To the editor:

On the anniversary of the new health care law being passed, my congressperson, Lynn Jenkins, said, “Simply put, Obamacare destroys jobs, increases taxes, expands government control and increases the cost of health care for all Americans.”

Really? In the last week, projections of lifetime medical expenses for retirees have gone down for the first time. Fidelity lowered the cost from a quarter of a million to $230,000, a slight decrease, but one that bucks the 6 percent average increase annually since 2002. The reason, Fidelity reports, is due to Obama’s health care overhaul, closing the doughnut hole and factors in premiums, co-payments and deductibles relative to the overhaul.

Late last week the Labor Department reported an unemployment rate of 8.8 percent and the creation of over 200,000 new private sector jobs. Both statistics reflect an improving trend.

Opposition is mixed, with some disappointed it did not go further, like me, a supporter of universal care as proposed in HR 676. The changes allowing uninsured children to stay on their parents’ policies until 26 and prohibiting children under 19 being denied coverage for pre-existing conditions would have helped our family with health care costs.

Doubtless, it is a confusing program and needs some revision, but overall it appears to be helping a lot of Americans with improved health care. Perhaps Rep. Jenkins should take a less partisan view on this subject and do more to accentuate the positive in the reform.