Obamacare: Blame for its shortcomings misplaced

Re: “If Clinton loses, blame Affordable Care Act,” (TNT, 9/20).

Michael Gerson’s column seriously distorts the realities surrounding the popular discontents regarding Obamacare. He never mentions the 100 percent non-cooperation and deliberate obstructionism of all Republicans of all things Obama. He never mentions the millions of people who have benefitted from the Affordable Care Act, of whom I am one.

As a United Methodist pastor, I and my family had really quite good medical coverage through my denomination, but the ACA opened up new options for us, saving us costs and expanding coverage. What we need from the likes of Gerson is unprejudiced reporting about the benefits of the ACA, rather than constant carping on its shortfalls.

The shortfalls are real, but why are they there? Because the alternative of a single-payer Medicare-like system, similar to those of almost all other grown-up, civilized countries, has faced to-the-death opposition from Big Pharma, health insurance corporations and their Republican allies in Congress.

Since the ACA became law, our country has been deluged with hostile propaganda. And now insurance companies are pulling out of the system because the demand for ever-increasing profits is not being satisfied.

This story was originally published September 23, 2016 at 1:17 PM with the headline "Obamacare: Blame for its shortcomings misplaced."