To the Editor:

 

The January 11, 2015 edition of the Washington Daily News contains this headline, “Grant support sought: Metropolitan seeks funding to continue health-services effort.”

Metropolitan Community Health Service is seeking a $981,750 grant. A draft of the letter Metropolitan is asking the City of Washington to submit in support of this grant says in part, “Without the primary care services that Metropolitan provides, many patients would forgo necessary and preventable [sic] health care and see their health status decline. In spite of the increased number of uninsured, and the ever-present challenges of this economy, Metropolitan continues to increase its service offerings and ensure that its patients have a medical home.”

What does this mean, “In spite of the increased number of uninsured…?” The leader of Metropolitan is Reverend David Moore, a former Beaufort County Commissioner. I am reasonably certain Reverend Moore has heard of the Affordable Care Act. It was passed by both houses of Congress and signed into law by President Obama in 2010, five years ago. This law mandates that all citizens have health care insurance. Is the Mayor of Washington NC admitting the Affordable Care Act is not working by penning this letter in support of Metropolitan?

Now the bigger question is, why does Metropolitan need a government grant to provide what the government is already providing through Medicaid, Medicare, the Affordable Care Act, and a myriad of other help me programs?

A really short summary of the Affordable Care Act goes something like this. You have the right to have health insurance. If you cannot afford health insurance, it will be provided to you and paid for with subsidies taken from taxpayers. If you choose not to avail yourself of this right to have health insurance, you will be penalized with a tax until you do have health insurance. Is all this clear?

Metropolitan and any other health care provider should not need a grant to provide services to the uninsured. There are not supposed to be any more uninsured! If there are uninsured, as this letter of support states, then the law is not working. President Obama and the Congress need to know about this so they can make the necessary adjustments.

Who will ultimately be the beneficiary of this grant money when distributed and what services will actually be provided?

As the benefactor of this grant, I want to know the answer to these questions.

Ray Leary

Chocowinity