About 60 or so concerned citizens packed the tiny Bear Paw Cafe in Lakeville Nov. 12 to hear U.S. Congressman Mike Rogers (R-Brighton) speak and ask some questions over a cup of coffee.
Referring to the landmark health care bill that recently passed the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, one woman uttered the question that seemed to be on most people’s minds that morning.
‘What’s it going to take to defeat this? It just seems unstoppable,? she said.
Rogers urged people to phone in their opposition to the bill to as many senators as they can, not just Democrats Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, who represent Michigan.
‘I say pick up the phone and call them all,? he said. ?(Tell them) we want some changes, but we don’t want government-run health care.?
‘We can’t be bashful. This is not their government. It’s ours,? Rogers noted.
The congressman noted the health care bill isn’t as unstoppable as people might think.
‘Right now, they don’t have the votes for it,? he explained. ‘We had 39 Democrats (in the House) not vote for this bill. They said this thing is not a good idea. The only bipartisan part of this bill was its opposition.?
When Rogers announced he voted ‘no? on the health care bill, he drew a big round of applause from the crowd.
‘We have the chance to still beat this thing if you think this is a bad idea, and I think it’s a horrible idea,? he said.
The congressman explained to the crowd the real price tag of this health care legislation.
‘The cost is outrageous,? he said, noting there’s 10 years worth of taxes added into the bill. ‘They said over the next 10 years, it’s only going to cost $900 billion. Here’s the problem, in the first five years, there’s no services, only taxes. So, it doubles the cost. It’s about $1.8 trillion in cost.?
Besides taxing individuals and small businesses, the health care bill taxes everything in the doctor’s office ‘from the tongue depressor to the gloves they wear to their stethoscope to the blood pressure cuff to your MRI machine.?
‘All of it has a brand new tax on it,? Rogers explained. ‘Only in Washington D.C. can you add more costs to providing health care and it’s going to get cheaper. It just doesn’t make any sense to me to do that.?
If costs are cut under the proposed health care legislation, Rogers said it will be done a way that hurts people.
‘The only way a government-run system can cut costs is deny access or ration care,? he said. ‘The only way they can ration care in the United States is by having boards deny care. It’s the only way they can save money in a big government system.?
Addison resident Bob Godkin expressed his concern about how the health care bill’s proposed $400 billion cut to Medicare is going to affect senior citizens like him.
‘We depend on Medicare. We’re senior citizens on a fixed income,? he said.
‘This is another great reason why we should oppose it,? Rogers said. ‘Medicare is going to go broke in 2019. They’re going to add more people to Medicare under this bill and they’re going to cut it by $400 billion. Brilliant. It doesn’t make sense, but it’s the only way they can make their math work.?
One resident brought up the subject of illegal aliens and Rogers indicated they will be covered under this bill because they won’t have to show any proof of citizenship to receive government-run health care.
‘There’s no verification. All you have to do is sign a form that says ‘yes, you’re a U.S. citizen.? That’s it,? he explained. ‘Even the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says they think it will add nine million new illegal immigrants to his bill. We can hardly pay for what we got, let alone pay for illegal immigrants
But Rogers wasn’t here just to shoot arrows at the Democrats? health care bill. He also put forth some ideas. ‘There’s better alternatives to the government running it.?
The congressman believes people should be able to shop around for their health insurance and companies should compete for people’s business. But right now, the law is preventing that from happening and he’d like to change that. For instance, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Indiana offers health coverage very similar to its Michigan counterpart and it’s ‘much cheaper.?
‘Some say it’s about $300 per employee per month cheaper,? Rogers said.
Although a person or company from Michigan can buy just about anything in Indiana, they can’t buy health insurance there because ‘it’s against the law today.?
‘Right now, Blue Cross Blue Shield has 80 percent of the market in Michigan and you can’t go anywhere else to shop,? he said. ‘They’re a good company, but guess what? They don’t really care if you tell them you don’t like what they’re doing. What are you going to do? You have no where to go.?
Changing that law to allow competition would give customers better prices and service in Rogers? opinion.
Rogers is also in favor of small businesses being able to ‘pool their resources to negotiate better rates for health insurance? and placing the ‘sickest of the sick? in ‘catastrophic pools,? so the risk is spread around the country, everyone pays lower premiums and those people get the insurance coverage they need. bill’s proposed $400 billion cut to Medicare is going to affect senior citizens like him.
‘We depend on Medicare. We’re senior citizens on a fixed income,? he said.
‘This is another great reason why we should oppose it,? Rogers said. ‘Medicare is going to go broke in 2019. They’re going to add more people to Medicare under this bill and they’re going to cut it by $400 billion. Brilliant. It doesn’t make sense, but it’s the only way they can make their math work.?
One resident brought up the subject of illegal aliens and Rogers indicated they will be covered under this bill because they won’t have to show any proof of citizenship to receive government-run health care.
‘There’s no verification. All you have to do is sign a form that says ‘yes, you’re a U.S. citizen.? That’s it,? he explained. ‘Even the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says they think it will add nine million new illegal immigrants to his bill. We can hardly pay for what we got, let alone pay for illegal immigrants
But Rogers wasn’t here just to shoot arrows at the Democrats? health care bill. He also put forth some ideas.
‘There’s better alternatives to the government running it,? he said.
The congressman believes people should be able to shop around for their health insurance and companies should compete for people’s business. But right now, the law is preventing that from happening and he’d like to change that.
For instance, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Indiana offers health coverage very similar to its Michigan counterpart and it’s ‘much cheaper.?
‘Some say it’s about $300 per employee per month cheaper,? Rogers said.
Although a person or company from Michigan can buy just about anything in Indiana, they can’t buy health insurance there because ‘it’s against the law today.?
‘Right now, Blue Cross Blue Shield has 80 percent of the market in Michigan and you can’t go anywhere else to shop,? he said. ‘They’re a good company, but guess what? They don’t really care if you tell them you don’t like what they’re doing. What are you going to do? You have no where to go.?
Changing that law to allow competition would give customers better prices and service in Rogers? opinion.
Rogers is also in favor of small businesses being able to ‘pool their resources to negotiate better rates for health insurance? and placing the ‘sickest of the sick? in ‘catastrophic pools,? so the risk is spread around the country, everyone pays lower premiums and those people get the insurance coverage they need.