Senate Republicans’ health care bill and CBO’s estimate on uninsured

Re: “22M more left uninsured,” June 27 news story.

The Congressional Budget Office appraisal of the Senate Republicans’ health care proposal is now in, prompting your appalling, tragic frontpage headline. I quote from the story: Sen. Mitch “McConnell said Monday that the legislation is an attempt at finding consensus among Republicans on how to fix health care.” How does America fix its health care system by depriving 22 million more Americans of access to it?

The United States spends more on health care than any other nation, whether measured by percent of GDP or cost per capita. Yet we ranked 37th among the world’s nations in a 2000 WHO study of health care quality. We remain virtually alone in the developed world in failing to provide universal health care. But now McConnell thinks he’s got it all right.

There’s logic and then, apparently, there’s “alternative” Republican logic.

David E. Faris, Aurora

I get it. A big, scary headline like “22 million to lose health coverage” will grab my and others’ attention. But when do we start having an adult conversation about real, necessary health care reform?

We all want infinite resources available if we contract an illness. But realistically our nation has only finite resources to commit to our health care needs.

I recently heard former Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell speak about rewarding our health care providers for outcomes (i.e., healthy patients) versus fee for ailment treatment. Why is that not part of the conversation?

Lowering costs and restructuring how health care professionals are paid may actually provide the resources we need to cover everyone.

Michael Collins, Englewood

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As a physician, I am deeply apprehensive about the possible passage of the Senate’s health care bill. The legislation’s purported intent is to fix the perceived unsustainable elements of Obamacare and tackle rising premiums. But let’s be honest with one another: the primary way that the Senate bill saves money is by cutting Medicaid, reducing the number of insured Americans by millions. In addition, it leaves out vulnerable folks with pre-existing conditions, especially older Americans.

When President John F. Kennedy famously envisioned putting a man on the moon, he enriched the American identity, tying it to technological prowess. Likewise, we should now enrich our identity as the world’s only superpower by declaring that working toward insuring all our citizens is a small step before the giant leap to a country where all Americans can enjoy a healthy life. We must demand our senators vote “no” on this bill.

Brian Wolfe, M.D., Denver

Re: “Obamacare needs bipartisan reform,” June 24 editorial.

I couldn’t agree more with your editorial urging Sens. Michael Bennet and Cory Gardner to lead the Senate to a bipartisan repair, not repeal, of the Affordable Care Act. Colorado is a purple state, voting Democrats for president and having bipartisan representation in the Senate and House. Our senators are moderates in their parties and could lead the way towards this worthy goal. Let’s hope our senators can lead the way to more bipartisan work on key issues.

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