Health Care Reform Act of 2009 – An Open Letter
Posted By carlos on December 1, 2009
Admin: It is not often that one finds a citizen concerned enough to actually read what Congress is attempting to impose on its people. Dr. Stephen F Fraser wrote a letter to Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN) about his concerns regarding the House health reform bill.
We have included the letter in its entirety. Dr. Fraser cites his concerns line by line. Unfortunately, the time spent reviewing and analyzing this document may have been wasted in that the Bill Dr. Fraser refers to, ‘‘America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009’’, is no longer the Bill being considered.
Nevertheless, it is our duty felt obligation to applaud Dr. Fraser for his efforts and to publish that effort. If you wish to follow along with his review, we have included the link to the document that this letter refers to: http://docs.house.gov/edlabor/AAHCA-BillText-071409.pdf.
The Senate version of the Bill sponsored by senator Harry Reid (D-NV) can be found at this link: http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-s4/show.
We have verified that there exits a Dr. Stephen E. Fraser that resides and has a practice in Indianapolis, IN. We have not attempted to contact him. We post this letter under the assumption that it is an open letter and not subject to copywrite.
The letter follows:
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 Govt. will audit books of all employers that self-insure!!
Page 30 Sec 123 of HC bill: THERE WILL BE A GOVT 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: Govt. will have real-time access to individuals’ finances & a ‘National ID Health card’ will be issued!
Page 59 HC Bill lines 21-24: Govt. will have direct access to your bank accounts for elective funds transfer.
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: Govt. mandates ALL benefit packages for private HC plans in the ’Exchange.’
Page 85 Line 7 HC Bill: Specifications of Benefit Levels for Plans –The Govt. will ration your health care!
Page 91 Lines 4-7 HC Bill: Govt. mandates linguistic appropriate services. (Translation: illegal aliens.)
Page 95 HC Bill Lines 8-18: The Govt. will use groups (i.e. ACORN & Americorps to sign up individuals for Govt. 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 Govt. on price fixing. No “judicial review” against Govt. monopoly.
Page 127 Lines 1-16 HC Bill: Doctors American Medical Association – The Govt. 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 AND their 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 Govt. 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.)
Page 195 HC Bill: Officers & employees of the GOVT HC Admin. will have access to ALL Americans’ finances and personal records.
Page 203 Line 14-15 HC: “The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax.” (Yes, it really says that!)
Page 239 Line 14-24 HC Bill: Govt. 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 Govt. sets the value of a doctor’s time, profession,
judgment, etc. (Literally– the value of humans.)
Page 265 Sec 1131: The Govt. mandates and controls productivity for
“private” HC industries.
Page 268 Sec 1141: The federal Govt. 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 Govt. will penalize hospitals for whatever the Govt. 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 Govt. will penalize you.
Page 317 L 13-20: PROHIBITION on ownership/investment. (The Govt. tells doctors what and how much they can own!)
Page 317-318 lines 21-25, 1-3: PROHIBITION on expansion.
(The Govt. 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 Govt. mandates establishment of=2 outcome-based measures. (HC the way they want — rationing.)
Page 341 Lines 3-9: The Govt. has authority to disqualify Medicare Advance Plans, HMOs, etc. (Forcing people into the Govt. plan)
Page 354 Sec 1177: The Govt. will RESTRICT enrollment of ’special needs people!’ Unbelievable!
Page 379 Sec 1191: The Govt. creates more bureaucracy via a “Tele-Health Advisory Committee.” (Can you say HC by phone?)
Page 425 Lines 4-12: The Govt. mandates “Advance-Care Planning Consult.” (Think senior citizens, end-of-life patients.)
Page 425 Lines 17-19: The Govt. 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 Govt. provides an ”approved” list of end-of-life resources; & guiding you in death. (Also called ‘assisted suicide.’)
Page 427 Lines 15-24: The Govt. mandates a program for orders on “end-of-life.” (The Govt. 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 Govt. 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 Govt. 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 Govt. will cover marriage and family therapy. (Which means Govt. will insert itself into your marriage even.)
Page 494-498: Govt. 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
