Let's take the time to do it right

If you ask 10 people "What is more important: your health or wealth?" the answer you will get from most, if not all, is a resounding "Health." That is why one can't help but pay close attention to the national debate we are now having about health care. You can hardly find anyone who doesn't feel we need some kind of long-term reforms. But at what cost?

Personally, I feel some kind of health care reform needs to happen, but not the kind we are seeing coming from Washington. President Obama has told us not to worry about the cost, that he can find hundreds of billions of dollars to fund this new plan through savings in Medicare and Medicaid.

Wait just a minute. Medicare is scheduled to be broke by 2017. You mean there are savings to be realized and instead of solving the problems in the Medicare program, this president and many in Congress want to use Medicare money to start a new program? That is simply dishonest and immoral. What about the promises made to our seniors and the disabled who have no other options? The "rob Peter to pay Paul" mentality is wrong no matter how noble the cause.

Quite frankly, some of the savings are not savings at all. They are cuts -- cuts that would result in rationing the care seniors receive. For instance, there is a proposal to cut reimbursement as much as 30 to 40 percent to physician specialists like your heart doctor or cancer specialist and for the procedures they perform to save your life. Is this really the reform we want?

Many providers have already seen draconian cuts and have seen little or no increase. All the while costs are skyrocketing. The president and Congress don't seem to understand that the baby boomers are just now retiring, and the problems we are seeing in Medicare are only going to get worse.

First and foremost the president and Congress should make sure that Medicare and Social Security get fixed before we hamstring our children and grandchildren with trillions of dollars in debt only to make matters worse for their future. The spending path we are on is simply not sustainable. We are already looking at a $10 trillion debt, and this is without the dollars proposed in any health care reform plan. To break promises to our seniors and strap future generations with trillions in debt will only rob them of any chance at prosperity. This is wrong.

Instead of throwing money at our health care challenges, our president and Congress should pull the reins back and take their time to do this right. Put doctors and patients in charge. Give people choices and be able to explain clearly what the plan is so we can all understand it. I believe there are many things that can be done to make health care more affordable and accessible and keep the quality intact without breaking the bank and robbing our seniors and future generations. Let's try the things that don't cost money first. Washington, get your act together.

Patrick Naeger of Perryville, Mo., is executive vice president of HealthCare Pharmacy and HealthCare Equipment & Supply Co. He is a former state representative and former Perry County commissioner.