Thanks to health care reform, things will begin to get a lot better in our communities as the initial phase of consumer protections kicked in last week. Having doubts? Maybe you should ask the parents of children with pre-existing conditions who can no longer be denied coverage, or young adults without insurance who can now get coverage under their parents policies. Ask someone you know with a pre-existing condition who can finally get insurance coverage in a high risk pool, or someone who’d been afraid to seek treatment whose insurance can no longer be canceled when they become ill. Try asking someone facing long and costly treatment who no longer has to face lifetime limits on benefits. This could be any of us, and it affects many of us.
These protections are a critical first step in eliminating much of the needless suffering and loss of life which is the byproduct of our current health insurance system. I am grateful for those who had the vision to see the difference reform could have on our communities and the commitment to make it a reality. I look forward to the remaining badly needed reforms due to be implemented over the next few years. They can’t come too soon.
Letter from Jim Lindsay/Arlington
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