Letters: Healthcare reform’s affordability
Re “It’s not so ‘affordable’ here,” Column, July 9
The Affordable Care Act has helped California close its budget gap by half a billion dollars a year. This fact is missing from George Skelton’s column, which overstates the costs of the Medi-Cal expansion and ignores offsetting savings. After 2016, the state will be responsible for only 5% to 10% of the cost to cover newly enrolled Medi-Cal patients, no less than a 9-1 match on the state’s investment.
Skelton misses the point that the healthcare law is not a burden but a bargain, especially for California, with its high uninsured rate.
Anthony Wright
Sacramento
The writer is executive director of Health Access California.
The affordability argument that Skelton presents is a nonstarter. One point he seems to miss is that by adding all Americans to the pool, it will cut costs significantly. You just need to understand statistical mathematics to grasp this concept.
Bill Cooley
Huntington Beach
ALSO:
Letters: Tax the rich is just a slogan
Letters: What to do with delta water
A cure for the common opinion
Get thought-provoking perspectives with our weekly newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
