Letters to the editor, Feb. 5, 2010

State wants to take over your health care

The California Senate has passed SB 810. This is called the Universal Health Care Act. It creates a whole new government agency, (a great big health care agency) under a health care commissioner. It will be an independent agency.

The bill has a long list of “intents” which to me would require a magician to fulfill. The intents are unrealistic. The bill uses terms like “medically appropriate,” “specified health care benefits,” “guidelines for prescribing medications.” All of these terms allow for limitation of medical treatment.  

The Health Care Premium Commission will: “To the greatest extent possible, ensure that all income earners and all employers contribute a premium amount that is affordable and that is consistent with existing funding sources for health care in California.” This means that you will have no choice in the matter. You will be required to pay whatever premiums this commission decides you will pay. I have never known any government agency to not require increasingly higher funding. Have you? The bill allows the “commissioner” to institute co-pays which translates to more money. All of this you will be required to pay, no choice.

There are other ways to reduce health care costs. Allow any insurance company licensed in the United States to offer policies in California. This increases competition which brings costs down. Reform state laws covering law suits in the area of medical treatment.

There is so much more wrong with this bill. No room here to outline it all. Please contact the governor and urge him to veto this bill. Contact your legislators to veto this bill. I do not want some government agency having control of my health care and my personal medical information. Do you?

Raynette Greaver, Barstow

Drug tests for those on public assistance

It is a requirement for people who apply for some jobs to submit to a drug test. I feel that welfare and Medicaid recipients should do the same. Some employees must submit to random drug tests to keep their job. If they fail they lose their job. When welfare and Medicaid recipients fail an original or random drug test they should be taken off public and federal assistance at once.

We need to know where our tax money goes and these tests will save us a lot of money. If you use drugs, you lose. It’s that simple.

Harvey M. Edwards, Barstow