The president argues that a public option would embrace those now without coverage, give others a choice beyond private insurance and, in theory, bring down the cost for everyone through competition from a nonprofit government program.

 

Opponents to health care reform worry about the denial of necessary procedures, euthanasia "death panels", government funded abortions and government influence in the doctor-patient relationship.  Additionally, there is the fear that government mandated health care will end private insurance as we now know it.  

 

The present House bill says insurance companies can't independently issue any new individual policies after the legislation takes effect While private plans aren't banned, they are shifted into the new health insurance exchange the legislation would set up. You can still get a private policy, but the way in which you buy it changes. If you wanted to buy your own insurance, you have to do it through the government-run insurance exchange.

 

While the debate continues, Americans must consider the implications of health care reform.

 

 

 

However, authorities say because he wasn't prepared to face the conditions on the mountains, he should have never gone out there alone in the first place. Fish and Game Major Tim Acerno said, "It was his negligence that led to him getting into that predicament." Mason's fine may be the largest fine sought under a New Hampshire law that allows lost hikers to be charged for rescue costs.

Acerno believes Mason was negligent in continuing up the mountain with an injury and straying from the marked trails. New Hampshire legislators made it even easier to charge for rescues last year when they changed the law to allow fines for those who acted negligently instead of the harder to prove standard of recklessly. Several states have rescue fines like New Hampshire.

Mason was fined $25,000 for his rescue costs due to his negligence and because an out of state helicopter was used in his rescue. Mason was shocked because he had voluntarily sent $1,000 to his rescuers and was never informed he would be fined.

Mason, now 18 years old, is unable to pay the past due $25,000 fine. He hired an attorney to negotiate with the attorney general.