From Kevin M. Kuehl
Monroe
To the editor:
In the recent Democratic debate, there was a heated debate over “Medicare for All,” supported by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, and some of the other candidates advocating a more moderate “Medicare for those who want it” option. What may get lost in the heat of the moment and by some pundits looking for divisions is this, when it comes to healthcare, the bottom line is, 100% of the Democrats are 100% for 100% coverage for 100% of Americans. And the simple truth is that no Republicans are interested in truly improving the broken system we have now. We pay more per person for healthcare than any country by far. And this is the only developed country that doesn’t cover everyone and has resulting bankruptcies just due to healthcare costs.
The “Medicare for All” system, as Bernie and Elizabeth are calling for, will result in massive overall savings, end such bankruptcies, end all those obnoxious copays, coinsurance, out of network surprise bills and all the other crap we have to put up with, with our current insurance plans. You pay your fair share of taxes, and you get the healthcare you need. For we the people, it’s that simple. The other candidates try to make “gotcha” moments with reciting the long-term cost of the plan and how it is to be paid for, or what happens to all those insurance company employees. They, Sanders and Warren, have plans for that, they will tax the rich and the big corporations to fund this, and they have jobs plans. Bernie admits that he would raise some taxes on upper middle-class families. But try as others might to get her to, Elizabeth refuses to use the “T” word, stating simply and correctly that costs would go down for all but the very wealthy.
What doesn’t get said in all of this, is that no plan from a presidential candidate ever survives contact with Congress. Things will be debated and changes made to get the votes needed. The bottom line for all of us is this, vote in Democrats for president and Congress, and get universal healthcare coverage at lower cost than you have now, or vote for Republicans, and continue to put up with what you have now.
