Health care reform should point to single-payer - Loveland Reporter-Herald
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Health care reform should point to single-payer
POSTED: 08/13/2017 08:35:15 PM MDT
The Affordable Care Act was signed into law March 23, 2010. The GOP immediately began calling for its repeal, yet until recently, they gave no thought about a replacement.
Seven years! When they finally began proposing replacements, they all had one thing in common: depriving access to health care for millions. This after the president promised that "everyone" would be covered and for less.
Republicans control all levels of the federal government. They have no one to blame but themselves, because they're trying to reconcile one faction that wants to do something (especially GOP governors who fear cuts to Medicaid), with another that would have the market solve the problem — the market that before Obamacare allowed people to be refused insurance for pre-existing conditions or because a lifetime limit was reached.
The fact is, Obamacare works pretty well, especially in states that expanded Medicaid for those who can't afford insurance. Most of its failures have come in red states that refused to do so. Also, how many shortcomings might have been avoided had the GOP decided to participate in the process instead of just saying no since day one? But maybe there's an even better way.
After World War II, we helped Japan and much of Europe set up universal health care. Yet in 1949, when President Truman proposed it for the U.S., it was defeated by calling it socialized medicine. You will note that not one of those nations ever repealed it. Nor has anyone in those countries ever gone bankrupt or lost a house because of medical expenses. Or had to beg for proper medical care. Plus it's cheaper because no profits are added or huge salaries paid and far fewer people deal with billing. Maybe it's time for Americans to follow our own lead and reconsider universal health care.
Ken Bublitz
Loveland
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