Letter to the Editor: Her nose is growing
BY Sonia Sniderman, Tulsa
Sunday, July 08, 2012
Like Pinocchio when he told a lie,
Gov. Mary Fallin’s cute little nose is
growing (“Health act upheld,” June
29). She said, “President Barack
Obama’s health-care policies will
limit patients’ health-care choices,
reduce the quality of health care…
.” Really?
The health insurance exchanges
of the Affordable Care and Patient
Protection Act will offer quality
insurance programs and negotiate
premium costs by pooling risks.
For the first time, small businesses
will have the purchasing power of
large corporations. Direct subsidies
and tax breaks for low- and
middle-income Oklahomans and
small businesses will make it possible
for millions of Oklahomans to
have coverage for the first time.
Exchanges will allow individuals
and small businesses to compare
plans, get questions answered, find
out if they are eligible for tax credits
for private insurance and if they
qualify for programs like the Children’s
Health Insurance Program
and enroll in a health plan that
meets their needs.
We know it works. It’s already
happening in the state-run Health
Connector exchange in Massachusetts
created by Willard Mitt Romney
back when it was a Republican
idea.
The insurers will not be allowed
to refuse coverage to anyone.
There will be strict rules preventing
them from canceling coverage.
Lifetime and annual limits will be
eliminated. No longer will losing
your job mean losing your health
insurance.
We will have more choices for
high-quality insurance coverage
than ever. This is a victory for hardworking
Oklahomans. Too bad Fallin
won’t tell the truth about the
federal health-care act. Her Pinocchio
nose is most unattractive.
Letters to the editor are encouraged. Send letters to letters@tulsaworld.com.
