The letter writers criticizing the Affordable Care Act in the Nov. 21 Globe all have good points about insurance reform but don’t seem to get how ACA insurance works (“Maybe the Affordable Care Act is more trouble than it’s worth”). The subsidies are the whole point — insurance is made affordable by the tax credit, which is based primarily on a participant’s income.
The subsidy formula caps what a participant pays for insurance at 8.5 percent of their income. The enhanced credit — the one due to expire — is for households with incomes above 400 percent of the federal poverty guideline. It was put in place because people simply cannot afford health insurance. Yes, it would be great if the whole insurance industry were reformed. Yes, it would be great if there were a better plan.
But the reality is, the ACA is an imperfect plan forged after Democrats fought for something better. The ACA is a hard-won and fragile compromise that allows people who can’t afford insurance to at least have something. I’m self-employed and would not be able to afford health insurance if it weren’t for ACA. Got a better plan? I’m happy to hear it.
But are we in a better place now than we were 15 years ago, when Barack Obama was president, to come up with a plan that will cost less and reform the insurance industry? Don’t make me laugh.
Maureen Milliken
Belgrade Lakes, Maine
Critics of ACA don’t seem to get how the plan works
