A letter about health care from NW Arkansas

My Sufi sister wrote this letter and asked that I post it here.

As a young university medical student in Minnesota in the 1970's I was convinced we needed a REAL Public Health Insurance option.
Now, 40 years later,a natural health doctor and an ordained minister in Arkansas, I couldn't be more thrilled to volunteer my time and energy to help bring about quality health care for all
Americans,regardless of age, race, income and pre-existing conditions.

Perhaps I could clear up a few questions you might have....
What about Single Payer? You may have heard the American Association of Registered Nurses
and many others are advocating Single Payer. Move On is not and here's why: It's just a little
too far out of reach as a realizable goal.
The Public Health Option is doable, now and a wonderful first step toward Health Insurance
Reform; and can make way for the superior, Single Payer in the future.
What about the Coop Option? It sounds cool, but it's not; it's no REAL reform; it's just a
rearrangement, assigning different parts of the country to private insurance companies.
The Single Payer and Public Health Options are the only 2 that guarantee all Americans are
covered and costs are lowered for all, putting a cap on the sky rocketing cost crisis. That is, the only people who can expect a tax increase are those who make more than $400,000/year.

What do we mean by a REAL Public Option? REAL meaning READY RIGHT AWAY, for EVERYONE, fully
transparent and ACCOUNTABLE to the public, and LARGE enough to LOWER costs!

Respectfully, I now address the top 5 health reform truths.
1)The accusations of "death panels", forced euthanasia (and abortions) are, of course,
flatly untrue. The legislation includes a provision to offer citizens access to professional
medical counseling on a variety health issues facing Americans.
2)Choices will increase, not decrease. Obama's reform plans will create a health insurance
exchange for affordable, high-quality insurance options, including the public health
insurance option—a nationwide plan with a broad network of providers—that will operate
alongside private insurance companies, injecting competition into the market to drive
quality up and costs down.
If you're happy with your coverage and doctors, you can keep them. But the new public plan
will expand choices to millions of businesses or individuals who choose to opt into it,
including the many who simply can't afford any health care at all now.
3)Reform will increase insurance options, not force anyone into a rationed situation. Right
now, big corporations decide whether to give you coverage, what doctors you get to see, and
whether a particular procedure or medicine is covered—that is rationed care. And a big part
of reform is to stop that.
4)Health care reform plans will not reduce Medicare benefits; rather, will in fact, cut
billions of dollars in overpayments to insurance companies and eliminate waste, fraud, and
abuse.
5)We need health care reform now in order to prevent bankruptcy—to control spiraling costs
that affect individuals, families, small businesses, and the American economy.
Reform, with an affordable, high-quality public option that can spur competition, is
necessary to bring down skyrocketing costs. Also, President Obama's reform plans would be
fully paid for over 10 years and not add a penny to the deficit.

If you would like to help bring about this wonderful change for the betterment of Arkansas
and the U.S., call Senator Blanche Lincoln today. She is, so far, riding the fence on this issue; and is on the very important Finance
Committee voting on this issue the first week of September.
Please, urge her to strongly support the REAL Public Health Insurance Option! Thank You!
Sincerely, Rev.Dr.J.L.Arnold
Northwest Arkansas Move ON Council Coordinator