|
|
|
|
|
President Obama's State of
the Union address was a
political statement
designed to rally support
for his health plan and
other extreme initiatives
in spite of the strong
opposition made by a
majority of American
citizens.
The
President didn't learn
from Massachusetts. If
Obama governed from the
middle of the American
political spectrum
significant progress on
health care reform could
be achieved with
bipartisan support from
both Republicans and
conservative Democrats in
the House and Senate.
One must remember that
nearly 40 Democrats voted
against the Nancy Pelosi
version of health care
reform that barely passed
the House of
Representatives. This is
why it passed by only five
votes. Five very critical
votes, one of which came
out of our own 3rd
district. I'm sure you
recall Rep. Dan Lipinski's
promise last summer to
oppose the bill before the
House. He told the voters
in our district he would
oppose it, but we soon
learned in a November
newsletter that he had
changed his mind.
Our Congressman, Dan Lipinski, succumbed
to the pressure of Nancy Pelosi and the left
wing leadership in Congress, and voted for
the bill that we despised.
Reform is
needed. If our House leadership, led by
Speaker Pelosi, would draft a bi-partisan
bill, significant progress could be made
toward true health care legislation that
works for all of the American citizenry, our
workers whether union or not, our
unemployed, our small business owners, our
medical care workers, you.
I am
committed to common sense reform. Health
care should have been passed this year but
partisan politics got in the way of
integrity, honesty, and good statesmanship.
The President and the Pelosi faction of the
Democratic Party chose not to work together
with Republicans and conservative Democrats.
They chose not to listen to you, the
American people. Our National leaders wasted
a year pushing for legislation that only
benefited a small minority and would hurt
the majority in the pocket book long before
any perceived benefits would be seen – if
they were ever seen. Remember, the taxes go
into effect this year, the benefits in 2013
and 2014.
The fact that the Canadian and
English national health care systems are in
crises is ignored. The words of Claude
Castonguay, known as the “Father of Quebec
Medicare” which led to the Canadian
nationalized system, are enlightening:
"We thought we could resolve the
system's problems by rationing services or
injecting massive amounts of new money into
it," says Castonguay. But now he prescribes
a radical overhaul: "We are proposing to
give a greater role to the private sector so
that people can exercise freedom of choice."
If you send me to Washington in November
I will only support reform that encompasses
the basic elements of common sense heath
care reform:
Torte Reform, Open
Borders for buying and selling insurance
policies across state lines, make COBRA
permanent and transferable, reform drug
patent laws, allow discounts for healthy
insurers who maintain an optimal body mass
index, and require all insurance companies
to offer full coverage for a biannual
regular physical. This is the most
bipartisan and cost effective way to help
the most Americans struggling to afford,
keep, and utilize their health care to
achieve or maintain wellness.
This is
the most bipartisan and cost effective way
to help Americans like you who are
struggling to afford, keep, and utilize your
health care to achieve or maintain wellness.
It doesn't matter if you are a business
owner or a union worker. This kind of
legislation will benefit you. Here is my
plan.
1. We must draft legislation
that makes tort reform a priority. Excessive
and often unjustified medical malpractice
awards lead to higher insurance rates for
doctors. These rates are passed on to
everyone using the health care system,
ultimately you the consumer. To combat
possible lawsuits doctors order excessive
and often unneeded tests to protect
themselves.
As Americans we need to
recognize that changing the system starts
with us. We need to be diligent in making
educated choices when we go to the polls.
The legal profession, and especially trial
lawyers, are one of the biggest contributor
bases for the Democratic Party. If we
continue to send representatives to Congress
and the White House who side unjustly with
trial lawyers rather than the American
people, then we will continue to see our
health care costs go up. Many area families
are aware that here in Illinois we have a
shortage of obstetricians and brain surgeons
because the malpractice insurance has gotten
so high many of these specialists have
decided to cross state lines. Torte reform
isn't a hypothetical solution. It has
already been tried in other states, like
Texas, and they've had great results.
They've successfully lowered doctors'
insurance premiums and reduced the number of
excessive tests ordered to protect
physicians from frivolous lawsuits. Send me
to Washington and I will fight to get torte
reform legislation nationwide.
2.
Another simple solution to our current
health care system is to simply open the
borders and allow individuals and businesses
to purchase the policy of their choice
across state lines. As most of you know,
when you are shopping for insurance your
options are limited to companies in the
local area. Allowing you to buy a policy in
another state that is cheaper and has better
coverage will make companies more
competitive for business.
The House
leadership is well aware that the larger the
plan, the greater the negotiating power it
has with providers, such as the drug
companies. That is why they want a single
payer plan for their plan. Yet they refuse
to permit insurance companies to offer
products across state lines, which would
give them a comparable advantage. Do what I
say, not what I do is the mantra. The Pelosi
wing of the Democratic Party wants national
health care, not real reform.
3.
Health care reform also means making Cobra
permanent and transferable. If a person
leaves a company, they should be permitted
to retain the company plan as long as they
pay the premiums. They should be permitted
to transfer to a similar plan from another
company without any pre-conditions that were
covered by the original plan.
4.
Legislation also needs to stop drug
companies from making insignificant changes,
known as reformulation, to a drug whose
patent period has expired. They do this in
order to receive a new patent. Drug
companies must be rewarded for their risks;
few drugs make it to market. The ones that
do must pay for drugs that did not; but the
financial rewards need to be reasonable and
not excessive. The patent period was
designed to do this, permitting this process
to be circumvented should be illegal. If I
am elected I will fight to make this happen.
5. Permit insurance companies to give
discounts to Americans who keep their weight
within certain guidelines. We reward
non-smokers with reduced premiums, it is
unreasonable not to reward people who keep
their body mass within a healthy range. The
insurance companies should be required to
provide preventative counseling as part of
any policy.
6. Require that a
biannual physical be included in any
insurance policy, and that it be fully
covered by the insurance company. A regular
physical is the best preventative medicine
available.
Mike Bendas is committed
to working with Republicans and conservative
Democrats to fix America’s problems. Please
support my campaign by becoming a member of
the Bendas Brigade (www.bendasforcongress.com).
With your help Mike Bendas will be in
Washington to fight for the citizens of the
3rd Congressional District of Illinois.
 back |
|
Bendas
For Congress