KEN STREMSKY DISCUSSES HEALTH INSURANCE AND OTHER TOPICS People should not have to worry about going bankrupt to pay for health care. People should not have to worry about being unable to pass on their estates on to their descendants because of the high costs of health care and nursing homes. People should not have to choose between prescription drugs and food. People should know that the Hippocratic Oath is more important than the Almighty Dollar. A country that does not care about the health care of its citizens will probably be doomed someday. The July 26, 2004 Forbes has a very informative article about tax-free Health Savings Accounts under the title "Health Care Crisis Cure." The sooner people are easily able to have tax-free Health Savings Accounts the better off our country will be. The Health Savings Accounts may improve the health of our people significantly and reduce health care inflation. The Health Savings Accounts may reduce the number of uninsured and underinsured people in our country significantly. COBRA COBRA is the Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act. A person can usually be on COBRA for 18 months now. A person should be able to be on COBRA as long as a person wants. You may read about COBRA at http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/faqs/faq_consumer_cobra.html VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTION BOX ON TAX FORMS People should be allowed to check off a box on their tax forms that allows them to make voluntary contributions to the Federal Departments of their choice and debt reduction. People could write in the names of the Federal Departments. People should be allowed to make voluntary contributions to the Federal Departments of their choice throughout the year by sending forms to the Internal Revenue Service with checks. People could download the forms from the internet and also obtain the forms by calling the Internal Revenue Service. The less dependent the Federal Government is on taxes the less taxes can be. SIGNIFICANT PRICE REDUCTIONS FOR PRESCRIPTION DRUGS Some prescription drug companies allow people to obtain prescription drugs at significantly reduced prices if they meet the drug companies criteria. If you use a prescription drug, I highly recommend that you find out if you qualify for this type of program. You might be able to get a three month supply of a medication that costs more than $750 for $5. DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER ADVOCACY The Federal Government should create a Department of Consumer Advocacy. The Department of Consumer Advocacy should have a Secretary of Consumer Advocacy as well as other employees and volunteers. People should be allowed to tell the Department of Consumer Advocacy complaints as well as positive stories. The Department of Consumer Advocacy should have the power to investigate businesses and regulate commerce. SIGNIFICANT PRICE REDUCTIONS FOR PRESCIPTION DRUGS Some prescription drug companies allow people to obtain prescription drugs at significantly reduced prices if they pass the drug companies criteria. If you use a prescription drug, I highly recommend that you find out if you qualify for this type of program. You might be able to obtain a three month supply of a medication that costs more than $750 for $5. PRESCRIPTION DRUG COMPETITION You may find more information about the Bayh-Dole act that is discussed in this section at Duke University's Office of Science and technology website located at www.duke.edu/web/ost/policies/pbayh.htm. The website discusses Bayh-Dole in great detail under TITLE 35 PATENTS PART II PATENTABILITY OF INVENTIONS AND GRANTS OF PATENTS CHAPTER 18 PATENT RIGHTS IN INVENTIONS MADE WITH FEDERAL ASSISTANCE You may also find out the Council on Government Relations views about Bayh-Dole at www.cogr.edu/bayh-dole.htm An OP-ED in the March 29, 2002 Union Leader on page 19 written by Peter Arno and Michael Davis with the title "Unenforced federal law means Americans pay too much for prescriptions." Article was also in the March 27, 2002 Washington Post on page A1 with the title "Paying Twice for the Same Drug" which may be read at http://www.healthyskepticism.org/reports/2002/costs%2002037.htm Peter Arno and Michael Davis discuss the Bayh-Dole Act in greater detail at http://www.cptech.org/ip/health/bd/arnodavis/pbayh.htm Bayh-Dole allows the Federal Government to license the patents of products including drugs based on Federal Government funding to other companies when the Federal Government believes the product has a higher price than it should have. The Federal Government should tell pharmaceutical manufacturers that if they do not reduce the prices of some their drugs based on Federal Government research, the Federal Government will license the patents to other companies. Congress does have the power to say that prescription drugs may not sell for a price higher than Congress sets because Congress has the ability to regulate commerce. HEALTH INSURANCE The Fact and Comment section of the May 27, 2002 Forbes on pages 27 and 28 discusses Medical Savings Accounts, Flexible Savings Accounts, and other health related issues. You may view the Fact and Comment section on www.forbes.com if you become a free member. One of the best comments is on page 28 which says "One reason health insurance policies are so expensive is that states mandate what must be included in them. Let the consumer choose how extensive his coverage is." Health insurance policies which have prescription drug coverage should cover birth control pills. Health insurance policies which pay for diagnostic testing should cover testing for sexually transmitted diseases. The Federal Government should allow people to deduct the full cost of individual health care policies and the full cost of prescription drugs from their federal taxes. The Federal Government should allow people to deduct Doctor's visits, diagnostic testing, emergency room visits, ambulance trips, hospital rooms, surgeries, eye care including glasses and contacts, dental care insurance policies, dental care expenses, physical therapy sessions, osteopathic sessions, and other health care expenses from their federal taxes. If a person spends more on health care than a person makes in a year, the person should be allowed to deduct the health care expenses from federal taxes from the following years until this deduct has been used up. Example: A person has an individual policy from a health insurance company which says the health insurance company will not pay more than $250,000 in a year. The person requires care that costs $350,000. The person makes $20,000 a year. The person should be allowed to deduct the $100,000 from the person's federal taxes for that year as well as following years until the $100,000 has been used up. Health insurers should not be allowed to deny a person an individual health insurance policy and/or a group health insurance policy to an individual because of the person's age. The Congress should create a National Health Maintenance Organization that would sell health insurance policies to individuals and groups. Individuals who have pre-existing conditions as well as those who do not have pre-existing conditions should be allowed to buy policies. The health insurance policies should cover prescription drugs. Individuals could pay co-payments for prescription drugs and Doctor's visits like they do in most health maintenance organization plans. The health insurance policies should cover diagnostic testing including labs. The National Health Insurance Maintenance Organization should have features similar to the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program discussed on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. You may find information about the Federal Employees Health Benefit program by going to http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/index.htm The National Health Maintenance Organization could be similar to the Medicaid Buy-In Program which is discussed on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid website which is http://www.cms.hhs.gov/twiia/eligible.asp. Healthy people and sick people should be allowed to buy policies. People should not be denied policies because they make less than X amount of money. People should not be denied policies because they make more than Y amount of monthly. Premiums should be based on monthly income and not age. Premiums should not be based on assets. Individuals should not have to worry about losing their health insurance when they lose their jobs. Non profit health insurers and for profit health insurers should be allowed to compete with the National Health maintenace Organization. Individuals should not be required to buy policies from the National Health Maintenance Organization. Individuals should not be required to have health insurance. Health insurers should not be allowed to refuse a person an individual policy and/or a group health insurance policy because of pre-existing conditions and/or the results of genetic testing. Health insurers should not be allowed to charge a person a higher rate for insurance because of the results obtained from genetic testing. Health insurers should not be allowed to cancel a policy because of the results obtained from genetic testing. Health insurers should not be allowed to deny a claim because of the results obtained from genetic testing. Health insurers should not be allowed to require policy holders to take part in arbitration because requiring arbitration is not legal because of Amendment Seven of the United States Constitution which says "In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury shall be otherwise reexamined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of common law." Robert M. Goldberg who is the director of the Manhattan Institute's Center for Medical Progress which has the website www.manhattan-institute.org has an interesting letter with the title "A Better Prescription for Medicare" on page A26 of the May 7, 2002 Wall Street Journal and is also located at www.manhattan-institute.org. LOWER TAXES TO ENCOURAGE LOW COST HOUSING Congress should pass a law that encourages the building of low income housing by lowering federal income taxes, state income taxes, state property taxes, and local property taxes of multi-family low cost apartment complexes. Congress should decide what the tax deduction should be. The Department of Housing and Urban Development should decide which apartment complexes qualify. LOCAL AND STATE TAXATION I hope that many local governments and state governments will reduce their state income taxes, property taxes, sales taxes, capital gains taxes, and estate taxes. If local and state governments reduce their sales taxes, people will probably buy more products and unemployment will probably decrease. SOCIAL SECURITY The May 11, 2002 Financial Times has an informative editorial with the title "The wages of longevity" that I recommend people read and may be viewed on the website of the Financial Times which is www.ft.com. I believe the money raised for the Social Security system from the social security tax should only be used for the social security system in non major emergency situations. The last time our government had a situation that I characterize as major emergency is World War Two. I believe that money in the Social Security system should only be used for government activities unrelated to the Social Security system when at least sixty percent of the members of Congress vote that a major national emergency has occured. I do not think the money in Social Security should be used to buy any type of government bond other than a bond backed by the Government National Mortgage Association. I want the Social Security Trust Fund to have assets that have real value now such as assets sold by the Government National Mortgage Association, certificates of deposit, index mutual funds sold by Vanguard Group which has the website www.vanguard.com, and regular savings accounts. The social security tax is the highest federal tax that people who make under $20,000 a year pay. The suggestions I make in this section will decrease the probability that the social security tax will be increased on people who make under $20,000 a year. MEDICARE Medicare should have features similar to the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program discussed on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. You may find info on the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program by going to http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/index.htm. I believe that the money raised from the Medicare tax should only be used to fund the Medicare System when Congress has not declared a major National Emergency. EDUCATION The following ideas will improve our nation's educational system. The Federal Government should pay at least 50 percent of the costs of educating special education students. The federal education tax I discuss previously in this resume will help the Federal Government do this. Parents should be allowed to use public funds to send their children to private schools including religious schools. I hope judges will realize that when they say students may not pray at school they are "prohibiting the free exercise of" religion which Amendment One of the United States Constitution guarantees. Freedom of religion also means that students and others may not be required to pray in school. Competition may improve the education taught in public schools. The Constitution allows public money to be used for private religious schools because denying public money to private religious schools infringes upon the free exercise of religion by students. The Constitution does not allow government(s) money to fund just the private schools of one religion. Parents and businesses might contribute more money to public schools if their taxes are lowered. Students should start learning phonics in kindergarten or earlier than kindergarten. Top grade schools, junior high schools, high schools, colleges, and graduate schools should consider making their courses free over the internet the way that M.I.T. is planning on doing. I hope that many teachers will post class notes, transcripts of lectures, graphs, and recommended books on the internet so that students, their parents, and others may check out the information. Students, parents, businesses, and others should be allowed to deduct the full cost of public and private k-12 educations, undergraduate educations, and graduate educations from their federal taxes. The April 8, 2001 New Hampshire Sunday News which is published by the Union Leader on page 18 has a great letter to the editor with the title "Wanted: Good teachers to educate future leaders." The author of the letter said "Now, as schools around the country have problems filling positions with qualified staff, some are trying things like a four-week crash teacher training program, or three - year "Peace Corps" type commitment. Imagine, a teacher Peace Corps in the richest country on the planet. I think a teacher Peace Corps is an awesome idea. I hope that teachers will have more respect and be paid better. DISABILITY INSURANCE Congress should create a National Disability Insurance Organization. Individuals and groups could buy short-term disability policies and long term disability policies. The National Disability Insurance Organization should be separate from the component of the Social Security Administration that deals with disability payments. Non profits and for profits should be allowed to sell short term disability insurance policies and long term disability insurance policies. A disability insurer should not be allowed to deny a person an insurance policy because of pre-existing conditions and/or the results of genetic testing. A disability insurer should not be allowed to cancel a disability policy because of the results obtained from genetic testing. A disability insurer should not be allowed to charge a person a higher rate for a disability policy because of the results obtained from genetic testing. A disability insurer should not be allowed to deny a claim because of the results obtained from genetic testing. Disability insurers should not require people to take part in arbitration. GENETIC TESTING Congress should pass a law which says that a person should not be discriminated against because of the results obtained from genetic testing. A business should not be allowed to fire an employee because of the results obtained from genetic testing. A business should not be allowed to deny employment to a person because of the results obtained from genetic testing. A health insurer should not be allowed to deny a person a health insurance policy because of the results obtained from genetic testing. A health insurer should not be allowed to charge a person a higher rate for insurance because of the results obtained from genetic testing. A health insurer should not be allowed to cancel a policy because of the results obtained from genetic testing. A disability insurer should not be allowed to deny a person an insurance policy because of the results obtained from genetic testing. A disability insurer should not be allowed to charge a person a higher rate for insurance because of the results obtained from genetic testing. A disability insurer should not be allowed to deny a claim because of the results obtained from genetic testing. A disability insurer should not be allowed to cancel a policy because of the results obtained from genetic testing.