Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Praeger says Congress shouldn’t defund Affordable Care Act

By SCOTT ROTHSCHILD, The Lawrence Journal-World

TOPEKA, KAN. — Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger on Monday criticized attempts in Congress to defund or delay implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

"I think we just go with it, and we work through the kinks, and people are finally going to get some benefits from a health standpoint that they needed to have," said Praeger, one of the few Republican elected officials in the country not opposed to the ACA.

Praeger's comments came right before she spoke to more than 200 people during another in a series of informational meetings she has held across the state about the ACA.

As the meeting started, Praeger asked how many people received health care through Medicare.

Several dozen hands went up.

"If you like Medicare, relax. Nothing is going to change," she said.

Doris Hurtig, 84, of Topeka, was one of those on Medicare.

"I am not for the Affordable Care Act," she said.

Hurtig said her son, who is a cardiologist, told her that new federal rules were forcing him to follow regimented protocols instead of treating each patient individually.