LETTERS

It’s basically welfare

Tony Potochnik writes that Obamacare is great because his family of four got coverage for $408 less a month. Potochnik should know that the reason his premium is so low is because he probably is being subsidized by the taxpayers, meaning the bulk of his premium is paid by someone else.

I know a couple who don’t qualify for subsidies, and for the two of them, the premium was $2,000 a month with a $12,000 deductible. Yes, Obamacare sure is great. They will pay $36,000 per year before the insurance kicks in one dime.

I believe Potochnik has essentially put his family on welfare by signing up with taxpayer-subsidized Obamacare. He may think that’s great, but I don’t.

FRANK LATIMER

Little Rock

Lining their pockets

If you have a child that has no need for counseling professionals, consider yourself lucky. However, if your child has private insurance and you hope to get school-based counseling, you might be out of luck.

What many people don’t know is that counseling professionals do not get paid very much for private-insurance patients. However, Medicaid patients apparently make a much bigger payday. What has ended up happening is children are getting left behind all because they have private insurance.

Most schools will have a contract with a counseling company. That company determines whether they will be able to add them to their caseload. When they notice that it is a private-insurance patient, often they get denied and the child has no choice but to either see a counselor on a private basis or get no help at all.

Do I qualify for Medicaid for my daughter? Yes, I do, but if I choose to put her on Medicaid, her medication will no longer be covered.

Some schools have a fix for this where someone on staff who has a counseling degree will help them out, and now at my daughter’s school, she can no longer get the help she needs because the counseling company was not happy with the fact that someone else was providing services at no charge. The only patients that were receiving the alternate help were patients that were denied by the counseling company.

Counseling should be about helping kids, not lining the pockets of professional counseling companies. In fact, there is nothing professional about that at all.

JENNIFER JOHNSON

Haskell

Has it disappeared?

Ever wonder what happened to the “Do Not Call” list?

ELEANOR SPRINGSTED

Bella Vista

More blunt queries

Terry Mattingly raised the question of whether ministers should ask a “blunt” question about Easter: “Do you really believe Jesus was raised from the dead?”

I think there are other equally “blunt” questions that should be asked about Easter: Do you really believe in human sacrifice? If, as most people, you consider human sacrifice a barbaric practice, why is it perpetuated, glorified and celebrated as the major holiday of Easter?

R. SLOAN WILSON

Little Rock

Must strive for better

In several weeks, we will have the statewide primary for elected offices on all levels. It is important to study well the issues, and learn about the candidates. Your vote is valuable to a win or loss.

To you young voters and elected officials, please understand that many dedicated and courageous people in the state stood with integrity to achieve the balance of party representation in the last 45 years.

It was my privilege to be a volunteer for Winthrop Rockefeller’s campaigns in 1966 and 1968. In 1982, it was an honor to aid in the Frank White race for governor. Both men were for all Arkansans, leaders who served all of us with distinction.

Party battles and faith-based issues were not the primary focus in those days. It was about truth, honor and justice.

Many of us now are benefiting from programs established under national Democratic leadership. Social Security and Medicare are real assets to many seniors. It is necessary now to strive for equality for all Americans to have lasting benefits through the workplace and in education. We fail as a nation if we are not providing incentives to gain the finest lives for ourselves and our families.

Join me with all others in this great state to make it the best primary in our state’s history.

ANITA C. GATZKE

Little Rock

Welcome home again

Many people come to this point in their lives with heavy hearts and guilt from many wasted years in drugs, alcohol, gambling and having paid the penalties in time, money and health, and are looking for help to get their lives together again.

For many, church experiences of their young years seem to beckon them home again, but with so many scars and feelings of guilt and fear they will not fit in, they don’t know where to go to begin.

Those with different sexual orientations seem to feel the brunt of being left out of this society. These are folks in towns and cities all over this big country who feel they are condemned to make a life apart from the one they enjoyed as children.

At a church in a city, a group of folks like these were invited to a get-acquainted meeting. There were many questions, answers, some fears, some doubts and the answer to all was: Welcome. This church is not a sanctuary for saints. It is, though, a hospital for sinners. Jesus said that God is the only one who can judge men, for he alone sees the secrets of the hearts of men.

Is this church in your town?

PAGE HILL

Springdale

Please, define terms

Mr. Asa Hutchinson says in his political ads that he will be a governor with Arkansas values and Arkansas common sense, but he does not say what they are.

Could someone please elaborate on those values and common sense?

RAJ KILAMBI

Fayetteville

Editorial, Pages 15 on 05/01/2014

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