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Letter: Not happy with outcomes: Let’s try single-payer
Op-Ed · June 29, 2017


Why do I want to pay for single-payer universal health care?
Because I am already paying for the medical needs of people less fortunate than me, and I am not happy with the current outcomes. I want more efficient use of my money and I want better results.

Having one payment provider will cut costs. No legal fees for insurance companies fighting over responsibility. No payments to insurance companies who get in the way of good medical decisions, and interfere in patient/doctor relationships.

I want health care funding independent of employment.

Children aren’t employed, yet need good health care. Retirees are no longer employed, yet most have increased needs for medical care. People with chronic health problems or mental illness or disabilities aren’t often employable in jobs that offer insurance benefits. Employment is a very inefficient method of rationing access to health care.

Removing burdensome and costly management of health care benefits from employers will grow our economy. Being able to work fewer hours by choice will affect quality of life issues for many families.

Those who would run our government like a business, should be more thoughtful of proper maintenance of their business “equipment.” A healthier population means greater productivity. Wise investment in this cost of doing business will pay dividends.

Elected officials, it is time for universal health care. It is time to value dignity and compassion and cooperation over labels and unbalanced ideals of personal responsibility. It is time to value encouraging a healthy, productive community over competition and judgment of worthiness.

Laura Twing

Tipton