Letters: Sept. 7, 2017

Extend medicare

In 2009 all Republican and two Democratic senators killed ACA’s (ObamaCare’s) proposed “public option” that likely would have led to national single-payer health care (Medicare-for-all). Although vastly superior in coverage and more equitably affordable than Republicans’ recent draconian bills, ObamaCare may hardly cut overall costs. Fortunately, single-payer Medicare-for-all would both greatly cut costs and markedly increase ObamaCare’s improved coverage, impossible until health insurance companies lose control.

Canadian single-payer universal health care costs only 60 percent of US care, with better results (life expectancy, infant mortality, etc.). Despite US insurance companies’ misleading ads, the Canadian system is also very popular. The evidence? When May 2011 elections gave Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper a conservative Parliamentary majority, guaranteeing passage of any conservative legislation, he immediately assured Canadians of no change in their single-payer system. Moreover, the late Tommy Douglas, who introduced Canadian single-payer in the 1960s, was accordingly voted all-time greatest Canadian in a 2004 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation survey.

University of Toronto researchers determined the US could save $27.6 billion yearly adopting Canada’s single-payer system (National Journal, 8/4/11). A new survey of U.S. physicians shows 42% “strongly” favor single-payer and another 14% “somewhat” (Forbes, 8/13/17).

Let’s extend popular Medicare to everyone!

Norm Luther, Spokane