a letter to President Obama regarding health care

This may only demonstrate my ignorance, but my argument is that if you know what you need, then you can't be ignorant about it, just confused by people who are deliberately trying to be confusing.

Here is a letter I wrote to President Obama about health care, followed by his response:

Dear President Obama,

As more and more criticisms are made of your proposed health care policy, I would like to make a request. Please consider those of us who support alternative health care methods. We are your allies in reducing health care costs. We seek out preventative treatments such as chiropractic, massage, and acupuncture; we go to doctors who prescribe supplements, herbs, and dietary changes instead of prescription medications and surgery. While I understand that the mainstream medical industry has a lot vested in making sure Americans need its services, and that you must take their contributions into account, you also have a responsibility to the health of each individual in the United States. Those of us who want to practice preventive health care will relieve some of the burden of care for the many Americans who still rely on hospitals, pharmaceuticals, and mainstream medical care.

Please offer a health care option for us. The HSA has been that option.

You have easily the most difficult job in existence, and I commend you and thank you.

Emily Avent

Dear Friend:

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.  I have heard
from countless Americans struggling to afford health insurance and
health professionals striving to provide care.  I appreciate your
perspective.

There is broad consensus among the American people on
the need for affordable, high-quality health care.  The rising cost of
health care is the most pressing financial challenge for families and
for our Nation, and controlling this cost is essential to bringing
down the Federal deficits we inherited.  We must also end unfair
insurance practices that leave millions of Americans without
coverage, deny them access to coverage, and expose them to
extraordinary burdens.  And we should ensure that small
businesses have access to affordable, high-quality health plans for
their employees so that we can make our economy - and our small
businesses - more competitive.  Now is the time to move forward,
and I am working to get health insurance reform done this year.

Since I took office, we have done more to improve health
care than we have in the previous decade.  In February, I signed
H.R. 2 to provide coverage for millions of children through the
Children's Health Insurance Program, and I signed the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act to make key investments in
computerized medical records and preventive services.

Still, more must be done to lower costs, expand coverage,
and improve the quality of health care.  Health insurance reform
must provide more security and stability to those who have health
insurance; make sure those who do not have insurance can find
affordable options; and lower the cost of health care for our
families, our businesses, and our government.  Reform will benefit
seniors by protecting and strengthening Medicare, closing the
"donut-hole" gap in coverage for prescription drugs, and providing
free preventive care.  To help fulfill the debt we owe to our service
men and women, I am committed to ensuring that we provide the
highest-quality health care possible to America's veterans.  My
2010 budget requests the largest single-year increase in funding for
the Department of Veterans Affairs in three decades and
significantly expands health care coverage to an additional 500,000
veterans by 2013.

Ultimately, there are tough choices to be made, and I am
working to bring employers and workers, health care providers and
patients together to create a system that delivers high-quality
health care and puts the Nation on a sustainable, long-term fiscal
path.  To learn more about my Health Insurance Reform Plan or to
share a personal story, please join me online at:
www.HealthReform.gov.  For further information on health care
and assistance that may be available to you, you may call 1-800-
FED-INFO or visit:  www.USA.gov.

I share the sense of urgency that millions of Americans
have voiced.  I watched as my ailing mother struggled with stacks
of insurance forms in the last moments of her life.  This is not who
we are as a Nation; together, we will fix it.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama

Cheap and Healthy

I found two articles recently that make recommendations for eating healthy on a budget. This seems to be a huge issue in general, and especially during the economic downturn.

This article from the UC Daily News in Tennessee, makes some good points, like eating beans instead of meat. In January I ate meat only once a week for three weeks, and not only did my clothes get looser but I saved a lot of money. It recommends drinking more water instead of soda and alcohol, and eating whole grain versions of pasta, bread, etc., which fill you up more. However, I have to point out that dairy is not the best source of calcium (try kale, collards, broccoli, spinach, etc.).

This article from The New York Times is a little savvier. Recommending the book Mindless Eating by Brian Wansink, It turns the whole equation around to point out that "if you eat right, you’ll have more energy. That makes you more likely to succeed at work and earn more money. Then, you’ll be able to afford better food, stay healthy and spend less on medical costs. And the virtuous circle continues."

I really can't think of a better way to put it.