Can a senator who votes for the 2017 health care bill truly believe in God? Now there is a way to make the legislation more whole for all Americans.
•n There must be an individual mandate with a “no opt-out” option. This increases the number of healthier citizens putting downward pressure on policy cost.
• Premium supports must be based on income and not on age.
• Escalating individual policy premiums are real. However, passing legislation to allow the creation of statewide or multistate pools for insurance companies to bid for their business will lower rates.
• Prescription drug prices must be negotiated by the federal government, while lobbyists must be pushed aside.
• There must be some level of essential benefits (absolutely including mental health and addiction treatment) to adequately insure all citizens. Insurance pools with reasonable rates demand multimillions of participants. No one can predict when or how much care will be required.
• Many, many Americans will still not be able to afford even subsidized plans, so Medicaid must be shored up and funded at levels at which all health professionals, hospitals and clinics welcome Medicaid recipients.
Jim Storer
Westbrook
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