The following LTE appeared in the Keene Sentinel yesterday:<\/p>\n
A common theme with Paul Hodes
\n*
\nPublished: Wednesday, October 07, 2009
\nI recently received a nice e-mail from Congressman Paul Hodes asking for my input on health care. In the past, I have provided him with input on various subjects, but this is the first time I can remember him directly asking for my input.<\/p>\n
With previous letters to Rep. Hodes, I always received form-letter responses containing nice politicianesque words, but clearly conveying that my input would be totally ignored, as it has been all along. Since this input was solicited, I hoped for better when I sent my thoughts.<\/p>\n
I explained that I do believe reforms affecting health insurance would be good.<\/p>\n
Specifically, I believe changing the tax code to allow all health related expenses, including health insurance, to be tax deductible for individuals would shift the incentive away from employer-purchased insurance toward individually purchased insurance.<\/p>\n
This would reduce loss of insurance due to change in employment or retirement, thereby addressing several concerns in our current debate.<\/p>\n
I explained that reducing health care costs by reducing FDA regulation would save huge sums on expensive drug costs. Reducing other regulation would reduce costs substantially in other areas.<\/p>\n
These changes would make health care more affordable for everyone, especially the poor.<\/p>\n
I explained that providing streamlined civil penalties for habitual erroneous denial of benefits (a form of breach of contract) would improve things for both doctors and patients.<\/p>\n
I explained that I do not support a \u201cpublic option\u201d for health insurance.<\/p>\n
Government has already done enough to ruin our health care system.<\/p>\n
Instead of more government, we should explore improvements through limiting government interference, regulation, and taxes, not expanding them.<\/p>\n
I sent the e-mail, happy with myself for articulating what many people want but won\u2019t waste their breath advocating due to their disenfranchisement.<\/p>\n
For those brief moments before receiving the response, I had a tiny shred of hope that at least a portion of my message would break through.<\/p>\n
Despite my hope, I wasn\u2019t surprised to learn it was yet another wasted effort.<\/p>\n
The response was more swift and worse than I expected: Delivery failed.<\/p>\n
I suppose it\u2019s appropriate, though. That about sums up my opinion of Rep. Hodes record as a congressman: delivery failed.<\/p>\n
VARRIN SWEARINGEN<\/p>\n
Keene<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The following LTE appeared in the Keene Sentinel yesterday: A common theme with Paul Hodes * Published: Wednesday, October 07, 2009 I recently received a nice e-mail from Congressman Paul Hodes asking for my input on health care. In the past, I have provided him with input on various subjects, \u2026 Continue reading