Letter to the editor: Old health system was not working

The article "Obama care threat to insurers" is the usual approach used by conservatives to discredit the Affordable Health Care Act.

The act's enemies have not been able to make an honest case against it nor has there been an alternative plan to oppose it.

State Rep. Dennis Roch, R-Texico, said "This law is a solution to a problem, which is not as wide spread as they have led us to believe."

Under our old system 30,000-plus people died per year due to being unable to have insurance.

The insurance companies have had free rein to deny coverage, cancel coverage, refuse to pay claims, cap on claims, no pre-existing conditions and litigated what was not pre-existing.

Medical bills are a large part of the reasons for bankruptcies.

Simply stated, it was not working.

The mandate to have insurance concerns Roch. Republicans have always stressed personal responsibility, what is so different about this?

An interesting bit of info about the basics of the health plan: The Heritage Foundation, yes the far right one, solution was that insurers would be required to cover everyone and everyone is required to have insurance, low-income families will be subsidized and insurance companies will be regulated. In Massachusetts, it's working about as projected, costs are inline with projections and is popular.

Roch says the insurance companies will stop doing business. "This is what happens when government gets involved in the private sector."

Insurance companies are doing fine in the numerous countries that have universal coverage. Switzerland insurance companies are happy with it and would not go back.

What happens when government does NOT get involved in the private sector is the recession we are in now.

The opposition to a bill tells a lot about it. Moneyed interests are opposed.

Leon Logan

Tucumcari