Letter to the editor: Lopez’s column on health care has false information

Talk about it

We’re more than a little shocked that The Jamestown Sun would print such a contemptuous piece by Beltway-based writer Kathryn Lopez. In a democracy all opinions are not only welcome but encouraged; however The Sun should be in the business of bringing information and reasoned arguments to its readers, not vitriolic rhetoric that serves only one purpose: bring down meaningful health care reform.

Lopez’s column failed to educate or inform on the issue, but instead relied on the same false arguments. Here are the facts: It is a myth that abortion care coverage will be mandated in health care reform. There is no current health care reform bill that mandates abortion coverage — or any other type of health care service — in the new health exchange. Coverage decisions should be determined by medical experts and consumers, not politicians. Since the majority of private health insurance plans already cover abortion care, attempts to prohibit that in the proposed health care exchange would be a reduction in benefits and make women worse off under health care reform than they are today.

In addition, a recent poll by the Mellman Group shows that a majority of Americans would be opposed to health care reform if it did not include reproductive health care including abortion. It is also a myth that the bill mandates taxpayer funding of abortion. Even if Congress decides to implement a public plan, it would be funded in the same way that private plans in the Exchange are funded and therefore, abortion should not be treated any differently than any other coverage issue. The bottom line is that opponents of health care reform are using abortion as a red herring to undermine real solutions to our health care crisis. Singling out abortion is discriminatory, and could result in women losing benefits they currently have. That is something women certainly won’t stand for.

Lois Altenburg, Fargo

Amy Jacobson, Fargo

Renee Stromme, Bismarck

Lysa Ringquist, Moorhead, Minn.

(Altenburg is president of the League of Women Voters North Dakota; Jacobson is the North Dakota public affairs manager for Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota; Stromme is executive director for North Dakota Women’s Network; and Ringquist is co-chair for Women’s Network of the Red River Valley)

Tags: health care, opinion, letters, lopez