Joseph Ficara writes that cut-rate interstate health plans would lead to coverage discrimination by the insurers.
To the Editor:
During a Republican presidential debate, asked how to replace the Affordable Care Act, Donald Trump said to eliminate the lines -- that is, the regulations. Ted Cruz said to allow companies to sell insurance across state lines. It's basically the same answer as Trump's.
This is rhetoric that sounds good, but is likely to be untrue. It could lead to a terrible outcome with higher prices for less coverage, by eliminating "states' rights" for setting their own standards for coverage.
Right now, no federal law or regulation stops insurance companies from selling policies in every state in the nation. The insurers just have to comply with each state's regulations.
If you remove state regulatory boundaries, all the insurance companies will set up shop in states with the fewest regulations. This has happened with the credit-card industry.
In the 1980s, Citibank offered then-Gov. Bill Janklow a deal: If South Dakota completely lifted its interest rate cap, the banking giant would move its credit-card operations to South Dakota -- along with 400 good jobs.
The bill was introduced and passed in the space of a day. South Dakota became the host of most credit-card companies, since there was no cap on what interest rate could be charged. Until then, card issuers generally had to follow the interest caps in the state where each customer resided.
If the same thing were to happen with ACA and other health insurance polices, we would have a world where coverage would become cheaper for the young and healthy, but very expensive and harder to obtain for older persons needing more care.
The insurance companies would write the rules. This would not foster competition, just higher prices for the sick.
Joseph N. Ficara
Gibbstown
NJEA members should dump Rep. Norcross
To the Editor:
If you are a Democrat and a New Jersey Education Association member, as I am, there is a great reason to get to the polls for the June 7 primary -- getting rid of incumbent U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross, D-1st Dist.
Norcross may call himself a Democrat, but he is not on the NJEA's side. Remember Chapter 78, the legislation that allowed the state to suspend public-sector retirees' cost-of-living increases and raised employee contributions, thus breaking contracts that had been fairly and carefully negotiated by both sides? As a state legislator, "Democrat" Norcross voted in favor of this legislation, and let tens of thousands of union members down.
Norcross also favored a provision to restrict public workers' health plans' access to out-of-state medical care. This would have forced thousands of people to seek care in New Jersey, where Norcross' family has significant financial interests.
If you are an NJEA member and you don't want to reward Donald Norcross with another term in Washington, vote for Alex Law, an announced challenger for the First District Democrat nomination.
Law is a genuine Democrat running for Congress. Individual donors fund his campaign, so he is beholden to no one but the people themselves. Doing right for South Jersey is Alex Law's only motivation.
Liz O'Keefe
Glassboro
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