Sylvia Smith's column "The Bayhs, stock buys and biases" (June 21) regarding Sen. Evan Bayh and his wife's "investment" in WellPoint health insurance and three pharmaceutical companies not only worries the Indianapolis Star but it should us all who want comprehensive health care reform.
Smith is far more charitable than I when she writes that WellPoint and the pharmaceutical companies hire people and Sen. Bayh will "consider the interests of his constituents." Yes, she gets a bit tougher in the last paragraph: " the only things these details bring us is more questions."
Where is Sen. Bayh in "consider(ing) the interests of his constituents" and the public option, meaning that the government would offer health care insurance to every person who chooses to elect that option rather than trying to buy insurance from WellPoint and other companies. ?
Depending on the polls, 55 percent to 72 percent of the American people want the public option, which is not a mandate or "socialized medicine." It's only an opportunity for all to buy fairly priced health care.
The public option will force all the private insurance companies to offer all people (with no pre-existing condition stipulation) actual comprehensive coverage (no telephoning first to see if your cancer treatment is covered) at an affordable premium for medical care from the doctor or hospital of one's choosing.
All the rest of health care reform that everyone talks about is exactly that - simply kinds of administrative reform to a broken system so that it operates more efficiently. It has nothing to do with you getting needed health care from your doctor. Don't get sucked up into the blather and smog that some people shovel.
Will it be expensive? Yes, but nothing like the voodoo masters of fear try to claim. President Obama has already identified how to pay for about 80 percent. He claims a bit more, but that is his "voodoo."
Of even more significance, the polls also show that most people will accept a tax hike if certain they would get the opportunity to choose a program that would offer needed, timely and fairly priced medical care for their family.
Fearfully once again, President Obama does not seem to trust the people and "voodoos" to hide this tax-hike hard reality. Sen. Bayh only sees an upcoming election year and is even more timid.
Yes, "tax" is a dirty word, but at times it is needed. At times our leaders need to actually lead.
Brevity forces me to not comment on the "Terror of the Night" fears from some that Canada makes people wait 12,000 years to be seen and then you have to wait once again to be treated. That is a lie, and it is also just more smoke and mirrors. The Canadian system is not the public option. The two systems are not the same. People who try to claim they are just try to make you fear the Closet Monster - a monster that does not exist.
Next year is Sen. Bayh's election year. As usual, he is tacking even more to the right, which is not good for any kind of health care reform - not even considering the public option.
Please help Sen. Bayh get past the pillow talk and re-election fears. Call him (locally at 426-3151) or e-mail him at http://bayh.senate.gov/contact/email/. Tell him you support real health care reform - one that includes a public option. It would also help to tell him you are a Republican.
GERALD H. FISHER Bluffton
