Congressman Against Healthcare

The rest of the day with Farrah was relatively relaxing until I started getting urgent calls from work. Tons of crazy problems, luckily Farrah was napping for the most part. The plan is she will go back to school tomorrow.

Colton on the other hand came home upset. He wouldn't leave his mommy's side without pitching a fit. Then last night around 11:00 he did his odd wake up in his sleep crying like someone was stabbing him. I fed him his bottle (sippy) while he is still sleeping and he eventually calmed down then went back to bed. The entire time his eyes are glued shut. It's almost like he's sleep crying and eating instead of "walking".

This is for my nanny who when for so long without health care while in Texas...

Sorry, just have to post this because it makes me mad to think a Christian congressman is so blind sighted here. Being I am from Canada, I know what it is like to have the national health care, live and work in the country. He is wrong, the people without health care in the US are A LOT worse off so a few can have his perceived "premium" health care he is referring too. Of course Medicare can't afford it, not when insurance, hospital, and other execs need to make millions in bonus's...sorry I meant 100 million dollar bonus'. OK enough of my health care rant for now, he was voted in for something. Although, I wish I could challenge his family and him to go without health insurance for 2 years and see how he feels about it then. Maybe I am wrong, maybe I am not, something in my Christian upbringing tells me we need to take care of the sick and step out and be the Samaritan. It's our Christian duty and somehow leaving the less fortunate and sick to suffer is against everything I stand for.

Here is the exchange of notes:

Dear Dr. Burgess,

I write in support of HR 676, the Single Payer, National Health Care bill. There are numerous reasons for your co-sponsorship of this bill, especially since you are a medical doctor. As an obstetrician and gynecologist no one in the House can know better than you do the importance of prenatal care and the shameful, third world ranking of the United States in infant mortality. As a hospital administrator you better than anyone in the House know the challenges of hospital operations and care giving in an adversarial atmosphere of private insurance company profiteering on human misery.

This bill brings the United States into a better competitive position relieving the the enormous health care cost burden on American products in world markets dominated by nation states that have already done so.

A single payer system as proposed in this bill also enhances efficiency in administration since Medicare has a proven history of administrative cost superiority over private insurance with Medicare at administrative costs of about 3% where private insurance administrative cost is as high as 60%.

Then there is the simple humanitarian reason for this change. Can we as a people use any excuse to continue to allow Americans, especially children, to die because either they can't afford private insurance or the carrier they have decides not to cover their medical condition?

I appeal to your business sense, your professional experience, your Christian duty, and your humanitarian concern. Our country needs you to act now.

Sincerely,

Jay B Swindle

From: Congressman Michael Burgess [mailto:imatx26@mail.house.gov] Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2009 4:24 PMTo: jbswindle@sbcglobal.netSubject: From Congressman Burgess


Dear Mr. Swindle:

Thank you for expressing your interest in H.R. 676, The United States National Health Insurance Act (or the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act). I appreciate hearing from you on this important matter.

H.R. 676 was introduced by Representative John Conyers, Jr. [D-Michigan] on January 24, 2007. The bill would establish a national health program for all Americans. The program would offer the following benefit services: (1) primary care and prevention; (2) prescription drugs; (3) emergency care; and, (4) mental health services. While I agree that more Americans need health coverage, I disagree with the approach taken by this legislation. I am an opponent of a single payer, government-run program because I do not believe that it will increase positive health outcomes. It is also worth noting that we don't yet know how to sustain the Medicare coverage that we currently have, much less a Medicare program for the nation.

Supporters of a single payer, government-run health care system often times fail to recognize or choose to ignore the problems faced by the programs in other countries. In countries that have adopted this model of care, their citizens do not have access to the most modern medical technology and the distribution of health care is far from equal. The poor, the elderly, members of minority groups and residents of rural areas are the special victims of national health insurance programs.
As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, I am working hard to initiate market driven reforms to the health care system that will decrease the uninsured, lower the cost of health insurance and medical services, and provide consumers with the tools to make rational decisions about their health care needs.

Again, thank you for taking the time to contact me. I appreciate having the opportunity to represent you in the U.S. House of Representatives. Please feel free to visit my website (www.house.gov/burgess) or contact me with any future concerns.
Sincerely,Michael C. Burgess, M.D.Member of Congress