Allen West: Don’t trust government to run health care system
by Paul Quinlan | August 18th, 2009
Allen West
West will host his own town hall meeting on health care tonight at 7 p.m. at South Florida Bible College in Deerfield Beach.
West says reform efforts should begin by properly identifying what inflates costs in the current system. He said reforms should reduce lawsuits, encourage employers to offer coverage to workers and address coverage for illegal immigrants, whose trips to emergency rooms incur costs that are ultimately passed on to the rest of us.
“When people talk about a public option, we already have a public option – in Medicare, Medicaid and the SCHIP option,” said West. “The federal government needs to show that it can effectively run those programs.”
Tags: Republicans, Ron Klein
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August 18th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
Well, obviously, he’s a racist.
August 18th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
I have not had health insurance in years. I thank God I am healthy – as far as I know. I would appreciate the opportunity to (like other countries) go to a doctor and be able to maintain my health without having to pay a fortune to do it (as socialized medicine is in other countries). I know people, that because of health issues are unable to get a job because the health bills have made their credit bad and employers are checking credit to hire. This is despicable considering there are people WILLING to work, but can’t because they can’t afford these insane medical bills. Nice that you have insurance and can complain about a President trying to help us; but try living in others’ shoes once in a while.
August 18th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Courtney,
Do you think the cost of the gov’t healthcare is free? Sorry. It will be at most pre-paid. You will pay for it and pay for it dearly (due to govt inefficiencies) in higher taxes. Eventually, the costs will skyrocket and rationing will begin. Then you will have nothing.
Do you like the DMV service? the USPS? ICE? All these suck and suck hard. I do not wish anybody needing healthcare to have to deal with the likes of those.
August 18th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
Allen West at least gets points for his focus on two issues that the proponents of health-care reform are ignoring (studiously?)
1. Malpractice claims should be capped. Proponents like to adduce comparisons of European and other health plan costs. The trouble is those other nations don’t have this malpractice threat which costs doctors two ways (a) insurance premiums and (b) the threat of a claim which demands a battery of unnecessary, but costly, tests in order to be unduly certain to avoid malpractice claims.
2. One research calculation of health costs for illegal aliens paid for by American citizens posits a total of $339 million a year. The total may be subject to challenge, but certainly it is imposing. Why should people who shouldn’t even be here get free health care, the cost of which goes into those global cost comparisons?
August 18th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
Courtney you are eligable for any number of health insurance programs that government offers. Schip is offered to adults way OVER the poverty line.
I guess signing up for it is to hard.
August 19th, 2009 at 4:22 am
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September 17th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
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