Our health care system is sick and every day we receive reports of dire symptoms. Gov. Tom Corbett balks at Medicaid expansion that would provide health care coverage for 700,000 uninsured Pennsylvanians. Commonwealth Court ruled that some of the tobacco settlement money has to be devoted to health care, a long-awaited victory for the 42,000 Pennsylvanians who lost Adult Basic when Gov. Corbett began his administration. Since this decision probably will be reviewed by the state Supreme Court, our fellow citizens will have to wait still longer to find out if they will regain coverage. Finally, the behemoths, UPMC and Highmark, continue to squander our premiums on a feud reminiscent of the Hatfields and McCoys that includes doctors being forced to turn away patients. ("Medical Ethics Focus of Insurance Dispute," March 8.)
There is only one cure for what ails our health care system, a
one-payer (also termed "single-payer") plan that would provide
comprehensive care for all our citizens, allow true competition by freeing us
to choose any provider, and save $17 billion by eliminating inefficient
administration, excessive CEO salaries, insurance company profiteering,
marketing and legal expenses, etc.
The financial viability of this approach has been supported in a
study conducted by economist Gerald Friedman of the University of
Massachusetts. Check out the details at www.healthcare4allpa.org.
It is time that our health care system receives the effective medicine it
deserves.
BOB MASON
No comments:
Post a Comment