Last night AFP-Texas had a standing-room-only crowd for a health care townhall meeting in Austin. One question on the minds of many attending, was: what can we do?
We Texans are lucky that our Senators are opposing a government-run health care system take-over. They don’t want a bureaucrat between you and your doctor. So we can say “thanks” to them while we talk to everyone we know in other states, encouraging them to call their US Senators and say “hands off my healthcare”.
Some 13 states are taking it a step further. They are pre-filing and considering legislation for nullification of ObamaCare, should it pass. What a great idea – and one which Republican gubernatorial candidate Debra Medina has been promoting here in Texas. - Peggy V.
Here is the bill text from Arizona: http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/1r/bills/hcr2014h.pdf
And below is a press release that summarizes the bill:
PHOENIX, Arizona (June 22, 2009) — The Arizona Legislature today passed a bill that refers the Health Care Freedom Act (H.C.R. 2014) to the November 2010 ballot.
The Health Care Freedom Act will ensure Arizona residents may pay directly for any legal health services and choose not to participate in a government or privately run health care system.
“Protecting the rights of individuals to be in control of their health and health care must be a fundamental component of health care reform, so the Arizona legislature is to be congratulated for giving all Arizonans the opportunity to make certain our voices are heard,” said Dr. Eric Novack, Chairman, Arizonans for Health Care Freedom.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Nancy Barto, will be placed on the ballot as a referendum.
The Healthcare Freedom Bill provides for two fundamental rights:
1. The right to spend your own money to seek out and receive health care services that are otherwise legal.
2. The right to choose NOT to participate in any health care system, of any type.
The basic aim is straightforward: while nearly everyone agrees that some changes are necessary in our health care system in the United States, supporters of the bill believe very strongly that the rights of individuals to make their own health care decisions must be protected. In other words, individual freedom should be the starting point from whichhealth care reform should be considered.
“Representative Barto, Chairman of the House Health and Human Service Committee and Senator Allen, Chairman of the Senate Health and Medical Liability Reform Committee along with Senate President Bob Burns and Speaker Kirk Adams are all champions of freedom,” Novack said. “Their long-term vision may save us untold grief with the uncertainty of what the federal government might soon do regarding the healthcare system in the United States.”
The Health Care Freedom Act incorporates some of the same principles as Proposition 101 in the November 2008 election, the Freedom of Choice in Healthcare Act, which lost by less than 9,000 votes. However, the Health Care Freedom Act is designed to provide additional clarification and address issues raised during the campaign and the legislative process.
Specifically, the Health Care Freedom Act contains more concise language, developed with significant input from many stakeholders, including AHCCCS, to protect our state’s safety nethealth care system, workers’ compensation rights, and Medicare beneficiaries.
Dr. Novack went on to the state that the people of Arizona have been well served in this area because rarely does a state legislature have the opportunity to get ahead of an oncoming tidal wave.
“Since we do not know, but have many hints, as to what may be legislated by the federal government, HCR 2014 is the most significant thing any legislature could do to protect the rights of the individual regarding personal choices in their health care decisions,” Novack said. “We are confident that the people of Arizona will vote to ensure their own rights and support the Health Care Freedom Act.”
Dr. Novack will testify, Tuesday, June 23, 2009 in the U.S. House of Representatives, Energy and Commerce subcommittee on health.
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