Good reasons to give the AHCA a chance

The Signal’s June 7 Opinion page offers some statements that beg to be challenged.

Gary Horton’s “America: Just another nation” states that “Trump snubbed our NATO allies with no mention or recommitment to NATO’s Article 5.” That’s a hollow gripe. Article 5 does not “expire”; it has no sunset clause. If it’s not mentioned, it stands. The comment is also particularly eye-catching because Horton has repeatedly reminded readers he possesses a pacifist’s view, hates war and has never let George W. Bush rest for actions after 9/11.

Coincidentally, in the Letter to the Editor “Listen to the voices,” Thomas Oatway relies on the CBO’s assessment that the AHCA will lead to unaffordable insurance premiums and that it cuts $618 billion from Medicaid.

Unaffordable insurance is realized by millions of people more and more each year under Obamacare experiencing high premiums and large deductibles that made health care unaffordable. “l have insurance and can’t afford to use it” is a common cry.

In addition, the CBO itself is unreliable. It missed the number of Obamacare “insureds” by 120 percent and also said that by 2014 the former president’s insurance plan would be self-supporting.

Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini said Obamacare was in a “death spiral” with premiums doubling since 2013. Aetna, Humana and United Healthcare have all quit writing in numerous states.

The referenced Medicaid “cut” figure is over 10 years, not one, and money now in the hands of the feds is to go to the states where local people should know better the needs of their states. More effective fiscal management is always a savings.

The opinion letter omitted the cuts to Medicare mandated by Obamacare.

Forbes (August 2012) and The New York Times (April 2015), both reported the 2010 (Obamacare) called for $716 billion cuts in Medicare over 10 years.

Obamacare is a failure. Getting past anti-Trump and anti-Republican sentiments, there are good reasons to give the AHCA a chance.

Betty Arenson

Valencia