THE CITIZEN'S HEALTH CARE PLAN

The Citizens Health Care Plan

• The Public Option: The Federal government should jump start non-profit insurance cooperatives without initial loans but with large grants (similar to bail-outs) No beneficiary premiums would be required for people with incomes lower than $45,000 for individuals and $65,00 for families of three or four. Tax credits won’t work because poor people do not have stable incomes. They may not file income tax returns.

• Employers with any number of full time employees must offer coverage with the lowest cost plan that meets requirements set by the government. There should be competition between insurance companies as well as real public option as described above.

• Long term care should cover the full cost of at least $75 a day for individuals who have worked at least five years.

• Abortion should be covered by the case of rape, incest or health emergency with the mother or the fetus. Abortion should be available to any woman 18 or under. A private health care plan can refuse coverage.

• Illegal immigrants must pay for basic insurance if they are working in the US. Visitors to the US will receive care with pay. If they cannot pay they will be deported as soon as they are healthy.

• Children should receive care without cost paid for by Medicaid. If the parents are not citizens the family will be returned to the native country as soon as the child is healthy.

• Any health insurance plan should be paid by funds from a surtax to high-income earners of $500,000 a year and increasing exponentially with the level of income. Makers of pharmaceuticals pay sums allocated according to market share and earnings.

• Health Insurance premiums must be capped and adjusted according to incomes of subscribers. These amounts could be set by the Federal or State governments as decided by the people in an election.

ABOUT ABORTION

To the Los Angeles Times, November 8, 2009

The issue before the senate currently contains the following, I believe, that was an editorial in the Los Angeles Times last September. The editorial described the financial coverage allowed in the House Health Care Bill (there have been so many it is confusing) for women who want abortions:

U.S. law bars federal Medicaid dollars from being used to pay for abortions except when the pregnancies result from rape or incest or threaten the mother’s life. It also prohibits insurance plans for military personnel, federal employees and lower-income children from covering abortion. This page (of the healthcare reform bill) has opposed these rules because they deter poor women from obtaining the constitutionally protected medical care available to women with means. Legislators in California and about a dozen other states agree, and they provide funding for elective abortions with their own states’ Medicaid contributions.

In my opinion, abortion should be available to women who need one for any reason at all. It should be her choice and perhaps also the choice of the father. A baby should not be born into an environment that is lacking in any way. A child of fourteen or fifteen should not be forced to ruin his or her life if they make a mistake. Make abortion available but make that woman AND the man suffer the consequences. They should pay a lot of money (also something required in the House version of health care reform) for that mistake (Then watch those boys put on those condoms!), and perhaps some other consequences such as community service and some classes they must attend.

If they choose to have the baby they should BOTH bear the responsibility of their behavior and pay lots of money to insure the welfare of the child. They should also be required by law to go to regular doctors visits during pregnancy and afterwards. Social workers should be required by law to regulate and supervise the environment in which the child grows up in. The choice to have a baby is a lifelong commitment and this should be part of the education of minors who are sexually active.

Just my opinion,

Elizabeth Brady Woods

Pasadena, CA

Afghani Election

Americans have the wrong idea about politics in Afghanistan, and the countries of that area, including Pakistan. There is no such thing as an election that is not corrupt. It is not possible to install a government that is not corrupt. The Taliban know that and possibly even pay for the area's governments to look the other way. The people of the region are terrified for their lives. Americans are making things more dangerous for the locals everyday that we are there. What David Shenand said about building our defenses against enemies here at home is the right way to think. We all need to realize we are getting our own killed while helping a bunch of thugs. The whole region of Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, and Afghanistan is in a centuries old turmoil that can only be rectified by the people themselves. We need to step back (out of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq) and build up our own country's intelligence and defenses.

We need to fix our own ailments, healing the cankers that are destroying us, the leading Democracy of the world. We should be proud of the education we give our children, proud of how we care for the medical needs of our citizens, and proud of our scientific advances in stemming global warming. We should be leaders in guarantying the civil rights of all of our citizens. We have no credibility until we do this. Ms. Clinton, look homeward and work to disengage from hopeless and dangerous governments. Work to form a strong bond with friendly countries. Work for your people, Secretary Clinton, not the corrupt puppet governments of the East.