May 16, 2015 2 min read

The Observer-Reporter has published several editorials supporting Obamacare as providing affordable health care to many people. The phrase “affordable health care” is truly an oxymoron. The majority of those on Obamacare are covered under Medicaid and have very low incomes, and receive insurance that covers next to nothing in order to allow the states running those programs to save money at the expense of the poor.

One area that was never considered was forcing all doctors to discuss openly the cost of every test and procedure with patients. The current answers is, “Your insurance will cover most of this.” But many patients do not have the resources to cover the co-pays and other charges sprung on them.

Unless the procedure is really life-and-death, costs are very important when you have no money. Yes, good health is important, but to many it remains out of reach or leaves them deep in debt. I have seen many sites offering help for Medicare patients who cannot afford prescriptions or other health care costs, but no sites offering the same assistance for Medicaid patients.

George Dawes

Washington