Health care reform has returned to the front burner of today’s political conversation, as it should. The cost of health care and health insurance continues to rise, making it more and more difficult for the average person to afford.

For decades, Larry Glass dispensed U.S. medications as a pharmacist, but today the retired Mesa resident turns to Canada for his heart drugs.

WASHINGTON – Arizona lawmakers split straight down party lines Wednesday as the House voted to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, less than two weeks after it was upheld by the Supreme Court.

Boy, do I feel sorry for smokers these days.

July 13, 2004

I am writing this letter to respond to a letter published in the Arizona Republic last week, but since I am not aware of any e-mail address to the editor of the Republic, I will write to the Tribune.

More than a year after President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, health care experts who gathered in Glendale Friday said the law continues to evolve. “This is a very fluid piece of legislation,” said Ruthann Laswick of Black, Gould & Associates. “HHS (the Department of Health and Human Services) is constantly making clarifications. What you’re told one day could be completely different a few days later because their interpretation has changed.”

More than a year after President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, health care experts who gathered in Glendale Friday said the law continues to evolve. “This is a very fluid piece of legislation,” said Ruthann Laswick of Black, Gould & Associates. “HHS (the Department of Health and Human Services) is constantly making clarifications. What you’re told one day could be completely different a few days later because their interpretation has changed.”

When my neighbor, who operates a small business, had a stroke, the first thing that came to mind as paramedics wheeled him away was, "Does he have health insurance?"

We can all stop pretending continued Republican anger about the Affordable Care Act is news. Some figured a Supreme Court ruling would settle things. And since the GOP said it was unconstitutional with the same fervor as people who’ve read the Constitution—it was easy to assume a decision from the nine justices in the highest court in the land—regardless of the outcome—would chill them out.

WASHINGTON — Some are already anticipating the Supreme Court's ruling on President Barack Obama's health care law as the "decision of the century." But the justices are unlikely to have the last word on America's tangled efforts to address health care woes. The problems of high medical costs, widespread waste, and tens of millions of people without insurance will require Congress and the president to keep looking for answers, whether or not the Affordable Care Act passes the test of constitutionality.

More than a year after President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, health care experts who gathered in Glendale Friday said the law continues to evolve. “This is a very fluid piece of legislation,” said Ruthann Laswick of Black, Gould & Associates. “HHS (the Department of Health and Human Services) is constantly making clarifications. What you’re told one day could be completely different a few days later because their interpretation has changed.”

WASHINGTON — Buying your own health insurance will never be the same.

The Governor’s plan to add more than 300,000 Arizonans to the Medicaid rolls will do nothing more than facilitate and expand ObamaCare. Voters clearly expressed their will to reject implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) via Proposition 106 in 2010. If this expansion goes through, nearly one fourth of all Arizonans will receive free taxpayer-paid medical care. This isn’t a ”safety net” for the poorest citizens. It is an incentive program for socialized medicine.

How appropriate that it was April Fools Day that Jon Beydler’s commentary was published in the Tribune.

The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust has established a $10 million investment at Arizona State University to "bring catalytic change" to health care delivery, said Dr. Judy Jolley Mohraz, the trust's president and CEO.

When Chief Justice John Roberts upheld the constitutionality of Obamacare, he didn’t just betray conservatives.

Arizona is getting $1 million from the federal government “to help crack down on unreasonable health insurance premium hikes.’’

I see that Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has decided to reject the Medicaid expansion in Wisconsin because it is too expensive. The next part of Gov. Walker’s plan is for Wisconsin to tighten eligibility for Medicaid, lift a cap on childless adults and — get this — force people to buy insurance through a government-run marketplace known as an exchange. That’s wonderful, Scott. By the way, I couldn’t help noticing that your program is the same as Obamacare, so I’m not sure what the advantage would be. Maybe we could call it “Walkercare” instead of “Obamacare” and that would make Gov Walker feel better.

The East Valley Chambers of Commerce Alliance (EVCCA) strongly supports Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer’s plan to restore our Medicaid population.

Let’s simplify it:

The Medicaid Restoration plan put forth by Gov. Brewer is a prudent economic option that helps our state stay competitive while serving those who are most vulnerable. We need a solution that works with us to reinstate coverage for those in need, while remaining fiscally responsible by reigning in the out of control costs of uncompensated care. The Governor’s plan is an excellent solution for Arizonans since it allows our hospitals and providers to continue giving the very best standard and quality of care, while reducing stress on taxpayers and the general fund to pay for the costs of uncompensated care.

Regardless of what you think about the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also called Obama Care, the delivery of healthcare in the U.S. needs a major overhaul. The focus should be on patients and on high value healthcare. That means doing what it takes to get better outcomes, better safety, better service at lower overall costs — a focus on value, not on volume.

I find the opposition to Obamacare a gross, contradictory, and hypocritical position held by certain elected officials who represent the citizens of this great country.