Our system of pay out of pocket for health care is absurd & marginalizes millions

To The Daily Sun,

I just read Rich Tjaden's opinion letter regarding a response to someone else's letter about the ACA. I am not sure what the other writer had to say, but felt compelled to comment on the state of our health care in this country.

While your comments are well-intentioned, they are just not correct in their entirety. Sure, we have fine hospitals and medical professionals, but we are only as good as our sickest patient. This idea that the free market provides our country with the best care is an absolute load of baloney. We have state-of-the-art facilities, especially cancer facilities, sure, but what about access? If you have good insurance maybe, but otherwise not so much (and the networks and specialization, wait times etc make it next to impossible to get good care especially for chronic diseases, but I digress).

A more balanced approach to this topic would be to give accolades where they are due: To many wonderful medical professionals in our country who are trying to do right by people in need, as long as the insurance companies will agree, but, our system of pay for care is absurd and marginalizes millions of people's health care issues.

Not only do approximately 150,000 people die each year from properly prescribed medications, the same amount die of lack of care. When this country gets off its proverbial butt, disregards the lies and fears shoved down our throats from corporate elites who claim socialism is communism and that providing care to all would bankrupt the U.S., then we will continue to have these ridiculous conversations about how good we are in this country. Oh, excuse me, how great we are ... we are the greatest. So why, pray tell, do we need to make it greater? (cough, gag, cough)

The stats don't line up Mr. Tjaden. We rank near the bottom for infant deaths and basic care of our people. We are one of the sickest nations in the world ... and perhaps the sickest. We prop up the rich and demean the poor. We give a blank check for war, but balk at giving grandma a meal. Capitalism creates poverty. Period! And this administration with a broad stroke just raised the bottom 90 percent's tax burden and overall financial burden tremendously at the same time as propping up the rich. This will not help the cause. This will widen the income gap and surely create more instability. We have history to prove that — real world examples.

When we can have our government actually run by the people and not corporations (like insurance companies), elect people who care about people over profits, policies over party, we will have less people priced out of healthcare. So, please do not try to explain to us that our medical establishment is the best.

We have many wonderful schools and smart talented caring people who are nurses, doctors, and researchers, but until we can actually provide care for all — regardless — none of this really matters. And you hit the nail on the head when you said people come here from all over the world to get an education in the medical field ... why wouldn't they? They will make millions off of the sick. Isn't that swell?

Sara Kender

Gilmanton