VOICE OF THE PEOPLE | Nov. 18, 2009

Cost of insurance too high for many

I have been wanting to tell my story for a long time, but I figured nobody would listen.

For 33 years, I gave my services to a textile plant here in South Carolina. They closed and took our jobs to Mexico. But they did offer us a pension at the age of 55 with health insurance. The first year, we paid $140. That was for my husband and myself. Every year, it started going up.

We are now at $800 a month. I have not been able to enjoy any of my pension for paying health insurance. Somebody please help me and all of the other Americans who are suffering.

Debra Caldwell

Rock Hill

Good insurance plans will be endangered

I wish this was called health insurance reform, as it is all about insurance and doesn't even cover increasing the quality of care one is given. It will actually mean less care, as there won't be enough health care professionals to handle the increase in patients.

My husband and I have excellent health insurance, but it is provided through my husband's former employer, who will probably drop our good coverage, as the cost will go up so much. So much for being able to keep your current insurance. You are at the mercy of your employer if he provides your insurance.

There are several measures that can be taken first to see if costs can be reduced and service kept and expanded. Where are the tort reforms that cost doctors, hospitals and health care workers so much in insurance? Those costs are passed along to you.

Where is it going to be changed so that insurance can be sold across state lines. Maybe it will be there, maybe not.

And finally, if there is so much waste (hundreds of millions possibly) in Medicare and Medicaid, could we just see how many more people could be covered under those programs before we mess with everyone's current insurance? The majority of Americans are quite well satisfied with their current plans. Why are we looking at changing things for everyone when there only needs to be progams for the uninsured or underinsured? And, if one decides not to have insurance coverage, let's not fine them and/or put them in jail.

Greta Aucoin

Rock Hill

Don't ram this bill down our throats

I read all the praises of Congressman John Spratt in the paper.

Although I voted for him and think that he is a good person, what the letter writers all failed to mention was that 99 percent of the time Spratt votes with what the party wants and not what his public in District 5 wants. It takes no courage to vote what the party line calls for but it does take courage to vote against a terrible health care plan that will cost, at the start, $1.5 trillion, and in four years balloon to $4 trillion. It will also raise your costs and have you paying more taxes. I, for one, am opposed to the government ramming this bill down our throats.

It's time to tell this administration enough is enough.

Frank Amorosano

Clover

Reform effort is godsend for son

I'd like to thank Rep. John Spratt for his vote for health care reform. Our son will need regular access to health care for the rest of his life because of a heart condition. He has a pacemaker and will require replacement of the device several times during the course of his life. He leads an active full life thanks to medical technology and health care services. Without access to health insurance, he would likely declare bankruptcy each time he needs a pacemaker replacement (as an adult).

This act of Congress will ensure he is able to live, work, save and retire with some measure of financial stability. It is the single most important act of Congress that has occurred in my adult life. My son will have equal oppurtunity for medical coverage that he needs and deserves.

Wesely Minnich

Fort Mill

Keep government out of the picture

Based on the 2009 Congressional Budget Office's baseline budget, the cost for Social Security is $678 billion; Medicare, $498 billion; Medicaid, $253 billion; and SSI, $45 billion. In summary, this is $1,474 billion of cost outlays. Revenues from social insurance taxes equal $889 billion. This leaves the American people in a deficit just for these programs at $585 billion.