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America's health care system is sick
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Our health care system is sick and every day we receive reports of dire symptoms. Gov. Tom Corbett balks at Medicaid expansion that would provide health care coverage for 700,000 uninsured Pennsylvanians. Commonwealth Court ruled that some of the tobacco settlement money has to be devoted to health care, a long-awaited victory for the 42,000 Pennsylvanians who lost Adult Basic when Gov. Corbett began his administration. Since this decision probably will be reviewed by the state Supreme Court, our fellow citizens will have to wait still longer to find out if they will regain coverage. Finally, the behemoths, UPMC and Highmark, continue to squander our premiums on a feud reminiscent of the Hatfields and McCoys that includes doctors being forced to turn away patients. ("Medical Ethics Focus of Insurance Dispute," March 8.)
There is only one cure for what ails our health care system, a one-payer (also termed "single-payer") plan that would provide comprehensive care for all our citizens, allow true competition by freeing us to choose any provider, and save $17 billion by eliminating inefficient administration, excessive CEO salaries, insurance company profiteering, marketing and legal expenses, etc.
The financial viability of this approach has been supported in a study conducted by economist Gerald Friedman of the University of Massachusetts. Check out the details at www.healthcare4allpa.org. It is time that our health care system receives the effective medicine it deserves.
BOB MASON
Trafford
Not convenient
Just saw on your Web site that a House committee approved a different version of the governor's liquor privatization bill, one that would allow beer distributors the opportunity to bid early on licenses to sell liquor but that doesn't expand the right of supermarkets to sell beer.
Isn't the whole idea to make things more convenient for the consumer? Wouldn't it be great to be able to buy a case of beer in a supermarket -- four different six packs at one time -- as I do every summer when I go to North Carolina? Who has a sensible reason why that can't be done?
I hope somebody takes a look at the beer distributor lobby, because these guys are more powerful obstructionists than the employees of the Liquor Control Board.
SEAN CANNON
Shaler
First Published March 21, 2013 12:00 am
