Thoughts about health care

1. It saddens me to read so many letters in the Standard on health care reform, in which the writers are comfortable in denying access to health care for the less fortunate among us. We are a mix of the well-off, the poor and all those in between. Those of us with good minds, a good education and good jobs usually think we earned and deserve all we have. Yet the fact is that the most successful adults were born with a good brain and into a family that provided them with a good education. If anything, the credit should go not to us but to our parents, who of course we did not choose. The majority of us who are well off are simply fortunate, that is, lucky.

The word "community" implies that we are all in this together, the lucky along with the unlucky. Many nations have that sense and provide health care for everyone. For us, particularly in the last 30 years, "me" has become more dominant.

2. On the public option, many say that our government can't be trusted to run health care. All other wealthy countries have found that their governments can do it, and are doing a far better job than our private insurers do, and at far less cost. It obviously can not be that difficult. It may come as a surprise to some that Medicare is run, and run well by our "inept" government. I think most in their early 60s are excited about finally getting covered by Medicare.

The health insurance industry has paid our members of Congress very well to block a public option, so as to protect and assure continuation of their huge salaries and profits, but we citizens need not swallow their lies and distortions.

3. With universal care, big savings should come in time, based on the experience of all other wealthy countries. This is true even with full involvement of private insurance companies, as in Germany, France and Switzerland. In the time it takes to make the transition, we may need to increase spending. For all other than those on Medicare and Medicaid, going universal will give us value in assurance of availability of care, and for those not presently covered, full access. For that value, we should be willing to pay more, either in taxes or in a premium in wage roll deductions.

Victor Reilly

Aiken