YOUR COMMENTS

Thank you Jeb Bradley. Each state government should be able to decide the maximum amount of money it is going to spend on Medicaid. Each state government should be able to decide eligibility standards for Medicaid. Each state government should be able to decide how it is going to spend money on Medicaid. State governments get to decide how state government money is spent and NOT the federal government because of Amendment 10 of the United States Constitution.

Many prescription drugs are based on federal government research dollars. The Bayh-Dole Act allows the federal government to license patents of drugs and other things based on federal government research dollars to other companies when the prices of those things are high. If more companies make the same drugs, prices may decrease. I do not think the Bayh-Dole Act has ever been enforced dealing with prescription drugs. I first read about the Bayh-Dole Act several years ago.

I recommend people read about the Bayh-Dole Act on the net.
- Ken Stremsky, Manchester, NH

Scott From Manchester,

Please allow me to put your statistics into context.

First: Infant Mortality rates. Yes, The United States is 32nd in the world for Infant Mortality. The United States has the most rigorous requirements of reporting infant mortality. For example, some countries do not count premature births as births until the infant reaches a minimum weight or length. Infantacide also contributes to the statistic. Unfortunately the United States leads the world in infantacide (abortion). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infant_mortality

Second: Cost of drugs. Drugs are significantly more expensive in the United States than most other developed countries. The reasons are multifactorial and not addressed by any heathcare bill proposed so far by either democrats or republicans. In the United States drug manufacturers just name the price they wish to charge for the drug. There is no negotiation process for healthcare providers, insurance companies etc. Legal costs for healthcare providers and drug manufacters help drive the price up. If you were offered a drug that cost $3,000 you have the right to not take the drug and save yourself the money.

Third: Doctors not truly wanting to help people. This is a line of horse Dung Scott. Becoming a doctor takes a lifetime of compassion and dedication to patients. One could make significantly more money performing a lot less work. if you are talking strictly about price, you should point your finger at CMS (medicare and medicaid) Whatever a doctors lowest billed rate is for any given procedure is figured into the reimbursement costs by CMS. That is if you are unable to afford the bill, and your doctor reduces your bill then he or she is forced to do the same for CMS.

Ask yourself why healthcare costs so much, then ask why health insurance costs so much. Make a list of the reasons and you can group the majority of them under one category "Government Regulations"
- Michael Layon, Derry

Health care is not a right. It is a commodity. Let's get that straight. If it is right -- as the liberals say -- how much do you have a right to? How many tests? How many second opinions? How many attempts at getting the outcome you want? It is endless.....which is what the liberals want. Health insurance covering pre-existing conditions? That's like getting car insurance after an accident...it's insane. So, I am diagnosed with stage four cancer and then I pay one month's premium and I get $500,000 worth of care the next day? How does that not make much worse the system we have now? This must stop.
- Jim, Stratham

Can I have Jeb Bradleys insurance? Or is that considered a Govt health care plan available only to him?
- Jesse, Candia

Scott,Willfull helping of others is totally acceptable.Being mandated by Governments is not. The less Big Brother you have in you life, the bettr off you'll be . It's everyones individual responsibility to provide for themselve's. Like you ,I agree ,Thank God for those Nasty Republicans who are looking out for us by keeping Big Government in check.
- Dick LaBelle, Manchester

To the people who think healthcare is a right....News flash...Its not! There is no doubt there are some reforms needed. But a new entitlement will hurt the working people of this country. I am employed as a paramedic in a very urban area south of our border, and see the abuse of free ambulance rides and medical care daily. Most of whom don't speak English and have NO job. Now all we have to do is put this feel good legislation nationally, and my 5 year old could do the math. Complete and udder devastation on the working Americans wallet. Its not your job to support my family, and its not mine to support yours. Its disgusting how many people in this country believe that its their neighbors job to support them. I am sure all our fallen veterans would be rolling in their graves right now. This experiment we called America is gonna fail, because socialism and communism always do.
- Dave, Amherst, NH

I'm just curious to know what kind of health care Mr Bradley is currently getting. I have a funny feeling whats ok for him is not ok for the people of NH in his eyes (wallet).
- Jake, Manchester

Yet again, for those of you who haven't read the 1,500 plus page bill or undersand the math, universal heatlh care has not meant "health" care in Canada, Europe or in the test runs in Maine, Mass. or Tenn. It has cost triple what the government initially sated and given substandard health care. Canadains have come here for care when they have wanted to live or be healed of cancer, etc. The three USA states that tested the system went bankrupt in the health cared area. Bradley is trying to be prudent. As importantly, you can not believe most of the main stream media--includng WMUR. Why? According to Anita Dunn the White House Communications director said the administration now "controls" the news media (see worldnetdaily.com. Monday, October 19, 2009). It has been reported and proven by Glen Beck that certain networks are owned by businesses that stand to gain billions of dollars if the presidents green agenda and cap and trade pass. Thus, the media moguls express positive comments toward every movement and all legislation passed.
- Jan, Londonderry, NH

As usual the democrats, make that liberals as there are a few democrats with some sense, are willing to pass any legislation regardless of the affect that it will have on the economy or the "general" public as long as some are helped. I would suggest that you take a look at the economy of California when considering the passage of any law. They have ruined the economy in California by passing every feel good piece of BS legislation that comes along, as well raising taxes to cover those same bills. I think the phrase "killing them with kindness" takes on a whole new meaning when you are killing the entire economy with inane ideological laws.
- Jesse, Oroford

Scott:

The fact that someone in your family needed a blood test that costs $600 probably means there is a real possibility of serious illness. I hope the tests reveal nothing but good news for you. But on to business:

So you are complaining that the $350 discount you receive through the negotiated price your insurance company obtained did not show on the initial bill?! Do you trust the government to do a better job of negotiaiting that cost? How long did you have to wait to get this obscure and expensive test, and how many other things were you required to try first?

And keep in mind: that $3,000 per dose medication would simply not exist without the profit motive. The drug co needs to recoup its R&D cost in a short time becuase soon enough the med will be copied as generic, and the profit will be gone.

With out a ptoential profit as motive who decides to continue R&D on that drug?
Ezekiel Emanuel?

For most Americans, an overhaul of the system will mean health care gets both worse and more expensive. I understand the moral imperative argument, but the first quesiton is will this bill accomplish what is desired? The second is at what cost - and not just dollars. What cost in terms of the overall performance of the system for EVERYBODY, not just those who (some argue) are currrently under-served.
- Jeff, Manchester

Ray Buckley admits in his statement that the federal bill does indeed include unfunded mandates for cash-strapped New Hampshire. He said, "Almost all of the costs to states are covered." Almost all, huh?

Buckley, like the rest of the Dems wants an income tax in New Hampshire, so it's not surprising that he supports this bill.
- CDR, Lebanon

Right on Bradley...I don't trust politicians from either party but I can do simple math. If you add more people to an Medicaid and receive no additional money from the Fed's that fully funds the increase then the costs to all NH taxpayers will increase. I just received my car registration bill and it increased by $60-$70 - WHO is going to help me pay for it? I wonder what will happen if all the responsibile NH residents decided to be irresponsible....hmmmmm.
- Hughan, Manchester

We are the most powerful nation in the world yet we dont have universal health care. EXACTLY! We are powerful and prosperous because we were built on limited government. Unfortunately Universal Health care and other entitlement and government control programs will bring us down to the rest of the world's standards. When these programs continue to progress us towards low calorie communism (socialism) we will no longer be able to compete in the big world anymore.

A couple reasons (although maybe not the biggest) we are expensive is we foot all of the cost of R&D for new technology and then the rest of the world mass produces our products. Another is our tolerance of illegals using our ER's. Now I understand we cant turn someone down who is sick or dying, but deport them immediately after and close our borders!

We look at other countries in a tunnel vision manner. We say wow! everything is cheap! But in reality when you take the free market out of health care, you take away incentive to develop and innovate. You make people not want to be become or stay practicing doctors. Wait times go up, and people in Canada come to the U.S. for tests and procedures.
- Edwin, Litchfield

Great job Jeb! Thank you for serving the people of NH!

When you hear the Democrats use the term revenue neutral understand the definition. They do not define Revenue Neutral as "a change in the tax code such that the amount of tax revenues that will be collected by government remains unchanged".

To them Revenue Neutral means passing unfunded liabilities on to State Governments, a cheap accounting trick.

Leave it to them to come up with the fuzzy math of 1+1=1. Those 1's are trillions!

Thank you for keeping them honest Jeb!
- David Hurst, Manchester NH

Does it really matter if we pay for this boondoggle with our right hand (state taxes) or left hand (federal taxes)? It's all my tax dollars.
- Ray, Manchester

I love all this stop healthcare reform rhetoric and fear mongering. We are the "most powerful nation in the world", yet the only major country without universal healthcare. We are 32nd in the world in infant mortality because people not getting prenatal care. The hypocracacy of out healthcare system is rampant. My family was charged $650 dollar for a blood test at Dartmouth Hitchcock, when it was rejected by my healthcare provider becuase we had not met our deductible. We will rebilled for only $250 the uninsured rate. The fact of the matter is that the system we have is insane different tiers of pricing, denying preexisting coverage, what happened to hospitals being non profit, or doctors who wanted to truly help people? Drigs that cost $3000 a dose......its all greed and avarice.....pretty bad when we ahev to look to Canada, Mexico and Europe on how to do things.....
- Scott, Manchester

Bravo to Jeb! Buckley's comments are so stupid I cannot believe he said that. Does anyone really think we can spend trillions of dollars and not increase cost? This is not misinformation, it is math.
Since there are no provisions for recalling our Federal employees in NH, maybe Jeb can introduce a recall law as well. Note to the staffers of Shea-Porter and Hodes: get your resumes updated, because you will join the ranks of the unemployed soon (but not soon enough).
- Gary Hoffman, Bedford

These are excellent bills - great foresight Bradley. Should Healthcare make it to the President's desk (God forbid) we're going to need them, unless the Dems discover how to grow a money tree.
- Matt, Manchester

Mr. Buckley: If all the costs are covered, then you have nothing to fear from Mr. Bradley's bill.
- Jamie, Goffstown

1st- THANK YOU, Jeb

2nd- Nick from Derry, I don't remember anything about healthcare in the Bill of Rights.
- Matt, Wilton

A true Republican. Stopping any attempt to cut federal spending, while fighting to cut taxes. Hey, it has worked so far.... hasn't it?
- Steve B, Derry

I dont TRUST Ray Buckley to tell the truth....but if he is right....... than he has nothing to fear because these bills would be MOOT !
- Bob, Georges Mills

He (Buckley) said the package passed by the House late Saturday, "is an important step forward. Almost all of the costs to states are covered in the House bill, and we are confident that a final bill will not lead to an increased burden on states."

ALMOST all of the costs? Isn't that admitting that this bill WILL add costs to the states? How dishonest can you be?
- Adam, Troy

Yeah, hopefully he will make sure no one gets healthcare. Hopefully he can make sure the insurance companies can charge as much as they want and still deny coverage.

God bless those Republicans, who else would protect us from the Government. Only neighbors can help each other ... you know we the people ...
- Nick A, Derry

These are two excellent bills that Senator Bradley has proposed. And there's Ray Buckley adding nothing to the debate but more stupid comments. Ray's standing knee deep in a sinking ship called the democratic party.....and he better hope that joke of a "health bill" gets defeated or else 2010 will make the republican takeover in 1994 like like child's play.
- Jay Collins, Laconia