By Stephen Hessl M.D.
Aspen (Colo.) Daily News, Oct. 3, 2024
Editor:
How unfortunate that our school district finds itself in a quandary over providing health insurance for its teachers and staff (“Unexpected insurance costs put RFSD in $4-6 million hole,” Sept. 26, Aspen Daily News).
Every school district, city council and county commission in the country faces almost impossible annual choices and is forced to take calculated gambles with taxpayers’ money.
Don’t they all have enough challenges, educating our kids and running local governments? Wouldn’t we all be better off if they didn’t have to wrestle with this additional administrative roll of the dice?
There is a way: If we had, like almost every other modern nation, universal health care coverage, like Improved Medicare for All, this nagging problem would not exist. We would all — employers, employees, unemployed, retirees and children — have guaranteed health coverage for less than we’re all paying now.
Let’s educate ourselves about that!