Gov. Chris Sununu has spearheaded another assault against the Affordable Care Act by getting 11 governors to sign a letter asking the U.S. Senate and a lame-duck session of the House of Representatives to abolish the Health Insurance Premium Tax and the Medical Device Tax from the ACA (Monitor front page, Dec. 13). Republicans have been successful at cutting the underpinnings of the act by changing rules, regulations and the most damaging move: eliminating the individual mandate.
Obviously, the governor and the majority of the Republican Party want to go back to the days when insurance companies could refuse coverage to those with pre-existing conditions, have those with no medical insurance getting their health care at emergency rooms. Once the ACA becomes impotent, medical insurance corporations will, once again, have the ability to charge exorbitant premiums while denying claims when they please.
Repeal and replace? Republicans have had two years controlling the White House, Senate and House of Representatives. Have you replaced Obamacare? No. Have you granted Medicare the authority to negotiate drug prices? No. Have you done anything to eliminate conflicts of interest regarding doctors prescribing tests done by companies they have financial stake in? Nope.
Your proudest benchmark legislation? You did succeed in passing the multi-trillion-dollar tax-cut scheme. Eighty percent of tax cuts will go to the top 1 percent by 2027, according to Forbes. The cuts also add about $1.5 trillion to the debt. But who cares? Your grandchildren will be paying that off.
So, Gov. Sununu, while chopping the legs off the ACA, what is your plan?
NANCY HEATH
Epsom