A Letter to the Editor in the Billings Gazette.
October 19, 2014
The stated purpose of the Affordable Care Act was to reduce the persistent increase in the cost of medical insurance while guaranteeing adequate coverage. On that it is succeeding beyond all expectations.
I am aware of a small, 15-person business that has always provided the best medical coverage for their employees that is saving $10,000 a month by joining the state exchange. The reason — a statewide pool spreads the risk more broadly and the same coverage is much less expensive. Competition from the co-op also helps.
Yes, there are some who have to pay more. For the most part, they are businesses who employ over 50 people who now have to provide adequate medical insurance for their employees. They didn't have to before. It is hard to feel sorry for them; they should not be able to gain a competitive edge over their competitors by not providing health insurance.
The other group is those who received inadequate coverage. Even though they paid less in premiums, it did not help much when they got sick or injured.
The worst tragedy is the truly medically needy. They were supposed to be covered by an expansion of Medicaid. But the Supreme Court said the federal government could not mandate this coverage and Montana's Republican Legislature refused to expand Medicaid in Montana.
Don't forget that when you vote for state legislators. Most Republicans would rather push their hardworking but poorer constituents into bankruptcy when they get sick or injured rather than accept federal dollars to insure them. That is just heartless and cruel.
Thomas E. Towe
Billings
This letter to the editor reflects the reality of pre-Affordable Care Act and post-Affordable Care Act. The law was suppose to change things. The insurance companies can't gouge members but maintain a 15% profit over expenses. The people of the USA are suppose to have the opportunity for health care regardless of their past health history. The American people are suppose to live healthy lives. The Affordable Care Act is going to make angry the companies that simply disregarded their hourly workers as a burden the company had rather than supplying the needs of their employees.
Those that complain about their health insurance choices in the year 2014 were resigned to having a poor policy with poor coverage within a certain cost. The lower the cost of the insurance the better they liked it and didn't worry about the actual coverage and the perils that could follow. "I'm a health person, why should I have to carry all this preventive care?"
Good question, now ask oneself and see if the answer isn't more beneficial than flying by the seat of your pants every time a health issue surfaces.
