Editor:
The House Republicans have voted 33 times, so far, to overturn the Affordable Care Act, unwilling to admit the benefits it extends to millions of Americans. Their lying about its provisions reminds us of Disraelis observation: There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics. The Republicans rant about a government takeover of health care, when in fact the private sector retains its dominance. Romney joins in the cry that the act will cost jobs, deny coverage to millions, and raise taxes by way of the mandate, claims made without supporting evidence. They will not tell us that the mandate will affect less than 1 percent of the population.
Republicans tout the private health care system as being more efficient than Medicare. Not true. Administrative costs in the private sector range from 20 to 30 percent (for ads, review of claims, lobbyists and profits) compared to 4 percent for Medicare. They try to scare us with the specter of socialized medicine, a system in place in England and Canada, where administrative costs are 5 percent and 6 percent, respectively. The 20-30 percent administrative costs in the American private system amount to a heavy indirect tax on the consumer. We could have universal public health at far less cost, even if Medicare premiums were increased.
As it is now, supplemental insurance premiums are at least two to three times higher than Medicares, yet Medicare pays 80 percent of approved charges, the supplementals only 20 percent of the remainder, a gift the Paul Ryan plan aims at enlarging by phasing out Medicare and substituting a pittance voucher for negotiating with the rapacious private insurance industry. Recently, I had an outpatient stress test (1.5 hours total) that was billed at just over $3,000. Medicare paid $2,900 plus; my supplemental, $83.
Under a strictly privatized system, imagine the size of premiums required to allow for such changes and still yield a profit. The facts argue for universal health care, everyone on Medicare, but with a means test to exempt those who can easily afford private insurance coverage. But a corporate-owned Congress prevents this humane reform.
Denton May
Cortez
