Docket: CMS-2009-0040 

Request for Information Regarding the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction 

Equity Act of 2008 

Comment On: CMS-2009-0040-0001 

Request for Information Regarding the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction 

Equity Act of 2008 

Document: CMS-2009-0040-0013 

IA-Terri Buck 

Submitter Information 

Name: Terri Buck 

Address: 

Burlington, IA, 52601 

General Comment 

Government control and interference in our health care system is what has made 

health care not affordable to most Americans. Government has combined true 

insurance (insuring against and mitigating a potential costly event) with pre-paid 

medical care. Separate these two plans or coverages and we can have a chance 

at making things affordable. Other factors in skyrocketing costs are state and 

federal mandates. If pre-paid medical and health insurance were a true cafeteria 

plan we could pick and choose the coverages we wanted and needed. As a 50 

year old woman I don't need maternity care. I also don't want to pay for 

chiropractic. But if I were 20 I would want maternity as an option to plan a family. 

Allow us to own our own policies so they are portable and not employment or 

employer dependent. Put the tax deductions with the individual and NOT the 

employer. When people have a severe health event it isn't only the expense of the 

health care that affects them it is also the loss of income if the illness makes it so 

they cannot work. Americans should be more knowledgeable about long term and 

short term disability insurance. 

The federal and state governments roles are not to take care of us. We are adults 

PUBLIC SUBMISSION 

As of: May 12, 2009 

Received: May 07, 2009 

Status: Posted 

Posted: May 11, 2009 

Category: Individual 

Tracking No. 8097d087 

Comments Due: May 28, 2009

Submission Type: Web
and are responsible for our own choices and decisions. With those decisions are 

positive and negative consequences. We cannot learn and improve if we are not 

allowed to fail and succeed based on our choices and decisions. How we choose 

to spend out money is just one of many choices we make in our lives. I don't want 

my neighbors having input into how I spend my money and I sure don't want the 

government dictating how I MUST spend my money. Some people choose to 

spend their money on cars and beer instead of health care. That's fine but don't 

make me pay for their choices and I will not ask them to pay for mine. 

I am an ordinary low-income working American. I have been unemployed and 

chose to buy individual health insurance for me and my family. I paid for 

prescriptions with cash. I worked 3 part time jobs to pay my bills when I couldn't 

find full time employment. 

Each time the government mandates something Americans lose a piece of our 

freedoms and liberty. A mandate also dictates how I must spend my money. This 

is wrong. A safety net for those who are incapable of self-support is supported by 

most Americans. A mandated health care program provided by the government 

and forced on Americans who are also forced to pay is NOT supported by most 

Americans. 

Change the rules, regulations and laws to allow for a more competitive health 

insurance market. Allow us to purchase health insurance across state lines. The 

freedom to chose is as American as the Constitution. Mandates are coercive and 

anti-American. Just say NO to government health care. We do not want Canadian 

health care here. We do not want a government employee dictating who lives and 

who dies by their choices of what care we get and don't get.