I read with interest the opinion column in The Flathead Beacon by Tammi Fisher regarding Medicare for All. She touted the idea to be unrealistic. Every other civilized first world country has Universal Healthcare but the United States. How is it that we, the richest country can’t afford it? The truth is, we can. The ruling politicians are against it because there is no money (campaign contributions) in it for them. They don’t care or need it because they already enjoy a five-star plan paid for by you and I.
Tammi stated that if we were to implement a Medicare for All policy we wouldn’t be able to get the procedures we need. I beg to differ. As it stands right now, the ‘private insurance for profit’ system we throw our vast sums of money to dictates what care we get. I never thought I would look forward to being the ripe old age of 65, but now that I am, I have enjoyed excellent coverage under Medicare.
She also states that there is a shortage of physicians. Yes, graduating from medical school is ridiculously expensive. Offering discounted tuitions would be one way to solve shortages. She also laments that doctors wouldn’t get paid as much as they do now. Currently our well working government-run Medicare program carries a 3 percent overhead. Private insurance companies shell out 17 percent for overhead. Maybe some of that 14 percent difference could go toward better pay for doctors, under Medicare for All, along with some common sense tort reform.
Still think we can’t afford Medicare for All? A recent study done by the Mercatus Center, which was sponsored by the Koch brothers, estimated that over a 10 year period our country would save over $2 trillion with a government run health care system compared to private insurance companies.
What are we waiting for? Let’s stop all this nonsense of having to hold spaghetti feeds for folks who can’t afford our current bloated private system.
Medicare for all. Now.
Carol Blake
Eureka