Before repealing Obamacare, what will you replace it with, Mr. Rehberg?

Letter to the Editor,

In a reply to op-ed from Congressman Rehberg (R-MT) in reference to ACA, I would like to point out some of my objections to your desire to repeal the ACA (Obamacare). I feel doing so would cause harm to folks in Montana.

It is my understanding that the U.S. Supreme Court is the law of the land. This court has ruled the ACA legal. I was not pleased when the ruling Gore vs. Bush came out, but I lived with it and moved forward.

What will you replace the ACA with, if anything? How will folks with pre-existing conditions be able to obtain health insurance they can afford? This is covered by the ACA.

In your op-ed you stated that you had 31 meetings with fellow Montanans that agreed with you that the ACA would be bad for Montana. How many of those people were between the ages 21 and 25 and were on their parents’ insurance health policies – they will no longer be covered if the ACA is repealed.

Recently, I learned that folks with lung problems caused by the Libby mine that are under the Medicare age of 65 will no longer be covered if the ACA is repealed.

Will our local hospital (St. John’s Lutheran) have to charge off more money for bad debts than it does now? It’s my understanding that they charge off $5 million each year now. Will we in Libby be able to afford to go to the hospital?

Are you paying for private health care or do you get health insurance from the government? Just asking.

— Chuck Racicot

A liberal and Democrat