Letter: Medicare should be system for everyone

Thursday, March 29, 2007 | 7:16 a.m.

I'd like to propose that the Medicare health care system become the single payer system for every citizen in the United States.

To make this work, all systems - such as Medicaid, all government systems for its employees and elected officials, private and company insurance health systems, etc. - would be incorporated into the Medicare system.

One of the benefits would be that employees would not lose their health care when they changed or lost their jobs, or retired. Also, companies would reduce their costs, making them more competitive in the global economy. Hospitals and doctors would not have to accommodate multiple health care systems, reducing all that paperwork. Veterans would not have to travel to special hospitals to get affordable health care. There may be other benefits that I haven't thought of as well.

Regarding the costs, the government systems that have health care budgets would have to be put into Medicare. The companies that now do not have health care costs would have to share some of those gains. After a budget committee comes up with what sort of budget would be required and there is a shortfall, perhaps a co-pay would be required.

I realize this is very controversial. The conservatives are going to cry "socialism" and that may turn off many people. If it is realized that we need a comprehensive health care system, I believe this proposal should be on the table.

Bernard Mesco, Las Vegas