Letters: Overhauling health care
"Congressional Budget Office recalculates the cost of Obama health care plan at $1.76 trillion" -- that's the headline I was searching for when I picked up my paper in the driveway the past two days. But to my surprise, I can't even find this story in Newsday.
This is the latest cost estimate by the Congressional Budget Office for the Affordable Care Act, rather than the $900 billion over a decade, which President Barack Obama pledged.
Most rational observers of Washington knew that this bill was a sham from the beginning, but now we know what former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi meant when she said we would have to pass the bill to find out what's in it.
What's in it is another debt-laden entitlement program that is going to ruin our existing health care system and collapse our federal budget beyond repair.
Roger Halvorsen, Garden City
To see the debates over the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, it's easy to lose sight of why Congress originally chose to take action ["Set up insurance exchange -- stat!" Opinion, March 22]. Too many couldn't afford coverage, and others found that when they really needed insurance -- like in the event of a cancer diagnosis -- their plan denied coverage. I know this firsthand, because I've been battling an insurance company over my son's illness for years.
As the owner of a small shoe store, I am overwhelmed by the cost of providing insurance for my employees. The Affordable Care Act provides a solution through a small-business tax credit to cover our employees.
But we need state action this year to get the benefits of the law. The Affordable Care Act says that each state must create an exchange to help individuals and small businesses find suitable coverage that's cheaper: up to 22 percent cheaper for small-business employees.
Even health insurers agree that passing exchange legislation makes sense, but the Republican-controlled State Senate, including health committee chairman Kemp Hannon (R-Garden City) and Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre), are dragging their feet on a bill they agreed to last year.
We need an end to election-year politics and a greater focus on the needs of struggling small businesses like mine.
Irwin Maltz, North Bellmore
