To the Editor:

When we talk about health care reform, the Affordable Care Act, we are talking about what could be called the “American Plan.” It is a Constitutional law that has been put in place to protect and provide care for fellow Americans. It is patriotic and democratic to care about our fellow citizens. It is in keeping with the letter and the spirit of the U.S. Constitution and it is in line with what our founders had hoped for this nation.

This law provides many benefits to the citizens of Illinois and DeKalb County. Let’s look at retirees: According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, an estimated 174,000 people from Illinois retired before they were eligible for Medicare. Unfortunately, the number of businesses that provide health coverage to their retired employees has decreased over time. Since this American Plan went into effect, the $5 billion temporary early retiree reinsurance program has helped provide the support firms needed to continue coverage for thousands of early retirees.