Opinion

Keeping the plan you like Is harder than promised

The Issue: Freelancers may soon be able to opt out of ObamaCare, but not all small businesses can.

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“Escaping ObamaCare” refers to its devastating impact on small businesses and the nation due to huge increases in regulations and costs (Paul Howard and E.J. McMahon, PostOpinion, June 12).

The Declaration of Independence lists “a long train of abuses and usurpations” by the king of Great Britain.

President Obama has a much longer train. The abuses and usurpations under ObamaCare alone exceed those of the king, let alone scandals such as “Fast and Furious,” IRS audits, AP intrusions, the NSA’s “Prism” and Benghazi.

These are in urgent need of answers, penalties and solutions. However, ObamaCare stands out as by far the most pernicious to our Republic and it must be repealed.

Joe Fitzgerald

Canandaigua

The rules of ObamaCare that Howard and McMahon want the Freelancers Union and others to be excused from include a ban on discriminating against people based on their type of job.

Freelancers Union insures computer programmers and graphic designers, but not construction workers, truck drivers, or disabled people who haven’t been working. Removing people with lower health costs from the community pool, as the Freelancers Union does, means higher premiums for those left behind.

The Affordable Care Act makes the system more fair. All insurers must share risks of the entire community and play by the same rules.

The cheaper premiums available through some associations might go up, but the Health Benefit Exchange will provide subsidies to help moderate-income individuals afford high-quality coverage.

Most current Freelancers Union members would qualify for these subsidies.

Mark Scherzer

Legislative Counsel

New Yorkers for Accessible Health Coverage

Manhattan

My wife, who is retired but not yet eligible for Medicare, has been paying well over $300 a month for health-care insurance by Aetna through AARP. That only covers hospital costs. Doctors, medicine, etc. are not covered. Although it is a minimal plan, she was satisfied with the coverage.

We just received notification from Aetna that she will need to find another plan or, if eligible, sign up with Obama Care. Whatever happened to “if you like your present coverage, you can keep it”?

Tom Bullock

West Covina, Calif.

Although the actual cost of ObamaCare is unknown, estimates of its cost are definitely going in one direction: up.

Ed Krauss

Scarsdale