Altmire Tell Pres to Talk to the Insured

US Congressman Jason Altmire of McCandless says President Barack Obama needs to talk to Americans who already have health insurance when he speaks Wednesday night on the subject of reforming the healthcare system in the United States. The President will address a joint session of congress Wednesday Sept. 9th at 8:00. WDUQ will carry the speech live followed by analysis. Altmire says voters have been asking him why they, as taxpayers, should foot the bill for the uninsured. He says the President needs to explain to them that people with insurance already are paying for their care because every time someone without insurance uses the hospital and cannot pay their bill the cost is eventually recovered by raising prices on those who do have insurance. Altmire says the President is in a tough position because the left wing of the Democratic Party does not have the same concerns and desires as “Middle America.” He says the President should focus on the reforms on which most people agree including insurance reforms such as no caps, and no preexisting condition limitations, and pooling small businesses to bring more people into the system which would lower costs. He says those items alone would be a step in the right direction. Altmire says he thinks this debate is unlike any other debate because often Americans see police debate as something that impacts “somebody else” but healthcare impacts everyone. He says when an issue becomes personal the debate becomes impassioned.