Voter's Voice

"It Is High Time"

It is high time that Americans, regardless of wealth or age, are given the opportunity to invest their medical dollars in the way that they best see fit. The Clinton Administration's stand on this issue is flawed.

The high cost of health care in this country is directly caused by the over-participation of people in insurance companies. With the rabid problem of insurance and the inhibition of choice that the HMO's are contributing to, prices skyrocket. (That is insurance fraud in the previous sentence.)

If you allow market forces to control prices then the increased competiton that Medical Savings Accounts would offer will bring down both cost and price.

-- Matthew D. Humphrey, Fredericktown, Ohio

"A Classist Health Care System"

It would encourage an increase in our national savings rate, which is now well below the rate of the rest of the industrialized world.

However, it would further encourage a classist health care system and mercilessly discriminate against the poor and working poor if other protections aren't put in place to protect health care for them.

The final flaw is that $4,000 is pittance in the world of health care expenses. For a family of four, it is almost a meaningless amount if one or two members of a family became seriously ill in a year.

MSAs are just another diversion to the inevitable conclusion that we need national health insurance.

-- Jeff Smith, Plymouth, Mich.

"Gets Government Out Of The Way"

I like medical savings accounts. The idea is sound, empowering individuals to set aside tax-free money for their health accounts. Assuming the money is invested properly, this gets the government out of the way of health-care access. Since contributions are tax-free, the incentive is there to save. Medical savings accounts are in line with downsizing government, and empowering individuals.

Those who are afraid costs will rise for sicker people enrolled in public Medicare ought to realize these people can switch to private plans any time they want. The goal is to get government out of the way. Great idea!

-- Steve Boothby, Williston, Vt.

"More Fair Than The Current System"

I think MSA's would be more fair than the current system. I buy my own castrophic health insurance and pay all non-covered medical expenses out of my after-tax pay. My roommate works for a large corporation and has all his medical bills paid through his pre-tax deduction at work. This seems unfair to me. Either everyone's medical insurance should be tax-deductable or no one's.

As I understand it, the Medical Savings Account would be tax-deductable for me, and make my medical care expenses more like that of my roommate's.

-- Steve Mims, Stanford, Calif.

"Democrats Holding My Hand"

God forbid my wife and I should be able to spend our own money on health care the way we see fit, without going through Medicaid and HMOs. I think I would be lost were it not for the Democrats holding my hand.

-- Stephen Hawkins, Charleston, S.C.

"A Veiled Assault On Government"

Medical Savings Accounts are a veiled assault on government by the radical right freshman Republicans. The concept fundamentally undermines the whole concept of insurance. That concept being that the pool of insured keep the costs of insurance down for all of us so that the continually changing few of us (including the currently healthy who might want to use MSA's) who need its services can get them.

It appears to be a bribe to those voters who have such a fundamental misunderstanding of how a national economy, budget, debt and deficit work so that they might vote for the politician who offers such nonsense.

-- George Gorman, Redondo Beach, Calif.

"Thanks For Listening"

Right now it appears that all the benefits are for the insured. I would like to see the employer get some of the savings passed on to them. Right now, I believe that the employer still pays the original premium and the employee gets to keep the part they do not use. But, if the employer could get a split of the savings, there would be a giant surge in interest for business to sign on to this program of MSA's.

Also , cities, school districts, and counties, as well as state and federal government agencies could save the taxpayers billions of dollars if the taxpayer would get the break on the lower premiums that MSA's will bring about.

Thanks for listening.

-- Jim Strand, Waukesha, Wisc.

More Voter's Voice

• "Why Punish The Good Kids?" -- June 6, 1996
• "Clinton's True Nature" -- May 31, 1996
• "A Great President" -- May 24, 1996
• "He's History" -- May 16, 1996
• GOP Congress Not Omniscient -- May 14, 1996
• Strategy For Dole -- May 3, 1996
• New Hampshire Voters -- Feb. 20, 1996

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