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If you have any doubts about filing a lawsuit to protect New Mexicans from the unconstitutional federal health care reform that was signed into law this week, I submit the following excerpts from an article “20 Ways ObamaCare Will Take Away Our Freedoms” by David Hogberg, March 21, 2010. (http://blogs.investors.com/capitalhill/index.php/home/35-politicsinvesting/1563-20-ways-obamacare-will-take-away-our-freedoms) Note that since the article was published, this legislation has been signed into law. With House Democrats poised to pass the Senate health care bill with some reconciliation changes later today, it is worthwhile to take a comprehensive look at the freedoms we will lose.

Of course, the overhaul is supposed to provide us with security. But it will result in skyrocketing insurance costs and physicians leaving the field in droves, making it harder to afford and find medical care. We may be about to live Benjamin Franklin’s adage, “People willing to trade their freedom for temporary security deserve neither and will lose both.”

The sections described below are taken from HR 3590 as agreed to by the Senate and from the reconciliation bill as displayed by the Rules Committee. (http://rules.house.gov/)

1. You are young and don’t want health insurance? You are starting up a small business and need to minimize expenses, and one way to do that is to forego health insurance? Tough. You have to pay $750 annually for the “privilege.” (Section 1501)

2. You are young and healthy and want to pay for insurance that reflects that status? Tough. You’ll have to pay for premiums that cover not only you, but also the guy who smokes three packs a day, drink a gallon of whiskey and eats chicken fat off the floor. That’s because insurance companies will no longer be able to underwrite on the basis of a person’s health status. (Section 2701)

3. You would like to pay less in premiums by buying insurance with lifetime or annual limits on coverage? Tough. Health insurers will no longer be able to offer such policies, even if that is what customers prefer. (Section 2711)

4. Think you’d like a policy that is cheaper because it doesn’t cover preventive care or requires cost-sharing for such care? Tough. Health insurers will no longer be able to offer policies that do not cover preventive services or offer them with cost-sharing, even if that’s what the customer wants. (Section 2712)

5. You are an employer and you would like to offer coverage that doesn’t allow your employers’ slacker children to stay on the policy until age 26? Tough. (Section 2714)

6. You must buy a policy that covers ambulatory patient services, emergency services, hospitalization, maternity and newborn care, mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment; prescription drugs; rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices; laboratory services; preventive and wellness services; chronic disease management; and pediatric services, including oral and vision care.

You’re a single guy without children? Tough, your policy must cover pediatric services. You’re a woman who can’t have children? Tough, your policy must cover maternity services. You’re a teetotaler? Tough, your policy must cover substance abuse treatment. (Add your own violation of personal freedom here.) (Section 1302).

7. Do you want a plan with lots of cost-sharing and low premiums? Well, the best you can do is a “Bronze plan,” which has benefits that provide benefits that are actuarially equivalent to 60% of the full actuarial value of the benefits provided under the plan. Anything lower than that, tough. (Section 1302(d)(1)(A))

8. You are an employer in the small-group insurance market and you’d like to offer policies with deductibles higher than $2,000 for individuals and $4,000 for families? Tough. (Section 1302(c)(2)(A).

9. If you are a large employer (defined as at least 101 employees) and you do not want to provide health insurance to your employee, then you will pay a $750 fine per employee (It could be $2,000 to $3,000 under the reconciliation changes). Think you know how to better spend that money? Tough. (Section 1513).

10. You are an employer who offers health flexible spending arrangements and your employees want to deduct more than $2,500 from their salaries for it? Sorry, can’t do that. (Section 9005(i)).

11. If you are a physician and you don’t want the government looking over your shoulder? Tough. The Secretary of Health and Human Services is authorized to use your claims data to issue you reports that measure the resources you use, provide information on the quality of care you provide, and compare the resources you use to those used by other physicians. Of course, this will all be just for informational purposes. It’s not like the government will ever use it to intervene in your practice and patients’ care. Of course not. (Section 3003(i))

12. If you are a physician and you want to own your own hospital, you must be an owner and have a “Medicare provider agreement” by Feb. 1, 2010. (Dec. 31, 2010 in the reconciliation changes.) If you didn’t have those by then, you are out of luck. (Section 6001(i)(1)(A))

13. If you are a physician owner and you want to expand your hospital? Well, you can’t (Section 6001 (i)(1)(B). Unless, it is located in a country where, over the last five years, population growth has been 150% of what it has been in the state (Section 6601(i)(3)( E)). And then you cannot increase your capacity by more than 200% (Section 6001 (i)(3)(C)).

14. You are a health insurer and you want to raise premiums to meet costs? Well, if that increase is deemed “unreasonable” by the Secretary of Health and Human Services it will be subject to review and can be denied. (Section 1003)

15. The government will extract a fee of $2.3 billion annually from the pharmaceutical industry. If you are a pharmaceutical company what you will pay depends on the ratio of the number of brand-name drugs you sell to the total number of brand-name drugs sold in the U.S. So, if you sell 10% of the brand-name drugs in the U.S., what you pay will be 10% multiplied by $2.3 billion, or $230,000,000. (Under reconciliation, it starts at $2.55 billion, jumps to $3 billion in 2012, then to $3.5 billion in 2017 and $4.2 billion in 2018, before settling at $2.8 billion in 2019 (Section 1404)). Think you, as a pharmaceutical executive, know how to better use that money, say for research and development? Tough. (Section 9008(b)).

16. The government will extract a fee of $2 billion annually from medical device makers. If you are a medical device maker what you will pay depends on your share of medical device sales in the U.S. So, if you sell 10% of the medical devices in the U.S., what you pay will be 10% multiplied by $2 billion, or $200,000,000. Think you, as a medical device maker, know how to better use that money, say for R&D? Tough. (Section 9009(b)).

The reconciliation package turns that into a 2.9% excise tax for medical device makers. Think you, as a medical device maker, know how to better use that money, say for research and development? Tough. (Section 1405).

17. The government will extract a fee of $6.7 billion annually from insurance companies. If you are an insurer, what you will pay depends on your share of net premiums plus 200% of your administrative costs. So, if your net premiums and administrative costs are equal to 10% of the total, you will pay 10% of $6.7 billion, or $670,000,000. In the reconciliation bill, the fee will start at $8 billion in 2014, $11.3 billion in 2015, $1.9 billion in 2017, and $14.3 billion in 2018 (Section 1406). Think you, as an insurance executive, know how to better spend that money? Tough. (Section 9010(b)(1)(A and B))

18. If an insurance company board or its stockholders think the CEO is worth more than $500,000 in deferred compensation? Tough. (Section 9014).

19. You will have to pay an additional 0.5% payroll tax on any dollar you make over $250,000 if you file a joint return and $200,000 if you file an individual return. What? You think you know how to spend the money you earned better than the government? Tough. (Section 9015).

That amount will rise to a 3.8% tax if reconciliation passes. It will also apply to investment income, estates, and trusts. You think you know how to spend the money you earned better than the government? Like you need to ask. (Section 1402).

20. If you go for cosmetic surgery, you will pay an additional 5% tax on the cost of the procedure. Think you know how to spend that money you earned better than the government? Tough. (Section 9017).

Please join the 12 other states who have already filed lawsuits on this issue.

Respectfully,

Proposed by:
Charles D. Revie
720 Sundown Court
Las Cruces, NM 88011

575-522-3317 (voice)
575-522-0372 (fax, on request)

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Posted by Colonel Robert F. Cunningham, Albuquerque, in support of Restoration of the Constitution of the United States of America.

Senator Bayh,

As a practicing physician I have major concerns with the health care bill before Congress.  I actually have read the bill and am shocked by the brazenness of the government’s proposed involvement in the patient-physician relationship.  The very idea that the government will dictate and ration patient care is dangerous and 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 and 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 and our fellow citizens.

Page 22 of the HC Bill:  Mandates that the Government will audit books of all employers that self-insure!!

Page 30 Sec 123 of HC bill:  THERE WILL BE A GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE that decides what treatments/benefits you get.

Page 29 lines 4-16 in the HC bill:  YOUR HEALTH CARE IS RATIONED!!!

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

Page 50 Section 152 in HC bill:  HC will be provided to ALL non-US citizens, illegal or otherwise.

Page 58 HC Bill:  Government will have real-time access to individuals’ finances & a ‘National ID Health card’ will be issued! (Papers please!)

Page 59 HC Bill lines 21-24:  Government will have direct access to your bank accounts for elective funds transfer.  (Time for more cash and carry)

Page 65 Sec 164:  Is a payoff subsidized plan for retirees and their families in unions & community organizations:  (ACORN).

Page 84 Sec 203 HC bill:  Government mandates ALL benefit packages for private HC plans in the ‘Exchange.’

Page 85 Line 7 HC Bill:  Specifications of Benefit Levels for Plans — The Government will ration your health care!

Page 91 Lines 4-7 HC Bill:  Government mandates linguistic appropriate services.  (Translation:  illegal aliens.)

Page 95 HC Bill Lines 8-18:  The Government will use groups (i.e. ACORN & Americorps) to sign up individuals for Government HC plan.

Page 85 Line 7 HC Bill:  Specifications of Benefit Levels for Plans.  (AARP members – your health care WILL be rationed!)

Page 102 Lines 12-18 HC Bill:  Medicaid eligible individuals will be automatically enrolled in Medicaid.  (No choice.)

Page 12 4 lines 24-25 HC:  No company can sue GOVERNMENT on price fixing.  No “judicial review” against Government monopoly.

Page 127 Lines 1-16 HC Bill:  Doctors/ American Medical Association – The Government will tell YOU what salary you can make.

Page 145 Line 15-17:  An Employer MUST auto-enroll employees into public option plan.  (NO choice!)

Page 126 Lines 22-25:  Employers MUST pay for HC for part-time employees ANDtheir families.  (Employees shouldn’t get excited about this as employers will be forced to reduce its work force, benefits, and wages/salaries to cover such a huge expense.)

Page 149 Lines 16-24:  ANY Employer with payroll 401k & above who does not provide public option will pay 8% tax on all payroll! (See the last comment in parenthesis.)

Page 150 Lines 9-13:  A business with payroll between $251K & $401K who doesn’t provide public option will pay 2-6% tax on all payroll.

Page 167 Lines 18-23:  ANY individual who doesn’t have acceptable HC according to Government will be taxed 2.5% of income.

Page 170 Lines 1-3 HC Bill:  Any NONRESIDENT Alien is exempt from individual taxes.  (Americans will pay.) (Like always)

Page 195 HC Bill:  Officers & employees of the GOVERNMENT HC Admin … will have access to ALL Americans’ finances and personal records.  (I guess so they can ‘deduct’ their fees)

Page 203 Line 14-15 HC:  “The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax.” (Yes, it really says that!) ( a ‘fee’ instead)

Page 239 Line 14-24 HC Bill:  Government will reduce physician services for Medicaid Seniors.  (Low-income and the poor are affected.)

Page 241 Line 6-8 HC Bill:  Doctors:  It doesn’t matter what specialty you have trained yourself in — you will all be paid the same! (Just TRY to tell me that’s not Socialism!)

Page 253 Line 10-18:  The Government sets the value of a doctor’s time, profession, judgment, etc. (Literally– the value of humans.)

Page 265 Sec 1131:  The Government mandates and controls productivity for “private” HC industries.

Page 268 Sec 1141:  The federal Government regulates the rental and purchase of power driven wheelchairs.

Page 272 SEC. 1145:  TREATMENT OF CERTAIN CANCER HOSPITALS – Cancer patients – welcome to rationing!

Page 280 Sec 1151:  The Government will penalize hospitals for whatever the Government deems preventable (i.e…re-admissions).

Page 298 Lines 9-11:  Doctors:  If you treat a patient during initial admission that results in a re-admission — the Government will penalize you.

Page 317 L 13-20:  PROHIBITION on ownership/investment.  (The Government tells doctors what and how much they can own!)

Page 317-318 lines 21-25, 1-3:  PROHIBITION on expansion.  (The Government is mandating that hospitals cannot expand.)

Page 321 2-13:  Hospitals have the opportunity to apply for exception BUT community input is required.  (Can you say ACORN?)

Page 335 L 16-25 Pg 336-339:  The Government mandates establishment of=2 outcome-based measures.  (HC the way they want — rationing.)

Page 341 Lines 3-9:  The Government has authority to disqualify Medicare Advance Plans, HMOs, etc. (Forcing people into the Government plan)

Page 354 Sec 1177:  The Government will RESTRICT enrollment of ’special needs people!’ Unbelievable!

Page 379 Sec 1191:  The Government creates more bureaucracy via a “Tele-Health Advisory Committee.” (Can you say HC by phone?)

Page 425 Lines 4-12:  The Government mandates “Advance-Care Planning Consult.” (Think senior citizens end-of-life patients.)

Page 425 Lines 17-19:  The Government will instruct and consult regarding living wills, durable powers of attorney, etc. (And it’s mandatory!)

Page 425 Lines 22-25, 426 Lines 1-3:  The Government provides an “approved” list of end-of-life resources; guiding you in death.  (Also called ‘assisted suicide.’)(Sounds like Soylent Green to me.)

Page 427 Lines 15-24:  The Government mandates a program for orders on “end-of-life.” (The Government has a say in how your life ends!)

Page 429 Lines 1-9:  An “advanced-care planning consultant” will be used frequently as a patient’s health deteriorates.

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 429 Lines 13-25:  The GOVERNMENT will specify which doctors can write an end-of-life order..  (I wouldn’t want to stand before God after getting paid for THAT job!)

Page 430 Lines 11-15:  The Government will decide what level of treatment you will have at end-of-life! (Again — no choice!)

Page 469:  Community-Based Home Medical Services = Non-Profit Organizations.  (Hello? ACORN Medical Services here!?!)

Page 489 Sec 1308:  The Government will cover marriage and family therapy.  (Which means Government will insert itself into your marriage even.)

Page 494-498:  Government will cover Mental Health Services including defining, creating, and rationing those services.

Senator, I guarantee that I personally will do everything possible to inform patients and my fellow physicians about the dangers of the proposed bills you and your colleagues are debating.

Furthermore, if you vote for a bill that enforces socialized medicine on the country and destroys the doctor-patient relationship, I will do everything in my power to make sure you lose your job in the next election.

Respectfully,

Stephen E. Fraser, MD

Dear Reader,

I urge you to use the power that you were born with (and the power that may soon be taken away) and circulate this email to as many people as you can reach.  The Power of the People can stop this from happening to us, our parents, our grandparents, our children, and to following generations.

Posted in support by General Bobby Farrell,

Albuquerque, NM