Health-care reform will do real harm to system

Dear Editor:

Virtually everyone favors universal health-care coverage, but the current raging debate is about the form and details of proposed legislation.

Some seem to be in a great rush to extend coverage to the 10 to 15 percent of citizens who are uninsured, but are either unconcerned about negative effects on the high quality of health care of the other 85 to 90 percent – or, perhaps, they wish to actively destroy the current healthcare system. Is this a classic case of “throwing the baby out with the bath water?”

A 2-to-1 majority of Americans have loudly expressed their opposition to government control of their health care. Government micromanagement often leads to inefficiency, waste and failure. Why is Congress not listening? Shouldn’t we discuss, question and debate the various issues, analyze fully the various options, then hammer out the best “reformed” system possible for universal health-care coverage? What’s the rush?

Virtually no one has read the bill or has a clear idea of what is in the bill… yet there is huge pressure to vote now. Isn’t this legislative malpractice?

Defensive medicine to protect against frivolous lawsuits is extremely costly to everyone, but why is there not a single sentence in the proposed health-care reform legislation that addresses tort reform? This is freedom of choice left out, with patients not being allowed to privately contract for care outside the government-mandated system with its rationing and restrictions? Mistakes are made when you rush.

Let’s write and call our Senators and Congressmen and tell them: “slow down before you do real harm to our health care.”

James A. White, M.D.,

Alexandria, La.

Past President, Louisiana State Medical Society