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Area residents who never had to choose between paying for food and medical care might have gripes with the new health care law. But the 75% of South Norwalks population who live at or below federal poverty guidelines, many of whom are patients at the Norwalk Community Health Center, probably have a different take on Obamas plan. NCHC Executive Director Lawrence Cross certainly does.
I think that this is the single most important piece of federal legislature weve seen since 1965, when Lyndon Johnson passed Medicare and Medicaid, says Lawrence.
Its not yet what many of us would like it to be, but it does many good and important things, and it will do them right away in the next six months.
Among the most immediate and crucial of these improvements, he says, will be closure of the so-called donut hole gap in prescription medication coverage for senior citizens.
Some seniors who have Medicare Part D might even get rebates, he says.
Another huge benefit: No more denial of coverage to those with pre-existing conditions.
The importance of this change cannot be overstated, he says. Youre talking about people with high blood pressure, diabetes lifelong conditions that will always have to be treated.
Most of the public outcry against the law, he says, is rooted in misinformation. For example, those low-income families who worry that theyll be forced to pay premiums for insurance they couldnt afford in the first place.
This bill will be heavily subsidized to fit the individuals income, he says.
Medical bills are the number one cause of bankruptcy in America today. By virtue of its very process, embedded in this bill is a shifting of wealth. Health coverage should be a right, not a privilege.
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