All I hear from Dan Sullivan in his campaign for the Senate seat are a bunch of washed up talking points about repealing the Affordable Care Act. I’ve yet to hear him offer any real solutions that would actually work for Alaska.
I’d also like to point out that Alaska’s rising insurance rates are not because of the law itself, as Sullivan falsely claims, but because Governor Parnell chose not to build our own exchange system (as the law was designed for) and not to expand Medicaid. We are now paying the price for those decisions, while states that did opt for a state exchange system and to expand Medicaid are seeing reduced or stable insurance costs. These are failing efforts Dan Sullivan supports.
Alaskans benefit when we put our heads together and find solutions. If anyone can make health care reform work, it’s us. We need to stop focusing on the problems and look for solutions, just like with Medicare in the sixties.
I, for one, saw the need for a new law when my husband was diagnosed with lung cancer. Being self-employed, we had a catastrophic insurance. It was supposed to cover major illness but had a high deductible. Shortly after he began treatment, the insurance was gone. If my husband hadn’t been a Korean War Vet, I would have been left with a monstrous debt. The new healthcare law would have helped me.
I’m not saying there aren’t problems with it, but I join Mark Begich with his proactive “let’s improve what doesn’t work” approach. Don’t dismantle it.
In this election, I’m voting for Mark Begich, Forrest Dunbar, and the Walker/Mallot merger because they are actually offering solutions that will move this state forward.