forgive some of the wording-my brain isn't working too well these days,but I felt compelled to counter some of the right-wing hate speech that has ruled our opinion pages.
http://www.thedailylight.com/articles/2010/03/25/opinion/doc4babad17dc3d5859367625.txtLetter: ‘On health care bill’
Published: Thursday, March 25, 2010 1:57 PM CDT
To the Editor,
I had planned on staying out of the health care debate, as there may be a conflict of interest with my upcoming brain surgery. However, after reading some of the responses to this editorial page, I felt compelled to add some fact and reason to the discussion. As most know, I am a proponent of Universal Health Care and was disappointed that this legislation didn’t go far enough to cover all Americans. That being said, there are several parts of this legislation that will greatly benefit the majority of Americans.
As an individual with multiple pre-existing conditions, I was greatly relieved to see that there will soon be rules in place preventing insurers from DISALLOWING those with pre-existing conditions into the insurance pool. This covers an extraordinary number of Americans, and will be a godsend to those who are employed and uninsured. There will also be an end to rescissions — meaning you will not lose your insurance because you become ill and cannot work. Lifetime caps will also be eliminated.
As the parent of a son with no medical insurance, I was relieved to see the age of dependent eligibility was raised to 26 years of age, regardless of student status. Many entry level jobs do not provide benefits, and it will benefit these young adults to be covered on their parents’ policies. Small businesses will be entitled to as much as a 50 percent tax break on the policies they provide for their employees.
The “donut hole’ closes for Medicare recipients, making prescription medications more affordable for seniors. Community health centers will receive funding to provide preventative services to low-income patients. This is critical with at least two of the most common and detrimental diseases, diabetes and hypertension.
Insurance companies will be mandated to post their balance sheets, including revenues and executive compensation. This has been one of the more sinister aspects of our current system — while we beg for every nickel and dime of coverage, they benefit to the tune of billions of dollars.
These are the immediate benefits. My hope is that, as time passes, Americans realize how critical health care is to the overall health of our nation. The AMA and AARP agree that this is a critical step for our nation. I hope it is a sign of things to come.
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