HEALTH CARE REFORM—JANUARY 12,2012

The Center of Infectious Disease Excellence strongly supports Health care Reform

which has been passed by the Obama Administration with gradual implementation.

we support this for several reasons:

1.Most importantly it is better for patients.they will get better and more cost

efficient care

2.Requiring everyone to have health insurance is the humane , progressive

way .It is analogous to Car Insurance .It is the conservative posture.These individuals will be getting health care anyway and if they are not paying into insurance then the restof

us bear all the costs.This  is also very important for illegal immigrants–to bring them into the system in some fashion.I have never encountered a Mexican- American in my

consultative practice who has health insurance.

3.Already the improvements have allowed children to stay on their parents policies until age 26.

4.The doughnut hole costs to the patient are being reduced

5.Robert Brook said in the Journal of the American Medical Association”That with the passage

of theis act and its subsequent implementation the United States enters the

body of civilized nations”.

6.Stupid comments about “socialized medicine” are both ignorant and

untrue.Approximately 50% of all medical care is provided through Medicare /

Medicaid, VA,Public Health Service,Indian Health Service, and the various branches of the US Armed Services.We never hear a word from Tea Party types complaining about Medicare,

VA,or the US Armed services Medical Care.

7.The current US Health Care Non System is expensive and disorganized.We rank about 37

in the world on most outcome measures and are by far the most costly

health care system in the world.

8.The Health Care Reforms will be a great boon for most hospitals and for the Insurance Industry by bringing large numbers of new patients into the system.Medicaid will also increase

and we will need to find creative new ways to hold down the costs there.

9.I have yet to hear a single argument that makes any medical sense as to why

we do not need comprehensive Health Care Reform.Access is both a right and a

privilige.The terms are not mutually exclusive.Government should always be about

securing the greatest good for the greatest numbers of its citizens.

Dr. Smith