Health Care

By Andy Vidak

The recently passed Health Care bill will not solve our health care problems. It will raise taxes, raise medical costs and not improve care or access. There is a better way.

The Democrats did not consider realistic solutions to the problems the American people are having getting good, affordable health care, but rather on how far they could expand government control of your life and medical choices. In addition, estimates from the Congressional Budget Office in early May indicate that the cost of the bill was understated by $115 billion. The addition of this new cost exposes this bill for what it really is, a budget busting bill we cannot afford.

This bill puts a government bureaucrat in between you and your doctor.

This bill cuts Medicare, an important health program our seniors depend on.

This bill will raise taxes on EVERYBODY by over $500 billion dollars, most of it years before any so called benefits kick in.

This bill will thrust over 100,000 into California's Medicaid program which is already a horribly underfunded program that does not even reimburse doctors for their out of pocket costs. As a result, many doctors refuse to see Medical patients or will see only a limited number. As bad as it is now it will only be worse. The Democrats plan will add thousands of new patients in the 20th congressional district but there will not be any additional doctors who can help them.

This bill will increase costs on business so significantly it will cost jobs. Fresno's Community Hospital has indicated it will increase their costs over $265 million dollars over the next 10 years. How will they be able to lower rates?

This bill forces you to buy a product. There has never been a case where citizenship is dependent upon an economic purchase. Fail to do so and you could go to jail.

I am committed to be part of the team that repeals and repairs this mess and replace this government run takeover with an effective market-based solution that will actually improve health care for people in our district.

Modifications to our system should be based on rational solutions rather than a massive government takeover that threatens to punish doctors, nurses, pharmaceutical researchers and most importantly, the patients. Those who are happy with their insurance coverage (including those on Medicare) should not be forced into a new government run healthcare system that will ultimately result in the rationing of medical services and runaway deficits.

To those who lack insurance or are unable to get any because of a pre-existing condition, affordability and accessibility are the critical issues. This will best be done through free market principals to provide competition and choice.

I firmly believe that any real solution to healthcare should be based on:

• Ensuring Washington bureaucrats do not get between you and your doctor.
• Market based solutions, not government run options.
• Increased competition to keep prices down.
• Protections for those who have pre-existing conditions.
• Protection of Medicare for our seniors.
• A helping hand for those who work hard but can't afford it.
• Serious tort reform to keep lawyers from driving up costs unnecessarily.
• Does not add to our bloated federal deficit.