Many of us in West Virginia and around the country, do agree that Health Care Reform is needed. However, when mandating requirements for health care it infringes on my individual rights. It is NOT a right for anyone to receive health care, it is a hard earned privilege. When you compare it to educating your children or buying car insurance, your comparing apples to oranges. Citizens do still have the right to educate their children at home. Buying auto insurance is regulated, which may be a necessity, but I don’t agree to that being mandated either.

It all boils down to personal responsibility. If citizens took responsibility to educate their children, public schools wouldn’t be needed. If citizens took responsibility to pay for auto accidents they caused, insurance wouldn’t be required. This is why we have civil and criminal court. Auto insurance is allowed to be marketed across state lines, and is very competitive in pricing, most can find a policy they can afford. Why not allow that with health insurance? Insurance companies could offer policies that allow for example: pre-existing conditions, full or limited coverage, or pick and choose one’s coverage, etc.

What government needs to regulate (tort reform) is the frivolous law suits that have driven up the costs of medical care. Another reason prices have gone up, is that doctors and clinics must “overcharge” those with health insurance to pay for those on medicaid, and medicare, or those without insurance, because government only allows reduced amounts to be collected from those patients.

If capitalism were allowed in the health insurance market, one would see the prices for coverage drop immediately. Then most citizens could afford to pay for their own insurance, and not have to “rob” those that work hard for their money. Those that still can’t afford it, could seek out help from charities, churches, private donations, etc. Americans are still the most generous of people, I personally would give more, if I wasn’t taxed to death.

I wanted to point out also, that your statement about not receiving proper medical care implies that we have inferior doctors, nurses, etc. I don’t believe that quality of care is an issue in this country as it stands, but I don’t want to find out what it might turn into if the government gets a hold of the health care industry.

This is about our individual freedoms, please help fight to keep what our founding fathers fought and died for.

Laura K Shifflett

Martinsburg