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OPINIONS
Voice of the people
Charlie Wilson's vote a positive step
I wish to thank Congressman Charlie Wilson for voting for the people by voting for the Health Care for Americans Act, despite all the pressure from insurance company lobbyists.
I think this is a proud day in American history, although it should have happened a lot sooner.
We have to make the U.S. a country to be proud of again.
After the past eight years, we need a new start in many ways to win back the respect of other nations.
Lois Mitchell
Gallipolis, Ohio
Obama wants big labor on his side
Here are changes I think Obama hopes to impose:
1. Deny workers the right to a secret ballot when voting whether or not they want to be part of a union. It would enable unions to form by uniting millions more workers into dues-paying union ranks.
2. Ban companies in effect from running their companies during a strike.
3. Attack all 22 states' Right to Work laws, making union membership and union dues voluntary.
4. Install big labor cronies on the federal courts, the Department of Labor, the National Labor Relations Board, placing more employees under union boss control.
5. Expand the definition of "employee" and narrow the definition of management, placing more employees under union control.
Why? Obama knows that pushing his far left agenda is far easier with the money and manpower of big labor on his side.
Charles L. Draper
Huntington
PEIA proposes outrageous increases
PEIA projects premium increases of 60 percent over five years (plan years 2010-2014) and plans to remove traditional coordination of benefits between PEIA/Medicare, instituting deductibles which will certainly grow almost yearly, a major blow to retirees and one PEIA has tried before.
Plan A, serving the majority of actives, receives a greater 8 percent increase now, followed by double digit increases in succeeding years (total 65 percent).
All get a 5 percent benefit decrease (raising Plan A family deductibles by $100; Plan B from $1,400 to $2,400), doubling family out-of-pocket maximums (more in B to $9,000), and increasing 49 drug copays to $50, affecting actives and 33 percent of retirees, while forcing end-of-care directives through incentives (which effectively raises premiums/costs for those not complying) and dictating with whom to store (physician, in effect whole practice, for electronic storage and faxing with any general release). Many feel this an invasion of privacy, conflict of interest, financial coercion and that this should only be in the hands of their lawyer/trusted relatives until needed.
A new West Virginia-only Plan C penalizes those in border counties, making members virtual medical prisoners of the "great HMO of WV."
A PEIA public hearing is 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, at the MU Medical School, Harless Auditorium (University Physicians by Cabell Huntington Hospital). Sign up after 5:30 p.m if you wish to comment. Those wishing to contact delegates and senators can at http://www.legis.state.wv.us.
Marilyn Howells
Huntington
