Letter to the editor
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
July 14, 2009
People who believe a public option will make health insurance companies and health maintenance organizations more accountable should look at Medicare’s Part C Medicare Advantage privatization option. Forbes found insurance companies and HMOs cherry-picking healthy seniors for their plans and lemon-dropping sickly seniors into Medicare Parts A and B.
One goal of health insurance reform should be to broaden the pool to spread and reduce risk. By insuring everyone, single-payer health insurance would be the largest possible insurance pool. No more slicing and dicing of Americans into market shares: middle class (health insurance companies and HMOs), uninsured (potential public option enrollees), old (Medicare), poor (Medicaid), etc.
The naysayers say there is little support for single-payer health insurance, but no Republican probably will campaign to abolish Medicare Parts A and B (single-payer health insurance for seniors) in the 2010 midterm election. The health care sector contributed $167 million to candidates in last year’s election. Congress and President Barack Obama should overcome their addictions to campaign contributions and pass and enact S. 703 and H.R. 676 to ensure every American good, affordable health care and the freedom to choose our doctors.
Daniel Lee
Milwaukee