Medical bankruptcy unheard of elsewhere

The health care industry in America is all about money - making profits from other people's misfortune. As a patient, you are subject to insurance guidelines that are geared toward maintaining the highest profit instead of the best result.

From your health insurer's point of view, any payments it makes for your medical care is a loss. This means that insurers try to deny as many claims as possible, and they also try to avoid covering people who are likely to need care. Both of these strategies use a lot of resources, which is why private insurance companies have high administrative costs.

National health systems in other Western countries are geared toward maintenance of good health, not maximizing profits. In my dealings with Canadian and European citizens, I have never heard anyone say he wants to ditch his system in favor of private insurance. There is no such term as “personal medical bankruptcy” in those countries.

I have also never met any retired 65-plus American who would prefer private insurance to Medicare.

Change is long overdue. If the details are handled properly, the real overall cost will be significantly less than what we pay now.

Lee Archerd

North Liberty