Repeal of ACA would restore 'donut hole'

On April 24, Ms. Jackson, of Streamwood, wrote of her dilemma with the cost of necessary prescription drugs.

When the Part D, Drug Program, was passed in 2003, it contained a confusing and unfair coverage gap, called the "donut hole." It would take effect when a person reached a limit of expense in drug costs, and patients would then have to pay full price for prescriptions until meeting another threshold before coverage would begin again.

To make matters worse, when the Part D program was adopted, there was - and still is - no provision to negotiate costs of prescription drugs, so the full, retail costs are often in the hundreds of dollars.

Having access to health care is not the same as being able to afford it.

In 2009, the Affordable Care Act gradually reduced the donut hole with the aim to eliminate it entirely.

The current Republican plan to repeal the ACA, would restore the donut hole with no provision to reduce it or eliminate it, and there is still no provision to negotiate the cost of drugs for Medicare recipients.

Ms. Jackson is not alone with her problem, and it is up to the people to pressure our legislators to not only retain the ACA, but to improve it so that people do not need to choose between life or death, depending on their ability to pay.

Marie Harris

Bartlett