No real concern "For our welfare".

In his 3-26 letter, a reader sarcastically states that "a new day dawned and our Republic stands" after "health care" (and the entire student loan industry) were nationalized. Over 30 states are filing lawsuits and/or enacting States' Sovereignty legislation to protect themselves and their Citizens from the massive burden of feds growing Medicaid. The congress has yet to pass the "Doctor Fix" bill, which provides $250 billion of the hidden $750 billion+ in direct costs, which the C.B.O. did NOT score. Seven major corporations (Caterpillar, John Deere, etc) already announced major cuts in benefits and hiring projections. Bribes and arm-twisting flourish and are cheered. At least four provisions of the Constitution and two major Congressional voting rules have been violated or abused. If not repealed before full enactment, U.S. debt will flare from the new $12 trillion ($40,000 per man woman and child) to over $30 trillion in one generation, plus interest. But, Sol still burns.

There have been repeated attempts by Republicans, Independents and sincere Democrats to pass actual insurance improvements. But the reader says that conservatives use the general welfare, as a tool of fear. The "general welfare" (like "interstate commerce") means ONLY those things that the federal government (within the Constitution) can deal with, for public use: defense, federal roads, post office, etc, NOT seizing huge tracts of the economy for inefficient redistribution and opportunities for more graft. The Tenth Amendment reserves all other rights to the States and the People. His "welfare" means handouts of someone else's money, and the well is dry. There is a reason why, though the free market is straining to recover from a crash caused by decades of increasing Progressive interference, unemployment is still crushing us. Only the government is hiring now, and it produces: nothing.
Lastly, we have not "joined the world in recognizing that we have a right to health". No politician can "create" a right. Why? Our rights are unalienable and come from our creator (by any faith's definition). If today's politician can grant rights, tomorrow's politician can take them away. By the way, sir, that same founding document already guarantees "Life, Liberty and the pursuit (but not free, home delivery) of Happiness". That means we have to work hard, but get to keep and share our own earnings (not have them "redistributed"), and buy insurance if we want to. Everyone who gets rich on his own account automatically drags many around him upward a little.

The historic ability of American families, friends, churches and charities to help those sick or in need has been worn down for decades, and is now being finished off by the Progressives. At least 78% of us want to be, but are we "still America"?