When I read Cecilia Schreiber's letter " Responsibility lacking " (March 10 and TribLIVE.com), I was stunned by both her utter lack of decency in personally attacking an expectant mother and her total ignorance of the facts surrounding adultBasic and its importance to thousands of hardworking families across the state.
As a Pennsylvania Health Access Network ( pahealthaccess.org ) organizer, I've been flooded with calls from folks terrified of what's next, now that their health insurance has been shut off. The overwhelming majority are self-employed, or work at part-time jobs that don't offer insurance, or have been denied coverage in the private market for pre-existing conditions, or denied the chance to buy insurance at all. Maybe Ms. Schreiber has never had to acknowledge these types of hardships, but to completely write off these realities by saying "cue the violins" is astoundingly callous and out of touch.
She is not only wrong to personally attack those who share their stories, she's wrong about where the money for adultBasic comes from. It was never funded with tax dollars but by a portion of Pennsylvania's share of the tobacco settlement money and, since 2005, by contributions made by the state's Blue Cross/Blue Shield insurers to avoid big lawsuits over accusations that they were abusing their nonprofit, tax-exempt status to accumulate huge surpluses, which are more than $6 billion.
The Pennsylvania Health Access Network will continue pushing our legislators to hold the "Blues" accountable for fulfilling their legal, charitable obligations by funding programs like adultBasic and giving working folks a shot at affordable health insurance. We encourage people like Ms. Schreiber to refrain from personal attacks on those courageous enough to share their struggle and, instead of making assumptions, to get all the facts.
Erin Gill
Fineview
