GOP Seniors Health Care Bill of Rights.

The GOP has announced the following promise to the nation's senior citizens though the announcement of a "Health Care Bill of Rights."

Six bullet points in easy to understand English: (Text is below)

-PROTECT MEDICARE AND NOT CUT IT IN THE NAME OF HEALTH CARE REFORM

-PROHIBIT GOVERNMENT FROM GETTING BETWEEN SENIORS AND THEIR DOCTORS

-PROHIBIT EFFORTS TO RATION HEALTH CARE BASED ON AGE

-PREVENT GOVERNMENT FROM INTERFERING WITH END-OF-LIFE CARE DISCUSSIONS

-ENSURE SENIORS CAN KEEP THEIR CURRENT COVERAGE

-PROTECT VETERANS BY PRESERVING TRICARE AND OTHER BENEFIT PROGRAMS FOR MILITARY FAMILIES


This senior's health care bill of rights document is a complete game-changer for the current debate. Here is why: It's simple, easy to understand, and acknowledges the fears seniors have about health care. In addition, since it is simple to understand it also creates accountability for both the GOP and the Obama Administration to live up to the principles stated above.

From the political standpoint it is key to note that Seniors are a very important and powerful group of voters. In addition, they have until recently been very solidly democratic voters as a legacy from the days of FDR when he created the "old age insurance" (Social Security) and from democrats who ushered in Medicare. Every video I see of town hall attendees asking questions contain a large number of seniors asking to not have their health care coverage changed or taken away and now they have a party who has made a claim to make those concerns a key part of the opposition agenda.

While the GOP's politics don't always reflect my libertarian views I do recognize that effective opposition to Government involvement in health care will at least preserve some of the freedoms we have left as it relates to our medical care. This new seniors Health Bill of Rights is not the complete package but it is a savvy and effective way to bring the debate and the health care agenda back in line with the concerns of our seniors.

Health Care Town Halls: Tipping point for an Extremist Administration's Agenda?

A couple of thoughts about the public reaction to the Bill to have the Government take over the Health Care Industry.

- What took the Public so long to realize how radical of an agenda is being pushed by the Obama Administration?

-Why did it take the Public so long to become upset that the Representatives are not even reading the bills prior to voting on them? This is the third one since Obama took office where this could happen. First the Stimulus Spending Bill and then the Massive Energy Tax (Cap and Trade) Bill.

-Why is the Obama administration attacking the public when they are demanding to have answers to their legitimate concerns about a bill that will affect everyone in this country?

-Why would the radicals in Washington even consider trying to create such a bad health care bill with such a disproportionate cut that directly affects the elderly? Given that the elderly vote in such large numbers this would seem to be political suicide.

-How can the radicals in Congress not believe the protests and concerns of the public on health care are real and legitimate when the polling shows that a clear majority disapprove of the bill after they have had a chance to understand what is in it?

-Why are many of the Representatives deciding to hide from the Public and not communicate with the constituents? Why don't they care what the people they represent think about this very important issue?


Lots of questions I know. Here is the reality. I think the Public is waking up to the fact that many leaders in Washington, DC think it doesn't matter what the Public thinks. Why not? These very established Representatives and Senators have powerful organizations with big budgets that engage in corrupt "machine" politics to ensure re-election. As a result they are increasingly disconnected from how the real voters feel. As they pursue a greater and greater radical agenda that helps their own special interest groups they move farther and farther away from the disenfranchised public. So the Public reaches a boiling or tipping point and decides to send a message to those radical lawmakers. I believe this is where we are at now. The government has gone too far this time and now people are really upset.

Here is the scary part. The worst possible approach that the government could take is to ignore or miscategorize this Public expression when it occurs. The reason for this is that when the Government is dismissive toward the overall Public that is Angry and feeling Disenfranchised bad things start to happen. We don't want the Public to feel that the representation that the Public should have is a lie. Then they feel that they really don't have a voice at all and the people chosen to represent them are refusing to listen to them. This doesn't have to get uglier as long as they listen to the will of the Public.

The best possible outcome here would be that this bill is defeated and then in it's place they can create a far less radical bill that is narrowly targeted to help provide better health insurance coverage for the relatively small number of people (16 Million or so who don't qualify for other programs and are not in the country illegally.) Now that is a plan I think everyone could get behind!