After forty years of working in and operating a small business I do have some knowledge of health insurance. First of all I believe it is an employer responsibility to provide health insurance to the employees. I did so for forty years and there were some years it was extremely difficult. Prior to the Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as Obama care, the ability to maintain health insurance was substantially more difficult. Many of us now realize that ACA provided certain benefits which eased the burden of trying to continuously provide health coverage. Most reputable and non-partisan organizations acknowledge that health care under ACA is better than what existed pre-ACA. Some premiums have increased but generally not at the rate for premiums previously. Certain levels of care have improved and maintenance care is more available. Some premium increases have resulted due to the treatment needed for newly insured people who had not seen a doctor in years if ever and had problems requiring long past due medical treatment. Much of that group is now receiving care to maintain their health and preclude such an increase in need for treatment on such a large-scale again. In other words the worst impact on insurers, hospitals, doctors, etc should be past while adding 22 million plus new premium payers. As the health of the insured pool of people increases we will see the insurance companies returning to the market. The cost to taxpayers due to public health care costs for the uninsured should likewise decline simultaneously. This is basic economics as consumers purchase more of a product the price declines.
The ACA does transfer costs for medical care to the very wealthy and to businesses. The very wealthy not only can afford to pitch in but should welcome the opportunity to be part of what America represents. Business operators myself having been one should also stand up to be counted. Does it mean some increased employee costs? Absolutely, but an employer uses the talents of each employee generally 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week. That is taking a lot of a person’s lifetime while the overall benefit to the employer is personal economic gain for the business and the employer. A fair wage and health insurance is that too much to expect for utilizing perhaps a third of a person’s life? I don’t think so now and didn’t think so pre-ACA.
We have heard the Republican outcry for over six years that the Affordable Care Act, called Obama care as a derogatory term by them, is terrible. It always government interfering in business and taxing the rich as the main problems. It costs too much and does not provide good health coverage are among the claims. After six years all they provide are complaints, no improvements or better plans. The system before ACA was totally deficient in Care and costly which is the system the Republicans are advocating. These are not congressional leaders trying to help people except for the very rich and big business. I know I owned a small business and they weren’t helping me and still aren’t. These people are sucking up to the rich, indifferent to the middle and working class, lying to themselves and us or just plain stupid. Their mistake is they think we are all stupid. The lesson they will learn and soon is that we have learned that the Affordable Care Act is good and with some adjustments can be great. We can start letting each and every member of Congress know that we are smart enough to use a telephone. We will be calling. It is time to light up the switchboard in Washington to use an antiquated term but light it up we will.
Phil's Personal Perspectives 