Look to virtues of health care law

Now that the issues facing the Affordable Care Act’s website are resolved, I’m hoping our public debate can go beyond the manufactured hysteria about the law and take a serious look at how it is benefiting health care in this country.

The Affordable Care Act is not a government takeover of the health insurance industry. It is not an attempt to strip you of your coverage or your doctors. It is simply a plan to leverage the power of the market to drive down health costs and expand access to care.

The law provides a place for uninsured Americans to compare and shop for health insurance offered by private companies. It also establishes minimum coverage standards that will make sure everyone who purchases insurance will actually be able to get medical help when they need it (this is not the case now).

Most of the canceled plans we’ve heard about did not adhere to these standards, driving up costs by leaving others on the hook for care their members couldn’t afford. The kinks in this bill are temporary, and I’m glad our leaders in Washington are ironing them out. I hope Sen. Dick Durbin and others continue to support this vital bill.

Kim Savage

Darien