In response to Paul Moore’s Viewpoint letter (July 24), it is highly irregular for an insurance company to project rates 18 months unless you are switching from COBRA, which has nothing to do with Obamacare. Obamacare will give you choices covering pre-existing conditions.
Obamacare is now covering children with pre-existing conditions, children up to age 26 on parents’ plans.
Lifetime caps have been removed and many people are getting refunds from insurance companies because of excessive administrativefees. Under the new law pre-Medicare rates can only be three times greater than younger policyholders, which currently can be 7 times greater.
Obamacare will give you choices covering pre-existing conditions. In October, Arkansas residents can access ARHealthConnector.
com and choose from four different plans from competing insurance companies or keep what you have. Medicare will not be affected except it is expected to extend its solvency by several years. The premiums will be paid to insurancecompanies, not the government. Insurance companies will take 20 percent for administrative fees whereas Medicare only takes 3 percent. The insurance companies will take profit, not the government. I pay $823 per month, so Mr. Moore’s new premium of $1,141 does not sound unusual for four people. Analysts say my premium will probably be cut in half under the healthcare exchange. Most of the law takes eff ect Jan.
1, 2014. Although unfairly demonized, Obamacare will be very good for Arkansasand the nation as a whole.
Perhaps it is time for we Southern states to take time out from fi ghting the Civil War and study the Affordable Healthcare Act, pray for our President, love our neighbor, think, turn off Fox News, stop the polarization and act like Americans, because a house divided cannot stand.
Thank you, Sen. Pryor, for making critical decisions that best serve the people of Arkansas.
THURMAN METCALF
Rogers
Opinion, Pages 10 on 08/04/2013