A Fishy E-mail

Ms. Linda Douglass (flag@whitehouse.gov),

In response to your request for "fishy" material - I am providing the e-mail below that was sent to me from a partisan in the Health Care debate. The person who wrote this is representing things that we know are not true. Let me explain:

- The Health Care bill is being written by the far left wing in the House of Representatives and they are not bound by any of the promises made by the President.
- No one has read the final bill, therefore we have no earthly idea of what crazy things are in it.
- The President has not promised to read the bill before he signs it, therefore he won't have any idea what is in it either.
- The government hasn't been able to run anything else effectively, so any guarantee that they can run Health Care is completely irresponsible.
- The President of the United States doesn't have a Health Plan, rather Congress is cooking up a Frankenstein-like bill that will no doubt destroy Health Care for the majority of Americans.
- Wherever any country in the world have tried anything even remotely like the President or Congress is designing, it has utterly failed.

As a tax payer, I would very much appreciate it if you would get to the bottom of these "fishy" claims immediately.

Kindest Regards,

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dear Friend,

If you’re like most Americans, there’s nothing more important to you about health care than peace of mind.

Given the status quo, that’s understandable. The current system often denies insurance due to pre-existing conditions, charges steep out-of-pocket fees – and sometimes isn’t there at all if you become seriously ill.

It’s time to fix our unsustainable insurance system and create a new foundation for health care security. That means guaranteeing your health care security and stability with eight basic consumer protections:

No discrimination for pre-existing conditions
No exorbitant out-of-pocket expenses, deductibles or co-pays
No cost-sharing for preventive care
No dropping of coverage if you become seriously ill
No gender discrimination
No annual or lifetime caps on coverage
Extended coverage for young adults
Guaranteed insurance renewal so long as premiums are paid
Learn more about these consumer protections at Whitehouse.gov.

Over the next month there is going to be an avalanche of misinformation and scare tactics from those seeking to perpetuate the status quo. But we know the cost of doing nothing is too high. Health care costs will double over the next decade, millions more will become uninsured, and state and local governments will go bankrupt.

It’s time to act and reform health insurance, drive down costs and guarantee the health care security and stability of every American family. You can help by putting these core principles of reform in the hands of your friends, your family, and the rest of your social network.

Thank you,
Barack Obama