Health Care Reform and Questions

I have read Obama's Press Conference on his plans for Health Care. He makes some points that I agree with such as the present situation with health care is untenable. Under current law and projections, medicare and medicaid will bankrupt the Federal budget. I agree that everybody should have health care, rich and poor. We do need to find out what is driving the cost of health care. But I am leary of a solution that involves a huge change and lots of money and influence from the federal government. Obama himself said that many people are cynical of government because they haven't seen a lot of laws out of Washington that help them. Well count me a cynic because I am not convinced of his plan. Here are my reasons-

1. It is not in the power of the federal government to provide health care. Here is the list of the powers of congress according to the Constitution. I don't see health care for the general public.

2. Even if you do think that the federal government should be involved in health care, I want to see some results first. Why not implement the reforms in Washington, DC first or at the Veterans Administration hospitals, or even in how they pay for medicare and medicaid? Congress has full authority over DC according to that same section in the Constitution, let's start there and see what happens in two years. Surely we can wait two years before making such sweeping changes.

3. The health care cost-savings are not there. I am always skeptical of politicians who say that a government program will pay for itself or not cost too much. Obama himself talked about how much money is spent on medicare, medicaid, and prescription drugs. I don't trust savings that haven't appeared yet. I don't think anybody would give me a loan based on what I would save in the future. I need to see some actual savings first. Here is a Wall street article that raises questions about how much savings there could be in the system. studies done. (Thanks to my friend, Matt)

4. Massachessetts- what happened to there health care reform plan? And is it similar to the federal plan? And why has nobody talked about it?

5. No reform/tort reform for malpractice insurance? Shouldn't that be on the table?

These are some of the concerns that I have about the federal health care reform plan.