OPINION:
The GOP has finally announced its Obamacare alternative (“House Republicans release details of plan to replace Obamacare,” Web, March 6). Unfortunately it both seems like a watered-down version of Obamacare and fails to offer valid health-care reform.
It is great that the GOP’s proposed legislation eliminates the unfair federal mandate that citizens buy insurance. But a similarly unfair mandate still exists in states such as my Massachusetts, which passed Romneycare. Romneycare, of course, also mandates the purchase of insurance.
No American should be ordered to buy something that is overpriced and has different service prices at every U.S. clinic and hospital. Any federal legislation that doesn’t void each state’s own mandate that we buy health-care insurance makes Congresses voiding the federal mandate meaningless. And any GOP legislation that doesn’t include price-control measures isn’t replacing Obamacare and isn’t valid reform.
Sadly, based on what the GOP just announced, our country is still a long way off from implementing actual health-care reform.
AJ CASTILLA
Boston
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