Time has come for universal health care

Marilyn Mackett, Las Vegas

Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009 | 2:02 a.m.

The scare tactics of the Republicans and the health care industry have turned a discussion of health care reform upside down. A small majority, with the help of insurance companies, would tie us to the old ways, not the modern world.

The millions of Americans who have Medicare do not dispute that this is a wonderful system for American seniors. It is a single-payer system that has worked since President Johnson signed this law. I doubt any senior citizen, even a Republican, would give up his Medicare.

Now it is time for all Americans to be included in this great health care system. If Americans young to old participated, we would have a system that pays for itself. Additional private health insurance can be purchased by any who want it.

Some countries that have a government health care system include Colombia, Canada, Brazil, Israel, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, China, the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, Germany, France, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

It is time for Americans to move into the 21st century, and move to a universal health care system. If we can afford to have trillion-dollar wars on a whim, we can plan a good health care system for our nation.

Let’s look forward to a country that will save taxpayer dollars in the long run, and benefit its people with a better, healthier society.