Many low-wage workers still lack health coverage: Your Say

Letter to the editor:

The front-page headline “Obamacare no cure for working poor” on the article about health care was very misleading. It would lead one to believe the problem is with the Affordable Care Act, which it calls Obamacare. I think that is a way to attack President Obama (Paste BN special report, News, Dec. 29).

If you read the article, you soon realize the problem is not with the Affordable Care Act. It is with these greedy companies who work people just under the number of hours per week they need to qualify for health care coverage. Shame on those fast-food companies. Shame on those large corporations that leave insurance coverage up to franchisees. They keep the letter of the law by the way they control hours and number of employees.

Clyde Precise; Birmingham, Ala.

POLICING THE USA: A look at race, justice, media

Comments from Facebook are edited for clarity and grammar:

It’s not my company’s responsibility to provide health insurance. We just had to drop the coverage we did provide for our employees, effective in January. Premiums were going to go up this year, and it’s simply not fiscally sound to continue to provide the benefit.

— Ken Scott

When will we learn that capitalism is amoral at best, and the only way to cover everyone is through a mandated single-payer system, such as Medicare for all. Obamacare, despite being a nice try, has too many escape clauses for companies to exploit, and out-of-pocket expenses are making the coverage useless in any practical sense.

— Edward Ayres

I am a conservative but also in favor of a limited safety net to provide for the neediest among us. However, taking care of people has its limits because it will incentivize lazy behavior.

I still believe people must take responsibility for themselves. Those who refuse to work hard and better themselves should live with the results of their behavior.

— Rob Menor

Why don’t we eliminate all employer-paid health care? If you want health care, buy it out of you own pocket. That would be fair to everybody.

— Jean Clifford

Obamacare has unintended consequences

Readers talked about Paste BN’s article on part-timers who can’t get Medicaid or employer-paid coverage. Comments from Twitter are edited for clarity and grammar:

These are Americans who deserve a helping hand. Take away from the lazy, and the ones who think they are owed something.

— @grohix2

If you work hard, you shouldn’t need assistance. You’re not rich, but have enough to get by without help.

— @Beastwarking

I worked for a federal government contractor for years with no benefits because it allowed only part-time workers.

— @jav8tr

This is an unintended consequence many warned the administration about preceding the implementation of Obamacare.

— @TomCantJump

For more discussions, follow @USATOpinion or #tellusatoday.