Congressional term limits would help health care crisis

 The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has turned out to be anything but affordable. In fact, it’s shameful that this is supposed to be the best we Americans should expect. I believe we can do better!

While members of Congress want us to focus with them on a southern border wall/fence that everyone knows we need, the real problem in this country continues to be crippling high prices for health care.

In our own personal experience as small business owners who pay for their full time employees’ health care, our monthly premium rates have doubled in the last few years while our coverage has plummeted to where we basically now just consider it a “hospitalization plan.’’ In my view, health care has never been more unaffordable in 33 years of business! 

Nobody in Congress, however, cares about you or me. When you read about President Donald Trump wanting to drain the swamp - the swamp, he means is the oceans of money being poured on members of Congress by the big pharmaceutical companies to keep the status quo.

The big pharmaceuticals do not want anything to change that will negatively affect their bottom lines. 

If you follow the money - the campaign donations to get members of Congress elected and re-elected over and over, you’ll find out who the members of Congress are really representing. It’s not you and me.

In order to keep our health care plans similar to what we had in previous years, we’ve been forced to accept plans with deductibles quadruple the amount in the past.

This is what we get for an ACA that promises health care insurance to all – even those who don’t want it or can’t afford to pay it. Those of us who value health care insurance and pay for it are left not only paying for our own insurance but that of those who can’t afford it or who won’t pay for it.

The leaders of the 115th Congress should commit to serving their constituents instead of serving the lobbyists by repealing ACA provisions that stick it to small businesses - as part of a comprehensive reform package. But that won’t happen until voters - taxpayers - constituents - demand it through the passage of term limit legislation.

Small businesses don’t even get tax credits on their tax returns for providing health care for their employees any more. That used to give some small businesses at least a small incentive to provide this important benefit.

The ACA extended insurance coverage to 22 million Americans, including millions of Americans who under ACA became eligible for Medicaid, provides health coverage to more Americans than any type of insurance.

There should be enough federal taxes paid in each year to cover health care costs for the poor without making small businesses foot the bill – after already paying their fair share through federal taxation.

The federal government - Congress - could also choose to cut back on foreign aid to countries that openly state that they hate us and instead use that foreign aid money to provide heath care for the poor.

As U.S. taxpayers, we shouldn’t be gouged two or three different ways to take care of the health care system in this country. I also oppose federal funding for any pharmaceuticals that advertise their medicines on TV and elsewhere. I actually think there should be a ban on all advertising for medicine. 

Americans should not be programmed to ask their doctors for medicine. That is so wrong.

Likewise, doctors should not be pressured into prescribing any medicines by hospitals and pharmaceuticals.

Members of Congress should be barred from accepting money and gifts from health care industry lobbyists and pharmaceuticals – and other wealthy donors who expect to buy votes in return.

There are many things wrong with the health care delivery system in this country and the best place to start is with term limits for Congress.