An Open Letter to Indiana Senator Todd Young
Dear Senator Todd Young,
I am writing with regards to the ACA. It is vital for millions of Americans to keep this law, and it must be revised. It was the first step to correct the terrible health care industry in the US. However, there are many more steps necessary to bring the US health care to the same standard the rest of the Western world enjoys. US politicians should be embarrassed by the substandard health care available.
The solution is definitely not the privatization of health care. I downloaded the Republican’s plan for action, and I am revolted by the idea that privatizing health care is viewed as a solution. The costs will only increase because there will be no incentive to keep costs lower. Republicans use the bluff of the “free market” to claim that the price will be kept low for consumers. When the price is low for consumers, the producers suffer. I have worked in the oil industry for 4 years, and I see how devastating low prices are for the supply side. It is insane to believe that the supply side of the market wouldn’t work together to keep the prices stable for a profit to be made. With health care, this comes down to people’s lives.
Health care should not be a profitable market. It needs to be properly regulated, and it needs to be run by an agent not looking for profit aka the government. The ACA is the first of many steps needed to improve the lives of Hoosiers, but ultimately we need to reject the idea that private corporations care about people over profit. We need a single payer health care system like the rest of the modern world.
To note, I did go to the website which you had tweeted about the grand Republican plan, and I downloaded the full plan. First, I am disgusted by the inaccurate use of the term “Obamacare.” Be professional. It’s called the Affordable Care Act or ACA. Second, the criticism against the ACA was in large part due to the inaction of the Republican controlled congress. Instead of obstructing the president, you had a responsibility to your constituents to improve the ACA. Your party has been blame-shifting for 6 years; unfortunately, too many Americans have not been paying attention to notice. When health care becomes inaccessible under your plan, America will wake up and realize their mistake to trust the Republican party.
Personally, my company provides great health insurance, but as I stated earlier, I work in an industry that is going through an extended downturn, and the light hasn’t yet appeared high on the horizon yet. I could easily be unemployed, still suffering with student loan debt, and unable to afford health care. We need to protect the interests of the most vulnerable, and the Republican plan certainly does not do that.
Regards,
Kim
Bloomington, IN resident
