Q: Mental health: We had a great mental system in NC.  In ’81, reform was passed in order to have the private system take over.  It has decimated the system.  Why would this reform be any different?

A:  If we go with our plan, we’re talking about reforming the entire marketing & changing the focus/objective of the insurers to make them into better decision-makers.  The focus will be on keeping people well.  If we don’t keep people as healthy as possible, there won’t be any money to cover those who are genetically susceptible to illness.

I don’t think the answer is to federally mandate or we’ll end up with a private version of medicaid.

Q: Since you’ve read the constitution and the bill, which includes interstate commerce as a right.  Why can each state hire someone, under the DOI, to list what has to be covered ?

A: 16 mil in US are under individual (not group) plans.  In the bill, there is a section where private plans will become too expensive and those people will lose their insurance.  Portability is a solution.

Q: Model is the federal employee benefit package.  Who determines that package & how does it develop so that all users are so happy with it?

A: When I got into the federal plan, my costs went up.  They hadn’t negotiated as well as my prior plan. The government kicks off children at age 22, not when they graduate college.  That doesn’t make sense to remove those that are young & healthy from the risk pool.