Q: I don’t think what you’re proposing will come to fruition if the current bill passes.  The current bill includes incorrect information, which is unacceptable.  What do we need to get people on both sides to deal with facts?  And making sure the public is accurately informed about the role of physicians?

A: I am vehemently opposed to all 4 bills in the house and senate.  I have seen in Town Hall Meetings that questioners know more about the plan than the town hall hosts.  That should make Americans afraid.  This plan is just a prelude to a single payor system.  That would decimate rural health care. 

Q: Looking for an American approach to health care reform.  There is a fear of a single payor system & unhappiness w current insurers.  What can we learn from the Massachusetts plan?

A: Where we’re faced with something that we think would be a good idea, i.e. tort reform, no one’s talking about it.  If we make a federal tort reform, then all cases would be held in state court. 

We could offer financial benefit (in the form of Medicaid match) to make states commit to tort reform.  The term ‘American’ approach brings up a comparison to Canada/UK.  There are strict benefits of what people can get.  Those benefits can be changed.  In the US, we have Medicare. It provides benefits to seniors in the system. Since 1965 it’s been illegal to accept $$ from a Medicare beneficiary.  Patients cannot pay more for benefits that Medicare doesn’t cover. 

This new plan will affect what Medicare covers & there is no other option for them to get other benefits.

I don’t know how to get to a real, rational discussion, but I know we need to get there.