Letter to the Editor: The High Price of Idealism

The middle class has been hanging on by its thumbs for many years. As a recent small business owner of 35 years, I paid into the health care system in my early years with high deductibles to try and save money. As I got older I tried bringing the deductible down thinking I’d be going to the doctor more often (thank goodness I haven’t).

Then Obama created Obamacare, mostly to allow (force) low-income people to get, and pay for, health insurance or face the ramifications of a tax penalty. (I wholeheartedly agree with insuring folks who can’t get health insurance or are uninsurable according to the insurance company as it will cost them money.)

My small business suffered with increasing premiums, we had to “contribute” to the lower income.

Bernie Sanders wants a policy for all, just like Medicare. Your tax rate will no longer be 25-35 percent, it will be closer to 70 percent to pay for this. I paid into Medicare all my life, then at 65, I was able to pay a little each month and have decent health coverage the rest of my life.

Now Bernie wants everyone, age 0-64, to be covered, many never contributing a dime to Medicare through their wages.

Just like Obamacare, just like Bernie’s proposal, they never see the ramifications; the health insurance companies have to continue making a profit.

In Illinois I had Blue Cross, a nice PPO policy, costs $700 a month for one person, yes, a $3,000 deductible. Blue Cross decided in Illinois to cancel 175,000 individual policies (because they said they lost $240 million in one year) and as of Jan. 1 they “dumbed down” the policy to another PPO that has a $6,000+ deductible, a policy that many of the local doctors and hospitals will not take. But, you’ve got health insurance for nearly the same price.

That was one company, one state. Bernie and Obama can enact all the legislation they want, the companies will adjust to them and crucify the middle class person.

Oh yeah, the same low-income person can apply for a subsidized policy at half the price, the deductible on the policy is only (choke, choke) $50 dollars.

Remember, Obama “tried” doing a lot of things, now they want to make his birthday a holiday in Illinois and give all the state workers another day off and the school kids a day off. Think the Democrats in Illinois will say no to another paid day off?

Jim Dworak

Carol Stream, Ill.