We must be on watch

President Obama makes it a point to say that he will not sign any legislation that will increase the deficit in the next ten years. First ten years from now, if Mr. Obama is lucky he will be in the last years of his final term and it will no longer matter to him what the people think of him. Second has anyone read the two bills in Congress? H.R. 2252 – The national health care quality act, also know as S. 966 in the Senate, has a section on funding that should be read by everyone.

SEC. 944. FUNDING.

`(a) Trust Funds- For purposes of funding the activities under this part, the Secretary shall provide for the transfer from the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund under section 1817 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395i) and the Federal Supplementary Insurance Trust Fund under section 1841 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395t), including the Medicare Prescription Drug Account in such Trust Fund, in such proportion as determined appropriate by the Secretary, of $150,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2014.

`(b) American Recovery and Reinvestment Funds- At the end of the recession adjustment period (as defined in section 5001(h)(3) of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Public Law 111-5; 123 Stat. 496), the Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer any funds appropriated under such Act and not otherwise expended to the Agency for purposes of carrying out this part.

`(c) Medicaid and Medicare Improvement Funds- For purposes of funding the activities under this part for fiscal year 2014, the Secretary shall provide for the transfer of $100,000,000 from the Medicaid Improvement Fund under section 1898 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395iii), and $100,000,000 from the Medicare Improvement Fund under section 1941 of such Act (42 U.S.C 1396w-1).'.

(c) Technical Amendment- Section 937(b) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 299c-6(b)) is amended by inserting `except for part E,' after `this title'.

(d) Development of Quality Measures for Federal Health Programs-

(1) PERIOD OF CONTRACT- Section 1890(a)(3) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395aaa(a)(3)) is amended--

(A) by striking `4 years' and inserting `4 years, in the case of the first contract entered into under such paragraph, and 3 years in the case of each subsequent contract entered into under such paragraph'; and

(B) by inserting `for a period of 3 years' after `renewed'.

(2) PRIORITY SETTING PROCESS- Section 1890(b)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395aaa(b)(1)) is amended--

(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A)--

(i) by striking `an integrated national strategy and priorities for'; and

(ii) by inserting `in a manner consistent with the national priorities for health care quality improvement (as defined in section 4(c)(1))' after `settings'; and

(B) in subparagraph (A)--

(i) by redesignating clauses (i) through (iii) as clauses (ii) through (iv), respectively; and

(ii) by inserting before clause (ii), as so redesignated, the following new clause:

`(i) that are consistent with such national priorities for health care quality improvement;'.

(3) ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS- Section 1890(b)(5) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395aaa(b)(5)) is amended--

(A) by redesignating clauses (i) through (iii) as clauses (ii) through (iv); and

(B) by inserting before clause (ii), as so redesignated, the following new clause:

`(i) the extent to which the priorities set and the quality improvement measures endorsed by the entity under paragraphs (1) and (2), respectively, are consistent with the national priorities for health care quality improvement (as so defined);'.

(4) FUNDING- Section 1890(d) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395aaa(d)) is amended by inserting `and, for purposes of carrying out this section under a new or renewed contract, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary, taking into consideration the results of the study contained in the 18 month report submitted to Congress under section 183(b)(2) of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-275), for each of fiscal years 2013 through 2015' before the period at the end.

In order to pay for this new health care with out ‘increasing the deficit’ the President and Congress are going to rob from Medicare. All seniors and disabled persons in America are going to take a hit in their coverage in order to pay for others. While the majority of working America may have some form of health care it is true that not all have health care coverage. Penalizing the people dependant on Social Security and Medicare is not the answer. Seniors on these programs have no other options.

Everyone knows that when the federal government gets into anything it usually gets screwed up. Over the last several years many new companies have been advertising on info-mercials affordable health care to individuals that don’t have healthcare. It seems to me that government should be supportive of programs from companies like these not taking it away to ‘handle it’ themselves. This would be supportive of supply and demand capitalist system. At the most the federal government who is responsible for regulating inter-state trade should put caps on the costs that making healthcare more expensive. Government run health care has not worked in any Country that has it. Ask anyone who lives in those countries. Why on earth are scores of Canadians coming into our country for health care? Because they can get the care they need without having to go through a government agency.

Contrary to popular belief the central authority to our form of government is the American Citizen. Whether it be laziness or just the we have ‘better things to do’ Americans have felt content to let the professional politicians ‘handle’ the government and the affairs that effect us all. It amazes me the number of citizens that go through life and say that they don’t vote. What ever their reasons it just doesn’t make since to me. Don’t complain if you don’t put in your vote, and if you have something to complain about get involved even if its just reading the papers or watching news on TV and vote for your values and opinions in the election booth. We are the true power in America, exercise your power.