If you permit me, following is what I wrote today to Representative Brown -Waite and our two Florida Senators...........


I don't pretend to be an expert on healthcare reform but I believe more should be done with the program already run by the Government, Medicare.

My wife recently fractured her ankle and her doctor gave her a prescription for a wheelchair. We requested a lightweight transporter type, because it would be for a short term and to get a lower priced model, as it was being covered by Medicare. This is what I learned; Medicare would be billed $60 month for 13 months. That adds up to $780.00. Reimbursement of the Medicare approved amount would equal $624.00 and our co-pay for the remaining balance would be $156.00. I asked if we just wanted to purchase the wheelchair what would it cost us. The answer $199.00, so herein, is a simple case of how Medicare is overcharged and yet Government allegedly controls it. This is where Congress could start with real change and real reform that would benefit all.

I would also like to point out that there are frequent media ads offering Diabetes Supplies and Motorized Wheel Chairs, all with the emphasis that they are covered by Medicare. I wonder why it is necessary to advertise what has now become a very profitable Government financed industry. Could it be that Medicare has created this industry and exercises little or no financial control and gives great financial rewards to the players? Maybe this should be another area worth looking into before Congress debates massive reform of the entire Nation's healthcare structure.

I would like to suggest that you personally take a leadership position to have Congress start fixing what is already under Government control. Fix Medicare first. Then look at what it costs our Nation to provide Healthcare for people who are in this country illegally.

Newt Gingrich has been quoted as saying, "Campaigning is easy, and governing is hard." It is time for Congress and The Administration to stop campaigning and to start governing.