ACA is good and bad

As a small-business owner, my personal situation is similar to Tim Note’s (April 1). I, however, have always had access to great health insurance options for my family. Sometimes I had one employee, sometimes none. I have to take issue with several of Note’s statements.

First, prior to the Affordable Care Act there were no pre-existing or waiting periods for small groups in Washington. A “group” of one could purchase insurance without pre-existing condition. Any knowledgeable insurance brokers could have helped Note secure coverage for his employee and avoided the out-of-pocket outlay for both him and his employee. The statement that the “pool” was too small was certainly not accurate.

The ACA has, to its credit, brought some very real issues in health insurance to the forefront; some positive and some negative. The ACA is not a panacea, and all concerned parties need to continue to work toward a system that is fair and affordable to everyone without punishing the few who actually end up paying the tab.

I suspect that Note’s issues with Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers run far deeper philosophically than with the ACA.

Walter Jensen

Cusick, Wash.