Motivation lacking in Congress for affordable healthcare

To the Editor;
The Trump administration’s recent freeze of payments to insurers with sicker customers is another swipe at Obamacare. According to American Health Insurance, this freeze will cause escalating healthcare costs especially to those who need it the most. Ever since failing to totally repeal Obamacare, the Trump administration along with Republicans have taken steps to make it increasingly difficult for the Affordable Care Act to function and to be affordable.

Then candidate Trump throughout his campaign touted how Obamacare would be repealed and replaced with a much better health plan plus it would be cheaper. The replacement plans the Republicans proposed did not even come close to being better or cheaper. The only strategy they seem to have is weakening Obamacare until it collapses with no replacement plan.

Many Republicans complain of the costs of healthcare for all; meanwhile members of Congress have the “Cadillac” of plans for life. Perhaps if they had to be concerned about how they would pay for their medical care they would be more motivated. What if they had the constant worry of how to pay for their insurance? Even worse, not having it at all and forgoing preventive care as well as needed prescriptions and treatment?

We are the wealthiest nation in the world and it’s a disgrace that tax cuts to the wealthy supersede caring for the basic needs of its people. Affordable medical care should not be only for the elite as members of Congress and the wealthy but it should be a right for all of its citizens.

Andrea Thurlow
Atkinson