You recently published encouraging news that South Carolina plans to automatically enroll in Medicaid 65,000 children whose parents are receiving food stamps or welfare benefits.
This makes one hopeful that South Carolina might decide to embrace an expanded Medicaid program for adults, drop objections to the Affordable Care Act and work to enroll all residents in a health care plan.
People with insurance see doctors more regularly, and chronic conditions can be treated earlier, eliminating costly emergency room visits.
A story in another paper showed that free birth control has led to dramatically lower rates of abortion and teen pregnancy.
A much-needed provision of Obamacare to take effect in 2014 concerns those with pre-existing conditions. It will ensure that health insurance is available at no higher cost or premium. Even people with high blood pressure can be considered to have a pre-existing condition. Being able to purchase health insurance at a reasonable rate will lead to better care and the saving of lives. When everyone has health insurance, as Obamacare prescribes, costs can be lower because the risks will be spread among the whole population.
Obamacare is a blueprint for a healthier America.
Don't be misled by charges of cuts to Medicare; these are savings to be had by moving toward more efficient ways of delivering care, going after fraud and abuse and stopping extra taxpayer subsidies to private Medicare Advantage plans.
To learn more about the act, I encourage you to go to www.healthcare.gov.
Barbara Temple
Beaufort
