San Diego County reacts to Obamacare replacement vote

San Diego Union-Tribune (CA)

May 05--Reactions were swift Thursday after Congress narrowly passed an Obamacare overhaul bill, with most in San Diego expressing significant concerns about the new American Health Care Act which now must spend some time in the Senate.

In general, that reaction wave seemed to break into two camps: Those who though it went way too far and those who didn't think it went nearly far enough.

In San Diego's North County, two women typified that split. Both are currently on Obamacare plans, and both have studied the Affordable Care Act closely since it passed in 2010.

Cynthia Parkinson of Encinitas, who said she has been taking medication for a tumor on her pituitary gland since 2000, saw higher prices in her future if the Senate goes the way of Congress.

"I think what you'll find is that the plans going forward won't be as comprehensive as what we have now under the ACA. The prices are going up, and I think they're going to give the Congress ways to get around paying for pre-existing conditions," Parkinson said.

She added that she is happy with her current plan which costs her $315 a month after an income-based subsidy reduces her premium by hundreds of dollars. It was $913 per month before Obamacare, she added. And those folks who report not being able to keep their doctors? Well, she hasn't seen that.

"I can go to the same doctor I had before. Every doctor that I've gone to has accepted my Obamacare," Parkinson said, adding that she'd rather have a single-payer system than what was approved Thursday morning.

Nancy Walery of Escondido, on the other hand, said she thinks the new plan looks way too much like the system it replaced. She would have preferred, she said, to do away with all of the subsidies and other requirements that remain in the AHCA which many are starting to call Trumpcare.

"Why do I need to have the government sitting between me and my health insurance? What I need is a competitive market where I can choose what I want," Walery said.

Last year, she said, she spent hours on the phone with Covered California, the state's health insurance exchange, trying to untangle a financial mess that occurred when her husband dropped his Obamacare coverage to enroll in Medicare. She was temporarily thrown into Medi-Cal coverage, and that experience, she said, left her certain that the government is just never going to get this right.

Though she reserved final judgement until she learns more about the current bill's particulars, what she has heard so far, she said, makes her feel like Congressional leadership is making too many compromises.

"They're so gun shy about being picked on by the Democrats that they can't even make a decent decision," Walery said, adding that she reserves judgement on the new bill until she learns more, but is leaning towardsupports some sort of subsidies for those with pre-existing conditions who can't afford their premiums.

National, state and local-level leaders were quick to issue statements Thursday:

Gov. Jerry Brown: "This cruel and ill-conceived bill -- the so-called American Health Care Act -- rushed to a vote with no fiscal analysis, will hurt American families and it's bad for California. Millions will lose coverage, those with pre-existing conditions will be abandoned and costs will skyrocket."

Duane Dauner, chief executive, California Hospital Association: "California leads the nation in expanding health care coverage, with 91 percent of all Californians now covered. If the current version of the AHCA is enacted, some of this gain could be undone, resulting in a loss of health care coverage for many Californians."

Rep. Darrell Issa: "Let's stop pretending Obamacare is going to fix itself or that somehow, someday, it's going to get better. Today's vote gives a voice to the victims of Obamacare, the millions of Americans who are paying higher premiums, receiving less coverage and for whom the status quo offered no end in sight."

Peter Lee, director, Covered California: "We have analyzed the American Health Care Act, and as currently structured, it would greatly increase the ranks of the uninsured and increase costs for millions more."

Rep. Scott Peters: "This vote takes us one step closer to going back to a system where families go bankrupt over an unexpected illness and our emergency rooms are filled with mothers seeking basic care for their children."

Rep. Susan Peters: "It's a sad day for the constituents who called my office worried about losing their coverage. This bill will provide fewer protections, less coverage, and higher costs. All to pay for a major tax cut for millionaires."

Chris Van Gorder, chief executive, Scripps Health: "This is just one more example of our elected officials refusing to compromise and work together for the good of the country. As I have said many times over many years -- health care should not be political -- it's personal -- it's about life and death. No health care legislation approved by only one party will last the test of time.

Rep. Juan Vargas: "Today is a disappointing and scary day for millions of Americans. House Republicans voted to take away health care from 24 million people, increase out of pocket costs for families, undermine individuals living with pre-existing conditions, and force seniors to pay more for their health care."

Dr. James Veltmeyer, a San Diego family medicine physician whose wife struggled with breast cancer on an Obamacare plan: "I'm disillusioned. From a doctor's perspective, it doesn't do anything to save lives or reduce costs. It's still about mandates from people who don't give care or receive it. They could have been bold and structured a health care system that put doctors and patients back in charge of their health care, but they didn't."

[email protected]

(619) 293-1850

Twitter: @paulsisson

___

Visit The San Diego Union-Tribune at www.sandiegouniontribune.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.