Trumpcare won’t hurt the elderly
Re “TrumpCare bad policy for elderly in Myrtle Beach area” letter by Darrell Eickhoff.
It is nice to know that Mr. Eickhoff is concerned about the elderly people of Myrtle Beach. However, I believe he has significantly overstated the size of the issue.
His conclusion is that the financial burden on “nearly a half million older South Carolinians with pre-existing conditions would be a disaster for their personal pocketbooks.”
He is likely referring to the 50-64 age group as that group is identified a half dozen times in the article. This group can be charged higher premiums because of higher risks. The concept of charging those with higher risk is part of our everyday living. Automobile owners with moving violations and accidents pay more for auto insurance. Flood insurance for the home in the flood plain is greater than for the home half way up the mountain.
He identifies that about 400,861 South Carolinians in this age group have pre-existing conditions; that’s not “nearly a half million” in my book. He also identifies that only about 100,000 in this age group are enrolled in the individual market.
The nearly 500,000 is probably less than 100,000 that might suffer a financial disaster, and these can likely be handled through other methods at a much smaller cost than forcing everything through a national health program.
James Kirtland, Garden City Beach
This story was originally published July 15, 2017 at 10:19 AM with the headline "Trumpcare won’t hurt the elderly."