Republicans lambasted health care legislation passed by the House Sunday night as “a disgrace.”
Yet, millions more of Americans will now have health insurance.
“Shame on us,” said John Boehner (R-Ohio) of the vote which drew 100 percent GOP opposition.
But with its passage, the infamous “doughnut hole” in the Part D drug plan will now be covered for senior citizens. No longer will the elderly be left to pay 100 percent of drug costs after they hit a ceiling of expenditures for life-saving prescriptions.
“It’s one of the most offensive pieces of social engineering of legislation in the history of the United States,” said Virginia Foxx, R-N.C.
Because like Medicare and Social Security, health care will now be the third leg upon which all Americans, not just the wealthy, can depend.
Republicans, just who are you feeling sorry for?
DURING THE yearlong debate, Republicans have tried to make the health care reform debate personal through scare tactics.
* Death panels — no such thing. Never has been, never will be. The concocted epitaph came from President Obama’s suggestion to provide end-of-life counseling for those who desire it. Twisted minds turned the Hospice-like care into a Dr. Kevorkian plot.
* Loss of coverage — completely the opposite. All Americans can retain their current policies. And insurers — your choice — will not be able to cap limits on the amount they will provide, nor will they be able to cancel policies. Another new assurance will be for those who lose their job, and its insurance coverage, they cannot be denied coverage or be charged higher rates be-cause of preexisting conditions when they shop for new plans.
* Higher insurance premiums — not unless you opt for extravagant plans.
* Increase the national debt — no, it will reduce it by $143 billion over the next decade by requiring affluent consumers to pay more for their coverage. For those who make more than $250,000, a 3.8 percent tax will be levied on their investment income and they will be required to support the Medicare program through higher payroll taxes.
* Will fund abortions — no, by executive order, federal funds will not be allowed to fund abortion services.
* Coverage will be denied — again, the opposite. No longer will preexisting conditions such as diabetes, heart disease or asthma be allowed by insurers to deny coverage for millions of Americans. Another big gain is that children up to age 26 now can be retained on parents’ policies. This is a special comfort to many of today’s young adults (and their parents) who are unable to find employment, much less that which provides health insurance. Up until now this has been decided by individual states, many of which cancel coverage at age 18 or 19.
THE ISSUE of health care reform is indeed very personal.
People are being denied coverage. The cost of in-surance premiums has soared. Huge swaths of Americans have been left uncovered, forcing them to choose between putting food on the table or buying their needed prescriptions; to pay for their home or their cancer treatments.
It doesn’t get more personal than this.
And it’s for these very reasons, that reform has long been needed.
It’s a moral thing. It’s the decent thing.
If we’re truly all in this together — a united states — then we have to act like it.
We’ll be a stronger country because of it.
— Susan Lynn
