Fix the health care law, don’t just repeal it

The reforms in the federal Affordable Care Act made it possible for my daughter, with pre-existing diverticulosis, to get a health insurance policy. It's expensive, but now she's covered.

Some Republicans in Washington want to take that coverage away from her and others in her situation. Besides ignoring unnecessary human suffering, they don't seem to realize that health insurance coverage saves money. When people without insurance need hospital care, we all pay their bills through higher premiums and taxes. When people without insurance get sick and miss work because they've put off regular preventive checkups, businesses pay through lower productivity.

Further, the Congressional Budget Office predicts repeal of the health care act would add

$230 billion to the national deficit over the next decade.

Rather than helping to fix problems in the current law, GOP politicians want to repeal it and start over. If they had participated more in the process that led up to the law, those problems might have been avoided. Instead the GOP spent time talking about socialism and death panels.

In 2006, 2008, and 2010 the nation voted for change in the way Washington operates. We want people in government to work together to find solutions to the serious problems we face. The GOP missed the message.

Doug Allaire

Iowa City