MAILBAG: Health care would have standards

It is unfortunate that groups like the Glendale Patriots (“Group protests health-care plan,” July 25) are trying to obscure what is actually in the health-care reform legislation supported by President Obama. They make unfounded charges about less choice and lower quality, and inaccurate comparisons to England’s and Canada’s health-care systems.

In fact, most people would remain in the employer-provided health plans they currently are in. If they worked for a very small employer, or did not have employer-provided insurance, they would qualify to be in the health insurance exchange. There they could choose between a large number of private insurance plans or a public health insurance option.

With respect to the quality of health care received, it would likely improve. The legislation would promote preventive care, clamp down on insurance company abuses and set minimum standards for health-care plans. These minimum standards would set a higher bar than many health-care plans currently provide.

As far as comparisons to the health care system in Canada or England, there is a major fundamental difference — everyone in Canada and England is in a government plan; that would not be the case in the system that Obama supports.

On Friday, the Energy and Commerce Committee, where the health-care legislation is now being considered, released a district-by-district analysis of the effects of the House bill. Here in Rep. Adam Schiff’s district:

 15,100 small businesses could qualify for tax credits to provide health insurance to their employees.

 8,300 seniors would avoid the Medicare “doughnut hole” for prescription drugs. The doughnut hole is the level of expenditure at which seniors have to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket for medication.

 58,000 uninsured Californians in this district would gain coverage.

Thank goodness Schiff is standing up for meaningful health-care reform that would bring these benefits to the district along with the security of knowing there would be quality, affordable coverage available we could all count on.

JOAN SMITH

Glendale

Editor’s Note: Smith is a member of the Health Access California Board of Directors.

Americans need access to health care