my letter on H.R. 676 printed TODAY!please DU!!

[w8liftinglady]

My editor has never printed 2 letters in the same week..
Please register,rate and comment at site!

http://www.thedailylight.com/articles/2009/01/01/opinion/doc495d426911647280308142.txt
To the Editor,

Thirteen billion dollars. This is the sum profits for the top 13 health insurers in the U.S. in 2007. Despite this, the United States ranks 19th in the world for deaths by preventable diseases. The United States spends roughly $7,126 per capita in heath costs, and yet has one of the poorest performance in the organized world. This can be attributed to several things. Private insurers waste up to one-third of their costs on things that have nothing to do with healthcare: overhead, underwriting, billing, sales and marketing departments as well as huge profits and exorbitant executive pay. Doctors and hospitals must maintain huge staffs to deal with this bureaucracy. Combined, this needless administration consumes one-third of America’s healthcare dollars. Add to that the fact that 47 million Americans are uninsured (with that number sure to grow), and you have a crisis.

H.R. 676 is a bill that is before the House that offers a viable solution to this crisis. Some of the benefits of H.R. 676 are:

• Every resident of the US will be covered from birth to death.

• No more pre-existing conditions to be excluded from coverage.

• No more expensive deductibles or co-pays.

• All prescription medications will be covered.

• All dental and eye care will be included.

• Mental health and substance abuse care will be fully covered.

• Long-term and nursing home services will be included.

• You will always choose your own doctors and hospitals.

• Costs of coverage will be assessed on a sliding scale basis.

• Tremendously simplified system of medical administration

• Total portability — your coverage not tied to any job or location.

• Existing Medicare benefits for those over 65 will remain the same or be vastly improved in many cases.

• No corporate bureaucrat will ever come between you and your doctor to deny your care

This bill is endorsed by Physicians for a National Health Plan, an evergrowing group of doctors who have seen first-hand the effects of our poor health system on their patients.

Sadly, only three Texas Congressmen have co-sponored this. If you believe this should be the future of our healthcare, please write or call Congressman Joe Barton and ask that he support this legislation.

Beth Dawson,

Red Oak

[w8liftinglady]

1. I hate to beg,but this is something I feel VERY strongly about

and I know the loals will definitely call me a socialist over this one(not that that's a bad thing)
I especially was hoping peopl would post their horror stories with the current healthcare system.Thanks

[CTyankee]

2. So what if they call you a socialist? And anyway, a lot of people reading your letter

will look at what you list in benefits and say "This is great. Why don't we have that now?"

I think the whole "socialized medicine" meme has outworn its usefulness. Even the phrase itself seems so old fashioned and stodgy. The only people using it are primarily old as dirt and on their way out anyhow...

A new day is dawning!

[w8liftinglady]

3. well,I am a "socialist"-I believe we exist for the common good

we should strive to help ALL citizens reach their maximum potential.
My neighbors are so closed-minded,they will reject anything good for them if it came from a Democrat.

[WillieW]

12. So, old people are not entitled? What a concept.

Remember that you will be old one day.

[w8liftinglady]

4. forgive me for self-kicking

I'd like for my neighbors to see that many people support this kind of health care.Please leave a comment at the site.Thanks:)

[chill_wind]

5. K&R. n/t

[Soylent Brice]

6. K&R and thank you for your diligence

[Bryn]

7. Kick

:kick: and R

[1776Forever]

8. Here's a story for you...

My 38 year-old son developed progressive MS 5 years ago and he had no insurance. Because of this my husband and I and his brother had to take him to the ERs for help. When we did all of the ER Dr's were always pushing each one of their "theories" back and forth on what was wrong with him. One of the test he was NOT given finally showed his problem but by then he had progressed to the point where he was losing brain capacity and his bladder was deteriorating too. It took 2 years to get him on Medicaid. Then when I thought this was going to help it only made matters worse! The only Dr's and Specialists that will take Medicaid usually are the ones who don't hardly know anything about MS and it took another year before we got him to be seen by a fantastic specialist at one of the University Medical Centers who diagnosed him in 5 minutes!

I had done many studies on this and had written a report on how I felt the University Medical Centers could help with chronic illnesses that cost Medicaid more then any other factor. I sent it along to former Senator Tom Daschle, but haven't heard back from him yet.

Thank you for posting this very important and poignant message!

Blessings and hugs for 2009!
:pals:

[4 t 4]

9. for a minute I thought I was reading the health care plan

for Congress, ooops I bet it's the same must be nice. k&r

[rhett o rick]

10. K&R

[snot]

11. Done.

[davefromqueens]

13. Kudos To You

Having letters printed in the newspaper has an effect on politics locally. It lets others know that there are people out there who share their views. Plus, when people see it in the LTES and read it, undecideds are more likely to be persuaded by you than the regular columnists.

Keep up the good work.

[eridani]

14. I clicked the link and didn't have to register

Maybe I registered before and don't remember it.

Everybody should follow Beth's example here and write letters about universal health care as often as possible. Even if they don't print them, they count them to decide the proportion of pro and con letters to print.

[GrannyK]

15. Excellent letter to the editor

I didn't have to register to make a comment. But I may have registered some other time.

[w8liftinglady]

16. Thank you all.Please continue to post comments-it encourages the editor to print more

My friend who works at the paper says advertising revenue increases when my letters are printed.Whatever it takes.Thanks,again

[Fireweed247]

17. w8liftinglady

You are really awesome :hi:
Thanks for fighting to get the truth out there :fistbump:

[w8liftinglady]

20. Thank you-you guys inspire me :)

:hi:

[ColbertWatcher]

18. Bravo w8liftinglady! Well done! k+r, n/t

[w8liftinglady]

19. even if you don't want to comment,please register and rate.

[w8liftinglady]

21. He's printed one comment so far.A good one!

" Ms. Dawson thoroughly outlines the need for universal health care. That the U.S. is the only industrialized country without such a plan is shameful. However, I think one more point needs to be made.

Universal health care is the *best* way of improving our economy. Insuring employees is one of the single largest costs for many employers. A cost that most small businesses can't afford. And yet, when their employees are ill or forgo prophylactic exams and needed treatments businesses suffer from decreased productivity and lowered quality. Just as businesses benefit from public roads, fire and police departments they will benefit from the passage of H.R. 676. To put it quite simply, universal health care *is* the insurance our businesses need to successfully compete in the 21st. century. "

[blaze]

22. k&r Great letter! n/t

[snowbear]

23. Congratulations!

.
.

Awesome job ~~~

[bertman]

24. Rec and kick. Good work, Beth.

[Rhiannon12866]

25. Done. Excellent. And I didn't have to register, either. K&R.

Keep up the outstanding work! You're an inspiration to the rest of us... :patriot: :hi:

[area51]

26. kick

voted at The Daily Light website.

single-payer facts

[w8liftinglady]

27. thank you.The more hits i get,the betterchance I'll be published again

[Vinca]

28. Good letter. I rated you up and added the following -

"Excellent letter. We need to be sure Medicare covers seniors adequately. Currently, most seniors need to buy expensive supplemental insurance or risk the same bankruptcy everyone else faces if serious illness hits. The U.S. has a shameful infant mortality rate and is far down the list for longevity. If we can afford trillion dollar wars, we can afford to keep America healthy."

Apparently the remarks have to go through a moderator first.

[w8liftinglady]

32. your comment is there..my editor is very fair

[gristy]

29. "All prescription medications will be covered."??

I sure hope there are some qualifications to that. Otherwise, this bill sounds like a budget buster.

[w8liftinglady]

31. or maybe,some of the profit will have to be removed

I'm sure they will negotiate,much like my insurance negotiates.I pay 15.00 for the expensive ones

[redqueen]

30. Wow... well done!

:thumbsup:

Thanks for the notice. :)

[w8liftinglady]

33. thank you all who've commented(with some great comments)

Please keep writing...knock their socks off.The locals will start fighting back soon.

[w8liftinglady]

34. if you have time,drop my editor an email thanking him

He has a strong commitment to the first amendment(he is a RED Republican)and has printed 98% of my letters,as well as your comments,uncensored.
[e-mail]

[Cleita]

35. Excellent.

:kick:

[w8liftinglady]

36. my editor has printed 10 of your comments.Can we make it 20?