Focus on quality, not health

John C. McDonald: Health care for many now is more of a dream come true than a 'nightmare.'

Don't let the desire for perfection interfere with what is good and right.

The good here is enrolling Arizonans in health insurance to protect themselves and their families. The perfect is the notion that every aspect in every case of people signing up for health insurance through the Federal Health Insurance Marketplace will go, well, perfectly.

That has never been the case in any major public or private initiative in history. We should focus more on what's good about the marketplace rather than the 'nightmares' that The Arizona Republic has chosen to spotlight.

Take the case of Samantha, a 59-year-old Arizona woman who has spent nearly her entire marriage managing the health care of her husband, who has multiple sclerosis.

Samantha's husband was accepted on disability insurance after the diagnosis, but Samantha, a part-time worker, did not have an employer to provide her with health-insurance coverage.

She enrolled in a plan in the marketplace and said that the enrollment process was 'very, very easy, and there are lots of people to answer questions and guide you.'

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Samantha was happy to finally be able to go receive a mammogram and take care of her own health, things that she previously thought she couldn't afford.

Samantha is not in the minority.

Most of those who enrolled in a health-insurance plan through the marketplace last year were satisfied with their experience. More than three-quarters (78 percent) were satisfied with their plans overall, and even more (86 percent) were satisfied with their doctors and coverage.

Eight in ten (81 percent) of people surveyed lean toward looking into the marketplace during this open-enrollment period to see what is available in 2015.

Their time to do that is now; the new enrollment period that started Nov. 15 and ends Feb. 15.

The tens of thousands of Arizonans who have signed up for Medicaid and marketplace coverage are enjoying peace of mind and the benefits of primary health care, such as prenatal care, office visits for sick children, dental visits and counseling for depression or substance-abuse disorders. Taking advantage of coverage now helps avert more-serious conditions down the road.

John C. McDonald(Photo: handout)

Signing up for health care almost always goes smoothly, and those who participate overwhelmingly conclude that the experience was positive and would agree that not having insurance is worse than having to endure a glitch in the system.

They would agree that health insurance is affordable: Eight of 10 people qualified for tax credits. They realize that health insurance now covers everything from a flu vaccine to a cancer screening. They know that not seeking health insurance can catch up to you. Those who have enrolled and who are now covered are fully aware that if you break your leg - and you are not covered - it could cost you as much as the down payment on your house. They now realize that having health insurance is good life planning.

Go to CoverAZ.org for enrollment information.

John C. McDonald is CEO of the Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers, which represents 161 health centers throughout Arizona that are engaged in outreach and enrollment for the uninsured.

Several million more people across the U.S. are expected to sign up in the coming year. Not one of them is letting perfection keep them from doing what is good and right for themselves and their families.

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