Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Letter to the Editor:

America, its uninsured need public option

A public option health care agency proposed by many Democrats, and an important part of President Barack Obama’s health reform plan, needs a mission statement. It must simply read: “Provide voluntary health insurance for the uninsured. Leave no one behind.”

This is a high ground statement — moral, honorable and American. It is not socialism to care and provide for an American minority, the uninsured. It’s simply the right thing to do. Just as Americans don’t turn people away from hospital emergency rooms, Americans don’t leave people behind when it comes to health care insurance.

This mission statement does not interfere with any private health care system. This mission has nothing to do with existing insurance systems. It deals exclusively with 10 million to 50 million uninsured Americans.

This mission statement has no profit provision, shareholders or CEOs.

No one is making money off the misfortune of the uninsured. In fact, quite the opposite is transpiring. Everyone saves money when everyone is healthy. Incentives encourage healthy habits and lifestyles.

This leads to health care prosperity and success.

The primary issues of public option insurance are not rationing, doctors, agency inefficiencies or other administrative details. This is because, for 10 million to 50 million uninsured, these details must be compared with the alternative. The alternative is no health insurance at all. This alternative is simply unacceptable.

The House in Congress is on board. The Senate needs to get cracking.

Eighty Senate votes for this plan is possible because it is the best, the most brilliant, and the most American health care plan imaginable.

Senators who get in the way of this all-American, ingenious and dignified plan, when history is written, will find themselves under the bus.

America, get with the program. We’ll all be better off for it.

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