Health Care Reform: The Dog That Was Not Allowed To Bark

Last week, Congressman Thad McCotter introduced a Bill HR 4500, The Freedom From Rationed Health Care Act, that invalidates a little known, hidden part of the Stimulus Bill. That hidden part of The Stimulus Bill created the rationing and enforcement boards. Significantly, this “minor” fiscal trim makes the first part of ObamaCare null and void.

On November 7th, 2009, Speaker Pelosi marched to the podium and paraded her lap dogs to the microphone to proclaim “Victory” for herself, her Democratic House colleagues, and President Obama. What about every other American? The “Victory” was the passage of the second part of ObamaCare, “The Health Care Bill.” That’s right, the second part of ObamaCare is the 1,990 page bill that created 118 new boards, commissions, offices and bureaus. The same bill that will be paid for with (1) $740 billion in tax increases, (2) a cut in Medicare to Seniors by $500 Billion, and (3) a cost shift of $34 Billion to States in unfunded mandates.

This “Victory” was Pelosi’s and President Obama’s second victory on the health care front. The first occurred under the cloak of darkness and obfuscation, in February 2009. Hidden in The Stimulus Bill and passed into law were the ominous Obama, Pelosi, Reid rationing and enforcement health boards.

On that same evening of November 7th, few know that the GOP Leadership proposed an Alternate Reform Package, and each and every member of the minority signed on. This Alternate Reform Package received no fanfare. The problem was, the President and Speaker Pelosi blocked the Alternative Health Care Reform Package from being discussed or even introduced on the floor of The House……it was “The Dog that was NOT allowed to bark.” How open minded, how transparent and how American is that !?!

We cannot afford to ignore the GOP input. This Alternate Reform Package addressed the main issues needed in reform:

• Empower the public,
• Lower health care premiums,
• Establish Universal Access Programs for those with pre-existing conditions,
• Reduce junk lawsuits,
• Prevent insurers from canceling a policy,
• Allow Americans to purchase insurance across state lines,
• Expand HSA’S, and
• Promote Prevention and Wellness.

On November 4^th, Glenn Beck allowed me to “borrow” his audience and to give them a frontline assessment of the health care legislation pending in Congress.

In my discussion with Judge Napolitano on the Glenn Beck Show, I hammered on the facts that (1) the Rationing and Enforcement Boards were already created and passed into law through the Stimulus Bill, and (2) the President had already appointed the members, funding them to the tune of $20.6 BILLION. When I pointed out that these boards were charged with directing healthcare “at the time and place of care,” Judge Napolitano expressed outrage at the prospect of these government entities insinuating themselves into the previously private and confidential doctor/patient relationship. The biggest outrage is the fact that no one seems to know that THIS IS ALREADY LAW! These rationing boards threaten your privacy, your control, your health, your treatment possibilities, and your future.

Enter Congressman Thad McCotter. He acted upon the information in my interview and added two very important Sections to The Alternative Bill :

DIVISION D–PROTECTING THE DOCTOR-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP

SEC. 401. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to interfere with the doctor-patient relationship or the practice of medicine.

SEC. 402. REPEAL OF FEDERAL COORDINATING COUNCIL FOR COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS RESEARCH. Effective on the date of the enactment of this Act, section 804 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is repealed.

With the addition of these two Sections, the subterranean health care coup within The Stimulus Bill, would have become NULL and VOID. However, by Pelosi’s and Obama’s block of the alternative bill the rationing boards survived.

Enter Congressman McCotter again. On January 22, 2010 he introduced a Bill, The Freedom From Rationed Health Care Act, that would make the health care portion of The Stimulus Bill extinct.

I thank those in Congress who were willing to listen to ‘the grunts on the front line of our health care system and to create the alternative Bill. I thank Congressman McCotter for (1) having the “guts” to call out the President, the Speaker, Senator Reid for their subterfuge in enacting the rationing and enforcement boards, and (2) for proposing a remedy for the unpalatable Democratic draught….not once but twice.

Health Care is too important to enact by default. It deserves debate and dialogue. It is too important to relegate to back room deals, special interests, and bureaucrats with NO functional medical knowledge. We need a simplified health care system that can deal with reality, not smoke and mirrors. We do not need to add expensive bureaucratic gridlock that limits your access to treatments and care and decimates our health care delivery system. We need to diagnose the ailments in our system, and identify solutions that do not create worse side effects and complications. The” dog that wasn’t allowed to bark” addresses these issues. Congressman McCotter’s new Bill should put the “rabid dog” being pushed by Obama, Pelosi and Reid in a cage for good.