one looks at the language of the bill itself, one may come away with a different view...as in "what's so wrong with that?"
But taken together with the lack of true discourse on what amounts to a structural shift of the entire United States economy and yes, even culture, how are else are we to define this bill?

The "health summit" was supposed to give us this discourse.
It was supposed to bring forth Republican's ideas about healthcare reform (of which there have been many), and show the Democrats and President willing to work together and use the best ideas to complete healthcare reform.

Alas, there was no discourse. There was no exchange of ideas. Obama made it clear it was his way or the highway.
In spite of the CBO numbers and the facts presented concerning the ruination of our economy. In spite of the overwhelming majority of U.S. citizens opposing this bill from the get-go.
In spite of the time and effort spent by Republicans to offer alternatives.
This bill is what Obama wants, regardless of what the People want.

I read Dr. Fraser's letter and his interpretation of the bill.
And I agree with his assessment. This is not about universal healthcare. This is about government control. It is unsustainable, unconscionable and unbelievable!

I don't like to be frightened and I don't like to frighten others. Fear makes bad choices in the end. So why did I post such a scary portrait of the healthcare bill?

Because fear need not drive our choice to speak out.
Love of freedom will.
Love of America's independence, autonomy, generosity, exhuberance, ambition, innovation, philanthropy, inclusion, and downright neighborliness.
I love all those things about America and they can only be lost with the enroachment of federal laws into every area of our lives.
Is our health up to us?
Because if it's not, nothing else is either.

redink

http://giovanniworld.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/obamacare.jpg

2 comments:

  1. Oh, great post! I am amazed at how many people choose to remain clueless on this matter. It is not about health care, it is about freedom!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks, Diane.

    Choosing to be clueless...how accurate!
    I just hope enough people wake up in time and see what they will lose if this bill passes.

    But even if it does, I still believe Americans will rise to the challenge and demand their freedom.
    We do have that history. :)
    Good to hear from you!

    ReplyDelete