Editor, Gazette-Journal:

I lived in Massachusetts when we achieved universal health care under Governor Romney. It wasn’t perfect, but I could sleep easier at night when health care for all became the responsibility of the people. As a minister and as someone who served on the boards of shelter and low-income housing agencies, as well as the chair of a food pantry initiative, I knew first-hand the stories of how people get into trouble financially. Many of the biggest financial problems begin with health crises where there is little or no health insurance.

Some people have worried about what the health care act put forth by Obama, and altered, then passed by Congress, will mean to them. The Massachusetts law went much further in terms of providing the highest possible insurance for the poor, but is otherwise quite similar. I can say that it seemed to be wonderful for the state.

For those of us fortunate enough to have health insurance, little changed except we were able t...