World class prices, third rate health care
The distortions and lies made by those in the medical insurance companies and by those in Congress who have been bought by them is the worst form of fascism fronting as free market capitalism.
A democratic republic - that the U.S. is supposed to be - very poorly represents the majority of American citizens who do not have the time or technical capacity to readily determine how to get reasonable access to fairly priced medical services.
This presently unreformed medical insurance and consequent inflated costs also will effectively prevent this nation from ever eliminating its increasing deficit.
A personal experience by this writer can be had by any citizen who does not have insurance and signs a form to that effect. They can find that their medical providers can offer cost savings of one-third or more if no insurance is used. This apparently is because the inflated costs added by the third party profit motive of insurance companies is eliminated.
That part of Congress that promoted the current model of HMO's is also a definite contributor to the current problem of world class prices for third rate access by the average citizen.
If any other entity assisted in the untimely deaths of more than 45,000 American citizens annually, they would likely have war declared upon them, then executed or jailed. In this country, it appears to be business as usual for insurance companies and those who have been bought by them.
Warner W. Fletcher
Gardnerville
Reform provides for the welfare of all people
It is time for Gov. Gibbons and Rep. Dean Heller to quit wasting our tax dollars on requests for frivolous lawsuits and get to work earning their tax-funded salaries. The people have spoken about health care. Through a duly elected Congress, to a president elected by a majority of electoral votes and a majority of the voters, we have a beginning to health care reform.
Congress is to be congratulated for doing its job under the Constitution providing for the general welfare of all people. The president is to be congratulated for upholding his part of his campaign promise. For naysayers, the same rhetoric was around for passage of Social Security and Medicare, and the legislation that was being passed in the 1960s for environmental and social reform.
This protects the current generations, future generations, and helps on several levels of the economy. Medicare Advantage has had its bluff called as a payoff for the health insurance industry - $15 billion a year in tax subsidies - while providing little or no cooperation with the medical community. Anyone who has watched health insurance knows that its coverage has lessened and changed for the worse in 10 years. There is a silent majority out there that does support this when lies are shown and facts are known.
We have joined the ranks of the rest of the developed world by trying to assure health care for all.
Mamie Griffith
Carson City