Letter to the Editor of the East Hampton Star. May 18, 2017, by Peggy Backman

In a recent op-ed in an online newsletter, congressman Zeldin tries to answer what he calls lies about the work-in-progress Trumpcare. However, he fails to mention that many of the problems he sees in the current Affordable Care Act (or Obmamacare) are the result of compromises the Democrats had to make with the Republicans and their lobbyists. Now they talk about these imperfections as if they in the Republican-heavy Congress had nothing to do with their enactment.

To rebut criticisms of the Republican’s sorry offer of healthcare reform, we have Zeldin’s misleading simplistic answers in his op-ed piece: For example, Mr. Zeldin says not to worry and mentions pre-existing conditions being protected in New York State. ‘Tis true and lucky us. But what about our fellow countrymen and women, who are not so fortunate as to live in a progressive blue state like New York, where state laws for many years have given state residents protection for pre-existing conditions?

The vast majority of Americans are not protected by progressive state laws, such as those in New York. But under Obamacare they now have these protections for pre-existing conditions—thanks Obama et al. However, the complicated scheme the Republicans are proposing, diminishes such protections. Why take away these protections (just because they came into being under a Democratic administration)? That is small-minded and too stressful for the people affected. We need to think about all of our countrymen and women: what helps all citizens, helps us all. Leave Obamacare alone. Strengthen it, but don’t repeal it.

And how does Zeldin think we will pay for his insurance plan with all the tax-breaks-for-the-rich that are in the so-called new bill? Giving more money to the zillionaires only makes their bank accounts swell; that game has been tried before and failed to help the rest of us. I say let’s chuck this Republican Trumpcare Act-Of-Despair and provide the American people with a single payer insurance, i.e., Medicare-for-all. Even Mr. Trump admitted recently to Australia’s Prime Minister that, with their universal healthcare system, Australians have “better health care than we do”. Mr. Trump actually said that! And I must mention that the scam that is now being offered to the American public does not measure up at all to what other countries have. Is that our American exceptionalism? God help us.