In “Coverage now out of reach for many here” (Page A1, May 28), the authors show us the devastating human costs associated with increasing health insurance premiums and reduced federal subsidies.
As nearly half of American families struggle to afford groceries, utilities, and housing, these cuts to health care force families to sacrifice needed medical care and prescriptions to afford necessities.
But when premiums become too expensive and parents are forced to drop their coverage altogether, as 27,500 Massachusetts residents did, even more severe consequences unfold. Children in these families are also more likely to lose health insurance coverage, resulting in missed well-child visits that enable early diagnosis and treatment of health conditions, help prevent serious complications later in life, and connect families to vital social and economic supports.
Massachusetts has long been a national leader in expanding access to health insurance coverage and improving health outcomes. Policies that increase the number of uninsured families risk undermining our state’s years of progress, widening existing disparities in health and opportunity.
As legislators weigh additional cuts to health care, they must especially consider the lasting human and economic costs of their policy choices on the youngest members of our communities.
Stephanie Ettinger de Cuba