To the Editor:
Enhanced Medicare for All is a pro-life issue. While the Affordable Care Act helped many Americans get health insurance, it still did not resolve the problem of ensuring that everyone needing medical treatment would receive the care they needed.
Many feel that our country needs a complete overhaul of our health care system. I have heard complaints expressed by friends and neighbors who are Democrats, Republicans, Independents and non-voters. They told me that expensive co-pays and deductibles kept some from getting health care; they objected to someone sitting behind a desk refusing a doctor’s request for a patient to have an MRI; they likened high insurance costs to a tax; they complained of high prescription drug costs.
What they liked about Senate Bill 1804 and House Bill 676: both cover everything medically necessary. This includes dental care, eye care, hearing aids and mental health. They especially liked the provision covering nursing home care, which a lot of their friends were concerned about.
They did not overlook the cost and financing for Enhanced Medicare for All. Even a conservative think tank came to the conclusion that it would save the government money. Sources for funding include a slight tax on stock and bond sales; a modest tax on unearned income; and an increase in the personal income tax on the top 5 percent of income earners. Savings come from vastly reduced paper work, negotiated drug prices, elimination of health insurance profits and advertising costs.
As long as health care is a commodity, to be bought and sold, many of our neighbors will be left out. Charity is no substitute for justice. We need to follow Jesus’ example and provide healing for all of our neighbors by supporting House Bill 676 and Senate Bill 1804. Call or write your member of congress.
Deacon Art Donart, retired
Thomson, Ill.
