Letter to the Editor
The Washington Post
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
The June 6 news story “‘Single-Payer’ Supporters Challenge Democrats” put single- payer health care into the headlines where it belongs. But Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) still won’t put it on the table. It’s viewed as not being politically feasible, even though it’s favored by huge numbers of doctors, nurses and members of the public. Who’s in charge here, lobbyists and special interests, or the public?
A private insurance company’s mission is to make a profit. Profit is best made by insuring the healthy, screening out the sick and denying health care to anyone unfortunate enough to get sick after enrolling. Managing all this wastes a significant portion of every dollar spent on health care.
It is time to demand meaningful health-care reform, and single-payer is the only proposal that can provide medical and dental care for everyone while saving hundreds of billions of dollars.
JERRY M. EARLL
Washington
The writer is a member of the advocacy group Physicians for a National Health Program.