For Immediate Release
Monday, March 15, 2010
Contact: Chris Lato
(608) 219-7231
NEUMANN RECEIVES 5,500 PETITIONS TO “PROTECT HEALTHCARE IN WISCONSIN”
Neumann: “President Obama’s healthcare legislation will have a disastrous impact on our economy, and on the quality and cost of healthcare.”
WAUKESHA, Wis. – March 15, 2010 - To date, over 5,500 people have signed an online petition organized by the Mark Neumann for Governor campaign that calls for government to preserve individual healthcare choice and curb expensive and unnecessary government-imposed coverage.
The online petition can be found at http://strongwisconsin.com/healthcare. Neumann will submit the signatures to all members of Wisconsin’s Congressional delegation and met with members of the news media outside US Rep. Gwen Moore’s Milwaukee office, where he handed over a copy of the petitions.
“As a final vote approaches, I hope our representatives in Congress are listening to the voices of folks across Wisconsin who are saying loud and clear that this is a huge, costly mistake,” Neumann said. “New state mandates, more taxes, higher deficits, and limits in choice are exactly the wrong direction for Wisconsin and the nation. The last thing the job market needs is a government takeover of one-sixth of the economy.”
Neumann stressed his desire to protect the right of Wisconsin citizens to opt out of federal healthcare requirements. As Governor, Neumann would support a state constitutional amendment that aims to preserve private healthcare options for the people in Wisconsin.
Specifically, this amendment would be aimed at ensuring people in Wisconsin have the right to enter into private contracts with providers for health care services and to purchase private coverage, and prohibits enactment of any law that requires any person to obtain or maintain health care coverage. Simply put, these decisions remain personal, not a government mandate.
“Folks in Wisconsin are angry and feel their voice is being drowned out in the rush to impose government-mandated healthcare,” Neumann said. “Independent-minded people across the state are standing up to say they want to keep the right to make their own healthcare choices.”
Neumann acknowledged that while reforms are needed to improve the healthcare system and rein in costs, sweeping government mandates are not the answer.
“People are concerned about getting and keeping quality health care at an affordable price,” Neumann said. “The impact on Wisconsin families paying higher deductibles, paying a higher percentage from their paychecks, and limiting the choices of doctors is a real problem and should be addressed.”
For example, Neumann said reducing health care costs by enacting legal reforms so as to allow doctors to stop the costly practice of defensive medicine should be passed. Waste, fraud and abuse of the system must be stopped. Health savings accounts should be encouraged and opportunities for this type of coverage should be enhanced.
Neumann noted an online comment from one of his 38,870 Facebook friends had it exactly right.
“His point was that the best solution to increasing health care coverage in America today is to have more job opportunities where the pay is reasonable and healthcare is provided as a benefit,” Neumann said. “The idea that most people would be forced, by law, to get healthcare coverage is wrong for this nation and it is certainly wrong for Wisconsin, and will be detrimental to our highest priority of bringing jobs to Wisconsin.”
Pictures of the event will be available online.
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2120 Pewaukee Road, Suite 150 ~ Waukesha, WI 53188 ~ (262) 349-9498
Paid for by Mark Neumann for Governor, Matt Neumann, Treasurer
Filed under: Mark Neumann
