by Mary Plummer
Late in the afternoon Monday, New York State Assemblyman Joseph Lentol, Democrat – 50th District, hadn’t heard a word from his constituents on the passage of yesterday’s healthcare legislation.
Speaking from Albany, he said he was pleased with the passage of the healthcare bill. But he wasn’t sure exactly what the bill will mean. He regularly gets calls from people complaining about their limited coverage. He said patients in Brooklyn often are denied treatment at their preferred hospitals because they lack health insurance.
“It isn’t the best deal that I would have liked to have seen struck but you have to begin somewhere,” he said, adding that there’s no turning back now. Lentol supported a public option. His district includes Greenpoint, Williamsburg and Fort Greene.
Lentol praised the bill and what it will do for entrepreneurs, artists and young people in Brooklyn. Adding that the bill will help provide insurance to young people who want to pursue careers in more creative areas that don’t currently provide coverage.
“From now on healthcare will be an entitlement, not something you have to worry about having in order to survive,” he said.