Representative Mike Ross on FOX16 News

I have yet to hear or see any reference to the fact that all the elderly have a hefty Medicare premium deducted from their Social Security Benefits each month. Cost of living increases in Social Security benefits are, most years, offset by an increase in the deduction for the Medicare Insurance premium. Add the cost of supplemental insurance and my Medicare coverage costs me $312.75 each month. Medicare isn't free to the recipients. What is the federal government doing with these premiums?

Donna, I worked with Medicare reimbursement and audit for many years. What I saw was that for the last 25 years, Medicare has continuously cut payments to hospitals and physicians for Medicare services. CMS(Center for Medicare Services) did not reduce the cost of treating Medicare patients as the politians keep saying. They just reduced what they reimbursed hospitals and doctors for Medicare patients. This is a very big difference. The hospitals and doctors just increased the charges on all patients to cover the losses they were forced to acquire on each Medicare patient. This has increased the cost that everyone else has had to pay for services and has caused the price of insurance premiums to continue to go up year after year. If the government creates another public insurance program, where will all the costs that they refuse to reimburse go? How much higher will private insurance premiums have to increase for these costs?

UNLESS CONGRESS IS BOUND TO THE SAME HEALTH PLAN THEY ARE TRYING TO FORCE ON US THE ANSWER IS "HELL NO"!!! END OF DISCUSSION.

No way they will use the Healthcare system they plan to make for the public! That is why you see them on Short TV spots instead of in public meeting that could last for a long, long time where they have to face the people. In these short interviews they can control the questions and plan the answers to help themselves look like they are doing something for us. Wew will Not see a healthcare plan that benefits all of us. It will only benefit the Industry!!!

The first question to ask Mr Ross is.. "Will you renounce your present Government health plan and absolutely pledge to use the SAME health care you vote for us???" If the answer is "NO" and they won't participate in the CRAP they're giving us.. there is no reason for further discussion!!!