Dear Editor:
Americans talk a lot about freedom. There are two types. Freedom from and freedom to. Given the assault on healthcare since the 2016 election, I am concerned about the freedom from fear that millions of Americans face if they have no healthcare coverage.
If you knew anything at all about the Affordable Healthcare Act, you knew it kept insurance companies from using pre-existing medical conditions to deny health insurance. The ACA rules affected all healthcare policies. Before the ACA a pre-existing condition could arise at birth eliminating health coverage to families that could bankrupt them. Under the ACA this fear of bankruptcy went away. That's a very good thing.
We have just gone through months of Republican efforts to repeal this provision that eliminates fear and leads to bankruptcy. Representative Luetkemeyer boasted that he voted to repeal harmful healthcare measures that were forced on his constituents by Democrats. He seemed proud to admit he was eliminating thousands of his constituents from the safety of healthcare coverage. If his measures were passed some would die and many others would face bankruptcy.
Senator Blunt was no better. Like Representative Luetkemeyer they have feasted on a bumper sticker plan that was completely hollow. When they brought their plans forward even President Trump said they were mean. None of them seemed to care that actual human beings, the very constituents that voted for them, would be harmed. Less than 20 percent of the public approved of any of these "mean" plans.
The ACA required insurance companies sell policies that covered 10 essential healthcare benefits. Those benefits included the right to a no cost yearly health exam. The right to get coverage if you show up at an ER. The right to get coverage if you are giving birth. The right to get coverage for substance abuse problems. If you do not have healthcare coverage, these items are too expensive for most people. Republican plans tried to eliminate these benefits.
The ACA required all Americans seek healthcare coverage. If only sick people have coverage, costs are very high. All Republican plans attacked this mandate. Doing this would cause all healthcare plans for those age 50 to 65 to skyrocket in cost. Millions would drop out because of cost. Fear in America would rise.
The healthcare freedom most Americans really seek is freedom from catastrophe. We are the only modern country that poorly provides this.
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