Point 1. STOP THE DEBATE - NOW !
It makes no sense to cover the uninsured with plans that are only 15% effective.
Point 2. Until private insurance plans adopt the new Lifestyle Diagnosis model, a government option must step in to offer it. This could also serve as a CDC laboratory to test various incentive means for the change to Personal Responsibility. By agreeing to be part of these "behavioral trials", those uninsured who want to adopt Personal Responsibility could be helped to join this option.
Point 3. Sorry, but spending money to address "social determinants of health", such as sidewalks, bike paths, markets in poor neighborhoods, will never in a hundred years change the culture, since areas that have all these still have high chronic disease rates. Behavior change will override human nature only when enforced directly by health authority figures, using compelling incentives for compliance, and strong and swift action against disregard of everyones Personal Responsibility for their own health choices.
When this happens, universal demand will make infrastructure improvements, from the bottom up.
Point 4. The Elephants, Donkeys, and Lobyists on Capitol Hill should get real, and listen to this voice from Pleasant Hill (CA).
Every last one of you reflects chronic disease levels of the general population - overweight, out of shape, eating refined, fiberless food, and suffering chronic stress. Even your "gold plated" federal health plan is a dinosaur, doing nothing while you developed chronic disease, and then pouring taxpayer money down that incurable hole.
Individual Initiative and Personal Responsibility made America the best nation on earth. If given the chance, 300 million Americans will rise to the challenge and have the world's best health, instead of our 27th (and falling) rank now.
Will you give us this chance?
Donald Wilhelm, III
Pleasant Hill, CA
July, 2009
