This is a Bloomberg quote from Tom Daschle in February: Daschle says "health-care reform will not be pain free. Seniors should be more accepting of the conditions that come with age instead of treating them."
The Senate version (at least) of the "stimulus" Bill includes provisions for extensive rationing of health care for senior citizens.
In other words, the lib idea with this health care plan (that NO member of Congress will be subject to as they have their own golden egg of a health care program) is that it is not cost effective to provide health care to seniors 59+. Now, if you aren't in that demographic right now, you eventually will be, and I'll bet your parents are in that demographic.
In England, which has a health care program similar to Canada's - which this new U.S. health care "plan" is supposed to emulate, anyone over 59 cannot receive heart repairs or stents or bypass because it is not covered, as being too expensive and not needed.
So, the question which begs to be asks is why are we, the citizens of the U.S., continuing to allow our ELECTED President and Congress members to push this wholly inadequate "health care" plan on us? This plan is nothing more than a death warrant for anyone who requires medical care. Sure, it's great if you are in wonderful health as it offers hollow promises of availability to health care for everyone. We're being told that, under this program, no one will be denied coverage and that no family experiencing a serious health care issue will have to worry about being bankrupted by the costs of care. What we aren't hearing is that much of the care that is available to those with terminal cancers, critical heart issues, etc. will NOT be considiered financially viable under the new plan, and, as such, will not be available. Don't believe me? Just look at how treatments for these types of ailments are handled in Canada and see what we can expect.
The first thing we need to do is MANDATE that our elected officials are subject to the same programs that the rest of us are - whether it be social security or health care. If they have to live with the same programs we do they will ensure that the legislation they pass truly is in the best interest of the individual and not just the government.