Opinion: GOP opposition to Obamacare baffles former HHS secretary

March 31, 2014

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The Republican leadership’s intense opposition to the Affordable Care Act clearly baffles — and disappoints — one of the party’s most admired figures, former Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Louis W. Sullivan.

Speaking at the opening session of the Association of Health Care Journalists 2014 conference in Denver last Thursday, Sullivan, the former president of the Morehouse School of Medicine who served as HHS Secretary during the George H. W. Bush administration, noted that many of the major provisions of the Affordable Care Act are based on the reform proposals he and other Republicans crafted more than two decades ago.

“Many of the features of the Affordable Care Act are part of what we proposed back in 1991,” he said, mentioning in particular the individual mandate. That provision — the requirement that Americans enroll in a private health insurance plan if they are not eligible for a government program like Medicare or Medicaid — is among the most vilified by today’s GOP.

“If they were supportive of it then, why are they so opposed to it now?” he asked.

See the complete story at CT News Junkie.

Comments

3 responses to “Opinion: GOP opposition to Obamacare baffles former HHS secretary”

BettyB

April 1, 2014

You don’t see any of our leaders in government enrolling in obamacare nor the unions. If it is so good, it should be good enough for EVERYONE.

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Ms. ACA

April 1, 2014

Betty B,

The people who you are referring to do not need to obtain insurance through the affordable care act because they have health insurance. At the same time, the affordable care act enhances the insurance they do have. For instance, the life time limits are gone and parents can keep their kids on until 26.

The affordable care act, for the most part, is for those who may not have employer sponsored health insurance.

Having experienced two layoffs in the past five years, due to the affordable care act, I was able to purchase a plan through the CT Exchange that provides comprehensive and affordable health insurance plan for me and my family.

This is one of the reasons the ACA is critical: Prior to the implementation of the affordable care act, Anthem denied my application due to a pre-existing condition with a family member. Due to the ACA, Anthem could no longer deny me and they underwrote the policy.

Since health insurance is a quality of life issue, for the life of me I can’t understand why so many people are opponents of the affordable care act, which provides access to affordable and comprehensive health insurance for Americans. Does someone have the answer?

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Nancy

April 3, 2014

Ms. ACA,

How much are you paying for that monthly premium? The insurance companies are not allowed to deny you insurance, but there is no limit on what they can charge, is there?

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