Guest Pitch for Peter Rosenberger: BERNIE SANDERS’ HEALTHCARE PLAN IS ILL-ADVISED “Bernie Sanders is wrong. Health is not a right. It’s a responsibility. We need health care safety nets, not hammocks.” So says Peter Rosenberger, 30-year caregiver and author of book “7 Caregiver Landmines and How You Can Avoid Them.” Q&A: If Bernie Sanders’ healthcare plan were to be implemented, you have stated that the healthcare system would decline into mediocrity, on the path to Socialism. Explain. If healthcare is a right, then the dedication, education, and sweat equity must be compensated fairly. Yet, politicians seem to now not only determine society is entitled to the products and services of others, but those same politicians grant themselves permission to determine the rate of compensation. No one being wheeled to surgery on a gurney wants to be operated on by a lowest bidder government operative who is guaranteed a job but with little incentive to excel. Peter, what is your background regarding health care? I’ve cared for my wife for 33 years through a medical nightmare that includes 80+ surgeries and treatment by more than 90 doctors in 12 hospitals. How was all this paid for? The vast majority of this was through private insurance that I personally maintained …often paying for two policies at once to cover overlap. It was my responsibility. When you say responsibility …who’s responsible? Ultimately, as functional adults, we’re responsible for our own health needs. As responsible citizens, we make choices on how we prioritize our health needs. In my case, I chose jobs that I didn’t particularly like, but accepted them because I made the health needs of my wife and children my priority. It’s called responsibility. What about public sector responsibility? If members of society, particularly children, fall on hard times, we have safety nets for those individuals …such as Medicaid. In the event of qualified disabilities, we also have Medicare – for those who have made responsible career choices and paid into the system. The purpose of safety nets is for protection in the event of a fall …but because of their shape ---safety nets are often misconstrued as hammocks. 6. You host a weekly radio program for family caregivers, where can people find you? HopeForTheCaregiver.com Peter Rosenberger host a national weekly radio program for family caregivers. For more than thirty years, Peter’s cared for his wife, Gracie, who lives wit