An op-ed piece in today's Dayton Daily News

[Donald Nguyen]

Friends and colleagues:

My op-ed piece was published today in the Dayton Daily News. DDN changed the title to "Act's critics need to spend day with doctor", which is fine with me. Please vote NO on Issue 3 and if you support police officers, fire fighters and teachers, vote NO on Issue 2 as well. Please share with others because the DDN does not have an e-link to the op-ed piece and it does not post many opinion pieces on their online version.

I have bumper stickers on Vote NO on Issue 3 if anyone is interested (the kind that does not harm your car), please drop me an email or call 937-657-0425.

Look for the DDN Sunday edition (2 days from now) for a special report on Issue 3 (Ohio Constitutional Amendment). I was interviewed by the DDN for this piece where I discussed why the Amendment is so sloppily and carelessly worded that it could affect health care laws well beyond the individual mandate. These unintended consequences will be devastating and change the entire health care landscape of Ohio in many years to come. That's why we have to come out to vote NO on Issue 3!

I will be debating the Tea Party on Issue 3 at the Ballot Issue Forum at Sinclair Community College on Tuesday Oct. 25th, at 2:00 - 4:00 PM, Building 8, Ponnie Kendell Center, Stage Area, Basement. The moderators will be State Senator Tom Roberts and Ellen Belcher, Editor from the Dayton Daily News. Please come out to show support along with Sinclair students. The forum is open to the public. 

In solidarity,

Donald Nguyen, MD, FAAP

Doctors for America

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A Physician’s Personal Reflection on the Affordable Care Act:

 One Year Later

 

An opinion piece submission by Dr. Donald Nguyen

 

When Ohio Lt. Governor Mary Taylor and House Speaker John Boehner referred to the Federal healthcare reforms known as the Affordable Care Act as "a catastrophe" and  "a monstrosity", I could not help but feel sad and sorry for them. When I think of a catastrophe, Katrina and the Japan Earthquake come to mind. Those are the monstrosities of nature that brought human suffering to millions. But the Affordable Care Act? Surely they cannot be serious.

 

I would like to invite the Lt. Governor and Speaker Boehner to accompany me to my clinic for just one day and introduce them to many of my patients whose lives have been changed and positively touched by this historic legislation. Maybe, then, they will choose their words more carefully and come to understand the human dynamic and need that makes these healthcare reforms something to be celebrated by all Americans.

 

Most learned observers believe that the two major provisions of the Affordable Care Act that have made the biggest impact are the elimination of insurance exclusion for pre-existing medical conditions and free preventative care, followed by the removal of the annual and lifetime dollar limits that will protect thousands of our fellow citizens from medical bankruptcy.  

 

In Ohio alone, insurance companies now cannot deny coverage to 630,000 children with pre-existing conditions. Overnight, "child coverage only" policies became extinct and will no longer are offered by insurance companies. Because of the ACA, many patients of mine now are able to return to see me for their long awaited follow-up visit. I challenge  the misinformed opponents of these simple healthcare reforms to look into my patients eyes and explain to them why they oppose the ACA and label it a “catastrophe”. Obviously they have not confronted the refusal of coverage or the limitation of treatment as many thousands have. For them that practice was a genuine “catastrophe” and one that has bankrupted many Ohio families in the past.

 

Thanks to the ACA, preventative care like wellness check-ups, immunizations, screening tests for cancer and diabetes, flu shots, mammograms, and counseling services for healthy living---are now free. We all know about the importance of preventative care and living healthy right? But we should understand that this legislation will save millions in taxpayer dollars because of the emphasis on early detection and prevention. And under the ACA, insurance companies can no longer jack up the premiums without having to justify their actions to state and federal regulators.

 

Because of the passage of the ACA, lifetime dollar limits are no longer in effect, thereby protecting the six million Ohioans who now have private insurance. And when insurance companies do have to pay out for your medical care, they have to use at least 80 % of the premium dollars on health care and not on CEO salaries or bonuses. I call that a " marvelous" regulation that is good for the health of all our citizens.

 

Retroactive to Jan. 1st, 2010, the 147,000 small businesses Ohio can claim a tax credit for providing health coverage to their employees, and consequently, more than 75,000 new insurance plans have been sold to small businesses by United HealthCare in 2010 alone.

In addition 1 million young adults will now have the ability to acquire health coverage via their parents' policies in the first quarter of 2011 alone. The "Young and Invincible" can now get sick safely, bring peace of mind to them and their families.

 

The passage of the healthcare reform into law has been heralded as historic and momentous, yet I personally would use words like long-overdue, indispensable, and a victory for the humanity of our society. And because I am a physician first I would never use those shameful denunciations that some in leadership have foolishly uttered, instead I would invite them to my office to learn firsthand how these essential reforms have dramatically changed the lives of my patients for the better.

 

Donald Nguyen, MD, FAAP

Beavercreek,  Ohio

 

 

 

[le...@juno.com]

Don,

Beautiful letter. And thanks for your efforts to get the word out about the real danger of Issue 3 to health care and public health.

 

For more information, www.votenoissue3.com

 

Best,

Cathy