Friday, January 20, 2017

Elise Stefanik: Arsonist

I was really hoping to see some letters in support of ACA other than my own. It's even better when the writer is so much better than I am. Granted, a low bar.  

On Friday, Jan. 13, Rep. Elise Stefanik voted to begin dismantling the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare). This vote is a precursor to the final vote on the Budget Reconciliation Bill, which will be taken during the next month.

It is expected that the Budget Reconciliation will repeal these provisions of the ACA:
  • Tax credits enabling low and middle income families to purchase health coverage on the Health Care Exchange.
  • The Medicaid expansion, which provides health care for millions of working families.
  • Cost-sharing subsidies that keep deductibles and co-pays lower than they otherwise would be for low-income families.
  • The elimination of the Medicare Part D “donut hole,” forcing seniors with high drug costs to pay thousands of dollars more for their prescriptions.
  • Payments into the Medicare Trust Fund, which make it more solvent so that Medicare benefits will not need to be cut.
This is not her first assault on the ACA. Ever since she took office, Rep. Stefanik has been trying to repeal the taxes that fund the ACA, including taxes on the very wealthy and a tax on tanning salons.

We all know that the ACA is not perfect. Premiums are too high and there are still too many people who are uninsured. Creating a Medicare-for-all plan would be better and cheaper. But the ACA has made a good start. Millions more Americans have health insurance than ever before.

The ACA is like a house with a leaky roof. But instead of fixing the roof, Rep. Stefanik wants to burn the house down. We need a member of Congress who represents us! Not the insurance companies, not the tanning salons, not the billionaires – but us, the hard-working people of NY-21. Rep. Stefanik, blow out your matches and put down that gas can!


Henrietta Jordan

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