Sadly, the joke is on us. HR3200, the Health Care Reform Bill currently still in the Energy and Commerce Committee, is being held up by the “Blue Dog” Democrats concerned about the cost and scope of the bill. And with good reason.

The government can claim to “save” money by providing health care for all Americans, even illegals, by obtaining cost savings (also known as rationed care).

“With managed care and now with socialized medicine coming, believe me, quality will go down, costs will go up, there will be shortages, there will be lines, and no one’s going to be happy,” Congressman Dr. Ron Paul (R-TX) said on CNN a few weeks ago.

According to Robert A. Book of the Heritage Foundation:

A public health care plan would not improve the current health care situation and would likely make matters worse. Far from saving enough to cover the uninsured, it would increase the cost of covering even the presently insured at the current standard of care. A public plan could reduce overall spending only at the cost of substantial harm to patients.

Reducing health care costs by offering a public plan will only accomplish more of what the government has done with Medicare and Medicaid: reduce payments to doctors and hospitals, and ration care. Rationed care is what the U.K. and Canada and other countries have, and it has sent some of their wealthier citizens to our country to get quality health care.

In a previous post, I stated that we are in danger of losing our freedom in this health care legislation. Shawn Tully details what the Health Care Reform will do in his article, “5 Freedoms You’d Lose in Health Care Reform.”

Do not feel safe because you have private health insurance. You will not be able to keep your health insurance, due to language to that end in HR3200. This is a fact that our own Congressional Budget Office, or CBO, either is unaware of or is ignoring.

FoxNews reports: “CBO estimates that only 11 million to 12 million people would sign up for the public plan — making it a much smaller player in the market. The government coverage would be available alongside private plans through a new kind of insurance purchasing pool called an exchange.”

Well, the number of people who would voluntarily sign up for the public health plan may be correct; 11-12 million. What the CBO is forgetting is the number of people who will be thrown into the public health plan because it will become too difficult and expensive for businesses to continue funding private health insurance for their employees under Health Care Reform.

And what the Obama administration has been trying to keep quiet is that the Health Care Reform bill, if passed, would use taxpayer money to expand abortion services. Would you be happy to pay for someone else’s abortion? Douglas Johnson, National Right to Life Committee Legislative Director points out the reality of the Health Care Reform Bill in a letter to Members of Congress:

“In its current form, this bill would predictably result in the greatest expansion of abortion since Roe v. Wade, driven by mandates and subsidies emanating from multiple provisions of this bill.

The bill contains provisions that would result in federal mandates requiring inclusion of elective abortion in virtually all health insurance plans, both private plans (which would be required to conform to federal standards in order to participate in the government-operated Exchange), and the new “public plan.” Other provisions would result in health networks being required to establish new abortion providers in order to provide local access to elective abortions. State laws placing procedural requirements or other limitations on abortion ( e.g., waiting periods, or parental notification laws) would be subject to nullification by federal regulation or lawsuit.”

It’s not that hard to believe that abortion ‘rights’ and services will be greatly expanded under Health Care Reform when you consider that in order to rein in health care costs, euthanasia seems to be an option the government is considering. It’s a slippery slope America is going down, with the current legality of abortion. Since an unborn baby can be aborted, why should an older person’s life, especially one with expensive health problems, be considered any more valuable by the government?

Fred Thompson recently had Betsy McCaughey, a conservative and former NY lieutenant governor, on his radio show. McCaughey, who has read the entire 1,000+ page Health Care Reform bill, expressed outrage that the government would mandate quality of life consultations for senior citizens. Carrie Budoff Brown of Politico writes:

On Thompson’s radio show, as well as in a New York Post op-ed and other interviews during the past week, McCaughey has said the provision requires senior citizens to submit to end-of-life consultations. Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity touted the New York Post article on their shows. “Congress would make it mandatory, absolutely require, that every five years, people in Medicare have a required counseling session that will tell them how to end their life sooner,” McCaughey said to Thompson.

The bill expressly says if you get sick somewhere in that five-year period, you have to go through that session again — all to do what is in society’s best interest or your family’s best interest and cut your life short. These are such sacred issues of life and death. Government should have nothing to do with it.”

In the 1,000+ page Health Care Reform bill, ironically named H.R.3200 America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, a variety of ways to cut costs are detailed. Do not be fooled by those saying you will be able to keep your private health insurance coverage. This Health Care Reform plan will make it so difficult to keep private health care insurance that the majority of people will be covered by the public health care plan. Of course, that is by design. How can the government hope to have ‘affordable’ health insurance if only a small percentage of Americans have it? Here’s the kicker. Our U.S. Senators and Representatives who ‘toil’ away for us passing laws in Washington, D.C. will not be covered by the public health care plan. Oh no. They’ll be covered by a top notch private health insurance plan.

If this is such a great plan, why wouldn’t our esteemed leaders in Washington, D.C. enroll in it pronto?

Video Source: YouTube

Now is the time to act. Some Blue Dog Democrats are undecided about Health Care Reform and Cap and Trade. A call to (FL) Sen. Bill Nelson’s office today revealed he has not made his mind up on these two issues. Sen. Bill Nelson is waiting to see how Health Care Reform is going be funded, and is waiting to see the final bill details on Cap and Trade, according to his office. Seems like he’s waiting to hear how his constituents want him to vote.

Make your voice heard–get on the phone, and send out letters to your Congressmen via fax. We need to contact a lot of leaders in Washington, not just those who represent our district. We need to contact leaders who represent different parts of America, because the health and integrity of America is at stake.

I’ve written many posts about the perils and huge costs (over $1 trillion now) of Health Care Reform. Other have too, including George Will, who wrote a great post, ‘Americans Will Likely Regret Health Care Fix.’ My friends and fellow Americans, the time to act is not next week or next month. It’s now.

Take a few minutes to make some calls and send some faxes. Here is a list of Blue Dog Democrats, thanks to my friend and fellow blogger Lea Sylvester. These Blue Dog Democrats need to hear how much we Americans don’t want this Health Care Reform, and why. Be nice, and be persuasive.

Home District and Washington, D.C. telephone & fax numbers

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (MN)   

• Minneapolis District Phone: 612-727-5220
• D.C. 202-224-3244 PH 202-228-2186 Fax

Sen. Mary Landrieu (LA)

• Baton Rouge District Phone: 225-389-0395  

• D.C. 202-224-5824 PH 202-224-9734 Fax

Ben Nelson (NE)

• Lincoln District Phone: 402-441-4600  

• D.C. 202-224-6551 PH 202-228-0012 Fax

Sen. Evan Bayh (IN)

• Indianapolis District Phone: 317-554-0750

• 202-224-5623 PH 202-228-1377 Fax

Sen. Claire McCaskill) (MO)      

• Kansas City District Phone: 816-421-1639

• 202-224-6154 PH 202-228-6326 Fax
  

Sen. Mark Begrich (AK)

• Anchorage District Phone: 907-271-5915     

• D.C. 202-224-3004 PH 202-228-3205 Fax

Sen. Mark Warner (VA)

• Midlothian District Phone: 804-739-0247

• D.C. 202-224-2023 PH 202-224-6295 Fax

Sen. Bill Nelson (FL)      

• Orlando District Phone:   407-872-7161     

• 202-224-5274 PH 202-228-2183 Fax

Sen. Mark Pryor (AR)          

• Little Rock District Phone: 501-324-6336   

• 202-224-2353 PH 202-228-0908 Fax

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (NH)      

• Manchester District Office: 603-647-7500

• D.C. 202-224-2841 PH

Sen. Robert P Casey, Jr (PA)           

• Harrisburg District Office: 717-231-7540

• D.C. 202-224-6324 PH 202-228-0604 Fax

Sen. Blanche L. Lincoln (AR)

• Little Rock District Office: 501-375-2993

• 202-224-4843 PH 202-228-1371 Fax

Sen. Joseph I Lieberman (Conn)       

• Hartford District Office: 860-549-8463

• 202-224-4041 PH 202-224-9750 Fax

Sen. Jon Tester (MT)      

• Helena District Office: 406-449-5401     

• 202-224-2644 PH 202-224-8594 Fax