To the Editor:

In a March 20th Op-Ed entitled, “Why Would Sanborn Deny Health Care to our Neighbors?” Dr. Wayne Goldner suggests that Senator Sanborn is somehow opposed to providing healthcare to people in New Hampshire. Why limit such an attack to healthcare? Why not accuse Senator Sanborn of engaging in a “War on Women,” being a “Climate Denier” espousing “Income Inequality,” and putting poor children in the street. All nonsense! Senator Sanborn has worked tirelessly to bring affordable health care to all Granite Staters. He has advocated for attracting insurance companies that want to sell coverage across state lines. He has advocated for reducing mandated coverage options in health policies so that insurers can offer a spectrum of affordable policies that fit specific needs of all families and individuals. The Affordable Care Act mandates that individual policies include, among other foolish coverages, acupuncture care. I suspect acupuncture is a service most Granite Staters will never need and yet is a service for which the government mandates we all pay. An expansion of NH Medicaid will allow the federal government to further inject its grand ideas as to what coverage MUST be included in all NH policies.

Competition drives down costs; the opposite of what federal mandates achieve – price increases. Mandating coverages in all policies has driven carriers away from NH, resulting in increased costs, a lack of coverage options and exactly what we have today . . . only one carrier (Anthem) that offers a policy within the NH Health Insurance “Exchange.” Not quite what an “exchange” is designed to be. As a result of such mandates, NH is left with a one size fits all “exchange.” Welcome to Russia. Senator Sanborn opposes wholesale expansion of New Hampshire’s Medicaid program because he knows that the “plan” is simply a bait and switch. The federal government will cover 80 percent of such an expansion today and 50 percent in the two subsequent years. But after that New Hampshire taxpayers will be stuck with the tab and a severely pared-down list of healthcare coverage options. The program Dr. Goldner embraces is nothing more than an unfunded mandate resulting in zero choice. Senator Sanborn has the common sense to see the trees through the forest.