Loose with the truth on Obamacare [Letter]

Andy Harris and his party practice a corrosive Republican alchemy, turning innocuous factoids into lies ("Rep. Harris talks data collection, Benghazi and ObamaCare in Bel Air," Jan. 25).

Exhibit A: "The Congressional Budget Office shows the Affordable Care Act will cost 2.3 million jobs!" It's a jobs Benghazi!

Except, for people forced to work only to keep insurance, these aren't "lost jobs."

An older worker couldn't retire because his 57-year-old wife's pre-existing conditions made getting her own policy impossible. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, that guy can retire, because his wife can now afford insurance until she reaches Medicare age. He's finally able to enjoy the fruits of his working life without abandoning his wife's well-being. That's not a "loss," Mr. Harris, that's the rewards of love and hard work.

A worker delays leaving her job to start a new business because her family can't go without her employer's insurance. "Obamacare" makes health insurance affordable; so the odds improve slightly for the gamble of starting her own business. That's a new business — something Rep. Harris and his Republican party claim to support.

Consider parents who, since the ACA, have coverage with no annual or lifetime caps for their seriously ill child. Both worked long hours to afford critical medical coverage; now one or both may reduce their hours and be home for their kids. That's not unemployment; it's a dream come true for workers with a seriously ill kid.

The ACA always predicted that some people willingly would reduce their workload. It's been described and anticipated by the Congressional Budget Office. It is happening as predicted. Obamacare is much appreciated by those in this situation. That is what makes the "lost jobs" issue a lie every time the Republicans and Mr. Harris raise it.

Richard Levy, Cambridge

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