Reform needs repair
Well, we dodged a bullet with Trumpcare, no credit to our legislators. Now it's safe for Sens. Tom Cotton and John Boozman to come out in favor of it. They know it won't pass, so they can mollify their conservative base and not have to live with the consequences. Let's hope they soon realize that there is no way to reconcile the extremes in the GOP, and just hold their noses and work with the Democrats to get a good bill passed.
If the Senate does nothing, premiums will continue to go up, and people like me will no longer have medical insurance. It may be available, but if I can't pay for it, I don't have it.
The Affordable Care Act needs to be fixed. Call it repeal if that makes it more palatable--just fix it!
MAYA PORTER
Johnson
Health care is a right
Tricia Moore's letter in the Democrat-Gazette regarding cancer care made me think about the differences between health care and health insurance because most Americans equate the two terms as one.
An online medical dictionary states that health care is services rendered by a health professional for the patient's benefit, while health insurance is "a type of coverage that covers the cost of an insured individual's medical expenses" (Medical News Today). This difference needs to be emphasized when we talk about the "health care" debate because most Americans would agree that people should be treated for their illness, but they disagree on who and how it should be paid.
Our health-care payment system is dependent on insurance because that's the only way people can afford to pay for most services. Because this is insurance and not a health savings account, the overall cost to the individual depends on the number of people who are in the insurance exchange. The fact that the Affordable Care Act makes it mandatory for everyone to buy insurance so the cost to the individuals who need the insurance is lowered rubs many people the wrong way, especially those who do not want or need health care.
However, Americans need to accept that health care is a fundamental right because we are all going to need medical attention at one point. Therefore, my recommendation to Congress is to take part of our sales tax to pay for health care.
CINDY QUAYLE
Fayetteville
Not a true emergency
There has been controversy about replacing or removing the dam at Lake Bella Vista. I have no strong opinion either way, but I do have a strong opinion about how it's to be financed.
A FEMA grant was approved to replace the dam. It has now expired. FEMA is the Federal Emergency Management Agency. I understand that FEMA is to manage emergencies. Replacing the dam is not an emergency. A grant was approved, but who pays for federal grants? We do.
I believe FEMA grants should only be used for true emergencies. The local politicians should not be applying for FEMA grants if it's not an emergency.
ROBERT HARMON
Bentonville
Our lives are at stake
The Congressional Budget Office estimates the number of uninsured Americans would increase by 17 million next year alone if the Affordable Care Act (ACA)--also known as Obamacare--were to be scratched without a new health-care plan. It would rise to 27 million in 2020, and then to 32 million in 2026.
The ACA is neither perfect nor the end-all solution to health-care reform, but Arkansas has made considerable progress since its implementation. Four years ago, a bipartisan coalition in the state Legislature worked with then-Gov. Mike Beebe to create the private option--now called Arkansas Works. As a result, hundreds of thousands of people have access to health care. Our uninsured rate fell from 22.5 percent in 2013 to 10.2 percent in 2016, one of the largest reductions in the nation.
Earlier this year, Sen. Tom Cotton told Meet the Press "it would not be the right path" to repeal the ACA without a plan moving forward. Nevertheless, he and Sen. John Boozman support Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's plan to "repeal now, replace later." According to the latest Talk Business and Politics/Hendrix College survey, a majority of Arkansans disapprove of this approach.
A few months ago, President Trump said, "nobody knew that health care could be so complicated." Mr. President, most Americans know--and have known for a long time--that health care is a complex issue. Health care is about people--not the legislative victory that the White House so desperately craves. Countless lives are at stake.
VICTOR J. ROJAS
De Queen
It's like a carburetor
Do you remember when cars had carburetors? Back in the day, I decided to rebuild the carburetor on our Datsun 510. I bought a kit, laid out muffin tins to sort the tiny parts, and dove in.
I discovered it was "complicated." It looked as though the engineers had started with a simple design--air chamber, jets and butterfly valve. Then they added extra chambers and jets and valves and springs and sensors and vacuum hoses to enhance the choke, boost acceleration, retard deceleration, prevent stalling, reduce emissions, compensate for temperature, and so on. Each successive add-on served a purpose.
But I could not shake the thought that they might have built a leaner and meaner machine by starting from scratch. If they had asked what should be the net result, I am sure they could have come up with a simpler and better design.
Our various health-care bills remind me of my carburetor. Drop a coverage, provide a tax break, phase out Medicaid, add a subsidy, limit benefits, supplement premiums, strip the mandate, penalize lapses. Each tweak enlists the support of one group or another.
But I cannot shake the thought that we have cobbled together a heap of provisions that lose track of the main purpose. Suppose we ask: What can we do to provide health for our nation? I bet if we pursued that question, we could come up with one slick carburetor.
BILL RICE
Bella Vista
Editorial on 07/25/2017